[didee]

I am curious about where everyone got their dogs: shelter, rescue, breeder, friend/family, etc. I'm trying to decide on a new dog. I have only bought from a breeder once and that was a long time ago. If I deal with a breeder, I assume there's typically a wait and it's probably a seasonal type of activity? Whereas rescues are often fostered, available immediately, and there is some information available about the temperament from the foster home. Shelters, unfortunately, seem to be a crap shoot. But I got a great dog from a shelter once.

Share stories please? Is your dog purebred or mixed and where did you get it from? And with breeders, what are the protocols? Can you assume the good ones have the puppies claimed even before they are born? Thanks.

P.S. My goal is to get a dog as compatible with me as possible and to be able to rule out certain things (aggression/fear) during the selection process.

[3dogmom26]

I got both of my boxers from two different breeders. I did not wait on a list. I would call both of their breeders "high end BYB's"...and I'd do it again. I am not one that thinks it's necessary to have every health test done and pay a ridiculous amount of money for a dog. Anways, they've both been wonderful dogs that I've raised from 2 month old puppies. No issues with either of them. And then I found my pitbull mix a couple summers ago running in a busy intersection...he was malnourished, had fly bites on his ears and nose, had worms and fleas, etc. And yet, he's a wonderful dog. He had obviously never been in a house nor was he housebroken, but we just treated him like a puppy (he was aprx 10 months old) and he learned very quickly. He's honestly one of the best dogs I've ever had. I've already decided that I will not purchase any more dogs from breeders when there are so many out there that need good homes. I will rescue or adopt from shelters from here on out.

[misty073]

We got our dog from and add on craigslist. She was 5 months old and they had to rehome her due to their sons allergies. We paid a $50 rehoming fee. (and funny thing we changed her food and my husband who is allergic to her has no problems with her) she was untrained and went potty all over the house...she still will if we dont take her out often...But we love her and just keep a close watch on her (although now that its cold and wet out she prefers to pee on the kitchen floor )

She is apparently a purebred Jack Russell (but I am guessing from a BYB) because there was a name and number tucked inside her medical records that said Jack Russell breeder

[Pai]

Before I got Icesis (a purebred from a breeder), my lifetime dogs had been divided equally between coming from a breeder or a shelter (2 from breeders and 2 from shelters). I think it really depends on what you want, and what's available in your area. There are often lots of really nice dogs in breed rescues or shelters, so it's totally worth checking those out.

Dogs can go into heat at different times (twice a year), and every bitch's cycle is different. So there's not an 'off season' for puppies, really.

Share stories please? Is your dog purebred or mixed and where did you get it from? And with breeders, what are the protocols? Can you assume the good ones have the puppies claimed even before they are born? Thanks.

P.S. My goal is to get a dog as compatible with me as possible and to be able to rule out certain things (aggression/fear) during the selection process.

When it comes to waiting lists... it depends on the breed and the breeder. Sometimes a person on a wait list flakes at the last moment or w/e, or else more pups are born than there are people on the list. It's never 100% predictable.

Some breeders will also have older dogs that they want to rehome. That's how I got Icesis -- she was already 4 years old when I got her. People tend to think breeders ONLY have puppies, but that's not always the case.

[bmdmom]

I got both of my Berners from two different breeders. When buying a puppy or adult dog from a breeder you need to do your homework, because not all breeders are equal. I personally would ONLY get a pup from a well known, reputable breeder that is trying to better their chosen breed. These people do not care about making a profit and only breed to better their lines. These people also usually exhibit their dogs/bitches in Conformation, Obedience and attain other titles (CGC, agility, herding, draft, tracking etc) prior to planning a litter. Not sure what type of dog you're interested in, but I think health testing on the sire and dam are a must with any breed. With BMDs it is especially important (it should be mandatory!) and getting one from a BYB will probably not end well. Unfortunately, health issues like hip dysplasia and cancer run rampant in my breed.

If you don't have your heart set on a specific breed I recommend a trip to your local shelter. There are plenty of wonderful companions waiting for the right person to love them. If you get an older puppy or adult dog you will be able to tell their personality and it'll be easier to tell if you two would be compatible.

With responsible breeders, I don't think it's a seasonal thing. I would think that puppymills and BYBs probably have more litters in the spring and summer since that's when a lot of people make a spur of the moment decision to get a puppy.

If you find a reputable breeder, chances are you will be waiting a bit until they have a puppy available for you. Both of my dogs' breeders prefer to make sure they have excellent forever homes for their dogs BEFORE the breeding takes place. Bringing home a healthy, socialized, temperamentally sound puppy is always worth the wait.

[sizzledog]

Ilsa came from a show breeder. Ronin and Kaylee came from that same show breeder.

Ada came from a working breeder, and Saxon is coming from a show/performance breeder.

[MoonStr80]

This is a good topic;

Lets start with Frankie he is a platinum white Miniature Schnauzer he was rescued from Puppy Mill, he was in foster care for only 10 wks until I made requested to adopt him. When I met him he immediately need to be bathe & shaved he was covered with pee stains & feces He touch my heart when I saw him, he need extra time & space lots of patiance to not push onto dog training yet. Just to let him explore things on his own terms etc

Coming to the house he was terrified of floors, did not know how to walk stairs the poor little boy does not have a clue how to behave like a normal dog etc He has a long road ahead of him everyday he becomes calmer & settled in

Next we have Johnnie we had her since she was 12 wks old. What happened was her momma was dumped in the sheltered along with her litter, the previous owner was adopting a Beagle & had no idea that the dog was pregnant this was at the pound. So they had dumped the momma dog along with her litters to the pound etc Until the no-kill animal shelters adopted the momma & her litter Johnnie is a beagle/lab mix

I love Frankie & Johnnie they make my life crazy but I still love them at the end of the day. BTW- Frankie is 5 & Johnnie is one-years old

[RonE]

1. Runt dachshund from backyard breeder in neighborhood. Lovely little dog. Fairly healthy for four years. Paralyzed back legs for a year then dead at five. Wouldn't say it was specifically because of the source . . .
2. Beagle from legit breeder. Championship lines and probably wasted as a family pet, but his health, temperament and stunning good looks were a credit to his lines.
3. Stray Irish setter mix found on the street. (She found me, actually.) Nine years old and one of the best dogs I will ever know.
4. Black lab from classified newspaper ad. Previous owner lied about nearly everything and wouldn't have let him go if he know what he had. The most perfect dog I will ever have in my life.
5. Plott hound from city shelter. A complete crap-shoot and most of my family hated her for the first year or so. Usually named Hurricane Esther. She has mellowed into a great dog but any normal person would not have brought her home in the first place.
6. Chocolate lab from a private owner who could not handle her. I spent enough time with her to know what I was getting and she is a gem.

I've never gotten a dog from a rescue, but I think most are good organizations and do a good job. I've never gotten a dog from a pet store and never would. I see too many good dogs with great potential in shelters to ever consider another source but only one of my dogs has actually come from a shelter.

Go figure.

[Dreadog]

We spent weeks looking at shelters, then found Hoku on Craigslist. She was 4 months old, and they said they were rehoming her because their adult dog was getting ACL surgery. We paid a $100 rehoming fee.

[MoosMom]

I got Yoshi from a breeder I found in Colorado. She has a lot of dogs, but an immaculate kennel. All her health tests are done and she has test results for 3 generations. I will be getting my second dog from her hopefully early 2011.

[yom]

We found Chesdin on PetFinder. He was being fostered at the time and with a rescue organization in South Carolina

Denali we also got from a rescue Called Furry Friends. We saw him at an adoption event - we weren't looking for a 2nd dog, we were just going in for treats, but we couldn't resist. We started out fostering him for 6 weeks and then decided to fully adopt him

[.308]

English Yellow Lab - Breeder

People think she is the most mellow dog they have ever met. She's seven now. Hell on wheels in her younger years, and medical issues keep coming up now. She's still young at heart though to still give her "bucking bronco" and "happy snorts" though.


Aussie Mix - Someone dumped her at a vets office.

Found her when she was about six months old. Very shy and timid, lot of submissive peeing at first, would never let you out of her sight. Has become a great dog.

Beagle mix - Found at a gas station as a puppy.

Found her when she was about four months old. Great dog, alhtough she does like to chase game.

All three have been with us at least 5 years now. With all the dogs we've fostered, these three have been the "keystone" with training all the foster dogs that come into our home.

The beagle does get jealous at times though

Our three "sharing"... (they also miss the furniture in the house, as nowadays they are only allowed on that couch in the garage)

[Max's Mom]

I've had 2 that were unclaimed street urchins (1 colapsed nearly dead on my porch). Two came from the Humane Society. One came from a rescue. One puppy mill rescue. I'm not sure about my first dog (I was only 5) a spaniel mix.

[Michiyo-Fir]

I got my dog from a local show breeder. I was looking for Papillons and I basically went on the Papillon club of Canada page and took down all the breeders in my area. Then I looked at their websites and either phoned or emailed all of them. I was on a wait list for all the breeders that had litters planned in the next few months.

There were 4 of them that I was on a wait list for. The first one's litter only had one pup and she wanted to keep it. Her next litter isn't until around now (Nov). The 2nd breeder had 2 pups and she kept both of them too. So no luck there. The 3rd and 4th breeder had 4 pups and 7 (3 litters around the same time). Out of the 4 pups the one I really wanted she wanted to keep or sell on a show contract. She offered me the pup if I was willing to pay $2000 and preferably allow her to show the dog. I thought that was a lot of trouble plus this is my first dog that's not a family dog and I didn't want it to be taken away from me every few months to show.

So I decided on the last breeder and picked a pup out of the 6 she offered. I didn't get Nia until she was about 5 months old because her breeder wanted to keep her to show as well but she turned out not as outgoing and too shy for the ring so I got her. She's turning out to be an awesome awesome dog! I just love her to bits!

The other 2 family dogs were both from pet stores! My aunt...loves one pet store in particular and would not listen to anyone's stories about pet stores and puppymills and BYBs and such. She insisted on getting both her dogs (Truffs and Pop) from them. They're very healthy so far...I hope our good luck continues knowing the source of those 2 dogs.

[Rottieluv]

We got Porter from a breeder and there was no wait. He wasn't a high end, cost you an arm and a leg breeder though. He was just breeding healthy family dogs. So far Porter has been more than we could have hoped for!!! He's great and very smart. He is the best dog I have had so far and i've had tons of dogs growing up.

My mom's are all rescue dogs and they are also great dogs. She hasn't had a problem with any of them and they were healthy when she got them....they're super fat now. They all very sweet and get along with people and dogs.

Then you could get a dog like my bf's mom's dog. He came from the pound. He tries to bite anyone that comes in the house. He pinned his female owner into a corner growing at her. And he is scared of EVERYTHING!!!! Now i'm sure most of that has to do with the fact that he only eats hotdogs for every meal, and was never socialized with other people and animals.

[NRB]

My first dog was a stray, dumped in an area that the locals knew the visiting collage students would eventually take the dogs home. He was my forever dog, and I miss him.

Second dog (Aussie) was sort of a rescue, a family member owned her and she had bitten 2 people so she needed to get out of town fast. I lived the next state over so I took her, and she was wonderful never bit anyone again.

Third dog was from a breeder, she's 6mo now. My other 2 dogs passed before my daughter joined my family, and so this dog had to be from a responsible breeder who knew that the pup was good for a family with a toddler.

[Michiyo-Fir]

Originally Posted by Rottieluv

Then you could get a dog like my bf's mom's dog. He came from the pound. He tries to bite anyone that comes in the house. He pinned his female owner into a corner growing at her. And he is scared of EVERYTHING!!!! Now i'm sure most of that has to do with the fact that he only eats hotdogs for every meal, and was never socialized with other people and animals.

Just wondering, why does he only eat hot dogs?

[Rottieluv]

Originally Posted by Michiyo-Fir

Just wondering, why does he only eat hot dogs?

Because she just loves him so much that she could never feed him boring dog food. He loves hotdogs and icecream so thats what he gets. He also eats candy, cake,and pretty much anything else he wants. She is "loving him to death".

[Michiyo-Fir]

Oh I know those people. Similar to my aunt really...although her dogs do eat dog food (Orijen) because I picked it for them. They also get ice cream cake hotdogs, anything they want as well though. *sigh*

[Aran]

Animal Friends in Pittsburgh www.thinkingoutsidethecage.org