Adopt or Shop Responsibly
Introduction
Hi everyone! Welcome to my blog. Today I wanted to talk about considerations when choosing to adopt a dog from a shelter or buy a dog from a breeder. I have done both and have found that they each have their pros and cons. This blog is not meant to say one is better than the other, rather the goal is to discuss the important considerations that should go into making the most responsible, educated choice.
Table of Contents
1. To Adopt or To Shop
2. Researching Dogs
3. Researching Establishments
1. To Adopt or To Shop
When deciding whether to adopt from a shelter or buy from a breeder, one isn’t generally better than the other, however one may be better for you. The most important thing to consider is what will work best for your lifestyle and what you will be able to manage. Dogs from both shelters and breeders require a lot of time, training, and care. The type of training and care however, may differ depending on the dog and even where they’re from.
Shelter Dog Pros:
• Giving a home to a dog in need
• Less expensive
• Supports your local shelter
• Helps with overpopulation
• Less purebred health issues
Shelter Dog Cons:
• Possible behavioral issues
• Unknown breed, health, experience history
• Limited options
Breeder Dog Pros:
• Can pick a specific dog breed
• Options for allergies, etc.
• More access to puppies
• Can get a purebred for showing
• More predictable temperament
Breeder Dog Cons:
• More expensive
• Potential breed health issues
• Could be supporting unethical breeding standards
2. Researching Dogs:
An important aspect of getting a dog includes research! This applies for both shelter dogs and breeder dogs.
Shelter Dogs:
With shelter dogs, researching most importantly entails how the shelter describes their dogs. Many shelters give mini descriptions about each dog, including information about their behavior. While this may not be super helpful, it’s important to understand how they talk about their dogs. Do they emphasize dogs that do well with other dogs? Then you can deduce that a dog without information on how they did with other dogs may not have handled it very well. Similarly, many shelters may rate a dog for ages 12+. It’s important to understand if the dog bad with children or do they just have a lot of energy. Every shelter wants their dogs to be adopted so it’s important to know what you’re looking for and how to read between the lines.
Breeder Dogs:
With breeder dogs, research entails looking into dog breeds. Because you can pick and choose a dog based on a breed you like, it’s important to understand the breed’s standard characteristics and temperaments. This also includes knowing what you’re looking for in a dog. Certain dog breeds are known for being noisy, territorial, etc. and if that isn’t what you want, through research you can determine which dog breed standards don’t have the characteristics you don’t like. If you prefer to stay indoors and want a lazy cuddle buddy, a breed known to be high energy may not be the best choice. Similarly, if you live in a very hot climate, a dog bred for cold winters may not be the best fit for where you live. While learning about breed temperaments and history aren’t foolproof, it’s still important to understand and consider.
3. Researching Establishments:
Another aspect of getting a dog includes researching establishments! This means researching the shelter or researching the breeder.
Shelter Dogs:
With shelters, it’s important to understand what kind of establishment you’re getting a dog from. This includes knowing if the shelter is run by the county or private, if they euthanize for space, and where they get their dogs from. While there isn’t necessarily a right or wrong to these, it’s important to understand where you’re getting your dog from and what they may have experienced prior to being adopted by you. Similarly, does the shelter assess their dog’s behavior? I have found this is one of the most important things. While it isn’t going to tell you exactly what the dog is like in a home environment, it may give you more of an idea than just getting a dog without any knowledge about their behavior.
Breeder Dogs:
When getting a dog from a breeder, the most important thing is to understand what kind of breeder they are. It’s important to know if they partake in any unethical practices and how their dogs used for breeding live. Are their breeding dogs well taken care of or are they being used like machines? Additionally, does the breeder have positive reviews/feedback from people who have purchased a dog from them in the past. Meeting the breeder and/or their dogs beforehand can also be very influential in making a decision to buy a dog from them. Additionally, some breeders show their dogs which can tell you about their breeding standards.
Conclusion
When it comes to getting a dog, I believe that there’s no right or wrong with respect to adopting versus shopping. Rather, what matters most is adopting or shopping responsibly. This post is a bit chaotic however I feel it covers most of the important considerations when deciding to adopt a shelter dog or buy a breeder dog. Hopefully you found this helpful too!
