How to Determine Where to Get Your Dog
Decide if you’d prefer a puppy or an adult dog., Decide if you’d like a purebred dog or not., Consider dogs in need., Avoid puppy mills., Factor in the costs., Keep your ideal timeline in mind., Consider how far you’re willing to travel.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Decide if you’d prefer a puppy or an adult dog.
Puppies have much higher energy and require a lot of care and training, but many owners appreciate having more control over their dog’s upbringing, socialization, and training.
Go for an adult dog if you would like a pet that already has their basic training and will be easier to care for from the start.
Since they’ve already been socialized, adult dogs also have the advantage of being “known entities” when it comes to their general behavior, personality, and temperament.If you’d rather have an adult dog, breeders are probably not your best bet since they generally specialize in puppies.
Shelters and rescues do have some puppies available, but generally about 75% of their adoptees are adult dogs. -
Step 2: Decide if you’d like a purebred dog or not.
While shelters do have a significant number of purebred dogs, you’re most likely to get healthy purebred dogs with papers from a responsible breeder.
The stock of shelters is very variable, which means that it can be difficult to track down a specific breed of dog if that’s what you’re looking for.Some people prefer purebred dogs because they would like a pet with specific physical and behavioral traits.
For instance, if you’re a hunter, you may want a Labrador Retriever or a Pointer, since these types of dogs have been specifically bred as hunting companions.
Or, if you live in an urban apartment, you might want a toy breed, like a French Bulldog, that are uniquely amenable to city life.
Purebred dogs also come with significant cons.
The main one is that they tend to have more health issues since they’re far more prone to hereditary and genetic disorders and diseases than mixed breeds.
Another is that many types of dogs were bred to have specific working behaviors, like hunting or herding, that are difficult for an average pet owner to manage.
If you don’t know exactly which characteristics you’re looking for, there’s little reason to get a purebred dog.
Even if you do know, keep in mind that getting a purebred pooch is no guarantee that your individual dog will fulfill all the expectations associated with its breed as a whole. , Millions of pets are consigned to shelters each year.
Only about half of them will ever be adopted.
You can do your part by choosing a rescued or neglected dog for your pet.Remember: just because a dog is in a shelter does not necessarily mean that they will not make a great family pet.
Keep in mind that dogs end up in shelters for a huge variety of reasons and through no fault of their own.
Their previous owners may have moved, passed away, or simply abandoned them.
If you’d like an adult purebred dog, you might consider a rescue organization.
They exist for most breeds and specialize in rehoming orphaned or neglected adult dogs. , Puppy mills are large commercial facilities that are known to employ unsafe or unethical breeding practices.
They typically place profit over the wellbeing of their stock, often keeping parents and puppies in unsanitary and/or inhumane conditions.
Many mill puppies are born with genetic defects and come with behavioral problems due to their negligent care.The only way to be sure that a dog has not come from a puppy mill is to see the place that they came from in person so that you can inspect the conditions and see that the dogs are well-treated.
Responsible breeders will allow site visits and insist on meeting buyers face-to-face.
Keep in mind that a dog’s being AKC-registered or their breeder being “licensed by the USDA” are not guarantees that they did not come from a mill.
These forms do not require site visits for approval.
Most pet stores, both physical and online, don’t have sterling reputations for healthy puppies or ethical breeding practices since they’re businesses that don’t specialize in breeding.
Most of their stock is likely to come from puppy mills.
If you’d like a purebred dog, your best bet is getting one from a reputable breeder. , Getting a puppy from a breeder will be considerably more expensive than adopting a dog from a shelter or other organization.
Adoption fees can range anywhere from $25 to $300.
Breeders’ sales fees usually start at $500 and can go as high as several thousand dollars, depending on the breed.The high price tags for purebred puppies reflect the considerable costs of humane and ethical breeding practices.
Thus, many people think that it’s a good value for their money.
Adoption fees at shelters generally include most of a dog’s basic medical care, which is a huge savings of time and money for you.
If you’re interested in the convenience of having a dog that’s already spayed or neutered, microchipped, and dewormed, then a shelter may be the place to get your pet., If you’d like a dog sooner rather than later, a breeder or rescue may not be right for you.
Shelters generally have the fastest turnaround time for adoption.
If you’re invested in getting a specific type of dog, then getting on a breeder’s waitlist for a puppy or a rescue’s waitlist for an adult dog can be worth it. , If you’re looking for a specific breed, you’ll often have to search beyond your local area to find the right dog since there may not be a reputable breeder in your immediate vicinity.
Rescues also often require travel since their adoptees will come from unpredictable places.
If you want to find a dog locally, a shelter is probably your best bet. -
Step 3: Consider dogs in need.
-
Step 4: Avoid puppy mills.
-
Step 5: Factor in the costs.
-
Step 6: Keep your ideal timeline in mind.
-
Step 7: Consider how far you’re willing to travel.
Detailed Guide
Puppies have much higher energy and require a lot of care and training, but many owners appreciate having more control over their dog’s upbringing, socialization, and training.
Go for an adult dog if you would like a pet that already has their basic training and will be easier to care for from the start.
Since they’ve already been socialized, adult dogs also have the advantage of being “known entities” when it comes to their general behavior, personality, and temperament.If you’d rather have an adult dog, breeders are probably not your best bet since they generally specialize in puppies.
Shelters and rescues do have some puppies available, but generally about 75% of their adoptees are adult dogs.
While shelters do have a significant number of purebred dogs, you’re most likely to get healthy purebred dogs with papers from a responsible breeder.
The stock of shelters is very variable, which means that it can be difficult to track down a specific breed of dog if that’s what you’re looking for.Some people prefer purebred dogs because they would like a pet with specific physical and behavioral traits.
For instance, if you’re a hunter, you may want a Labrador Retriever or a Pointer, since these types of dogs have been specifically bred as hunting companions.
Or, if you live in an urban apartment, you might want a toy breed, like a French Bulldog, that are uniquely amenable to city life.
Purebred dogs also come with significant cons.
The main one is that they tend to have more health issues since they’re far more prone to hereditary and genetic disorders and diseases than mixed breeds.
Another is that many types of dogs were bred to have specific working behaviors, like hunting or herding, that are difficult for an average pet owner to manage.
If you don’t know exactly which characteristics you’re looking for, there’s little reason to get a purebred dog.
Even if you do know, keep in mind that getting a purebred pooch is no guarantee that your individual dog will fulfill all the expectations associated with its breed as a whole. , Millions of pets are consigned to shelters each year.
Only about half of them will ever be adopted.
You can do your part by choosing a rescued or neglected dog for your pet.Remember: just because a dog is in a shelter does not necessarily mean that they will not make a great family pet.
Keep in mind that dogs end up in shelters for a huge variety of reasons and through no fault of their own.
Their previous owners may have moved, passed away, or simply abandoned them.
If you’d like an adult purebred dog, you might consider a rescue organization.
They exist for most breeds and specialize in rehoming orphaned or neglected adult dogs. , Puppy mills are large commercial facilities that are known to employ unsafe or unethical breeding practices.
They typically place profit over the wellbeing of their stock, often keeping parents and puppies in unsanitary and/or inhumane conditions.
Many mill puppies are born with genetic defects and come with behavioral problems due to their negligent care.The only way to be sure that a dog has not come from a puppy mill is to see the place that they came from in person so that you can inspect the conditions and see that the dogs are well-treated.
Responsible breeders will allow site visits and insist on meeting buyers face-to-face.
Keep in mind that a dog’s being AKC-registered or their breeder being “licensed by the USDA” are not guarantees that they did not come from a mill.
These forms do not require site visits for approval.
Most pet stores, both physical and online, don’t have sterling reputations for healthy puppies or ethical breeding practices since they’re businesses that don’t specialize in breeding.
Most of their stock is likely to come from puppy mills.
If you’d like a purebred dog, your best bet is getting one from a reputable breeder. , Getting a puppy from a breeder will be considerably more expensive than adopting a dog from a shelter or other organization.
Adoption fees can range anywhere from $25 to $300.
Breeders’ sales fees usually start at $500 and can go as high as several thousand dollars, depending on the breed.The high price tags for purebred puppies reflect the considerable costs of humane and ethical breeding practices.
Thus, many people think that it’s a good value for their money.
Adoption fees at shelters generally include most of a dog’s basic medical care, which is a huge savings of time and money for you.
If you’re interested in the convenience of having a dog that’s already spayed or neutered, microchipped, and dewormed, then a shelter may be the place to get your pet., If you’d like a dog sooner rather than later, a breeder or rescue may not be right for you.
Shelters generally have the fastest turnaround time for adoption.
If you’re invested in getting a specific type of dog, then getting on a breeder’s waitlist for a puppy or a rescue’s waitlist for an adult dog can be worth it. , If you’re looking for a specific breed, you’ll often have to search beyond your local area to find the right dog since there may not be a reputable breeder in your immediate vicinity.
Rescues also often require travel since their adoptees will come from unpredictable places.
If you want to find a dog locally, a shelter is probably your best bet.
About the Author
Scott Murphy
Committed to making DIY projects accessible and understandable for everyone.
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