Money aside, is it better to get a puppy from the pound or a breeder?

My boyfriend and I have been looking everywhere for a puppy we might want. We have looked on craigs list, animal shelters, and breeders. We have found that we have liked one or more from each place we have looked. We want to make sure the dog is healthy. What are the pros/cons from each of these choices?

Shelter:Pro: Saving the life of a dog that might otherwise be put down, giving a dog in need a good homeCon: No clue what you are getting - you don't know the bloodlines so you have no clue if you are in for medical problems down the road, temperament problems, etc.Craigslist:Pro: Giving a dog a good home that might otherwise go to a shelterCon: Need to trust that whatever the previous owner tells you about history is true (can be mitigated somewhat if the dog is purebred and has papersBreeder (assuming a reputable breeder):Pro: Know the dog's background, reasonably confident that the dog will be free of genetic problems.Con: I'd say probably more expensive, except that you indicated that money isn't an issue in this decision.Personally I would go (and have gone) the breeder route - just make sure that the breeder is reputable and that the sire and dam have all of their health checks and certifications. That being said, there is an... altruistic, I suppose, benefit to rescuing a dog.Edited to add: Regarding Nekkid's comment, it is possible to get full ownership of a show dog - it can be more expensive, and may be very hard to find a breeder willing to do this. We got lucky in that the breeder we used is just starting out (3rd generation of breeders, and all generations were involved in the breeding so no worries there), and had no exposure outside of Eastern Canada and select shows in the US. She jumped at the chance to get exposure in Western Canada (and potentially Central/Western US). We are also looking at getting a Whippet, if a good friend of ours breeds her bitch next year - that would be a full-ownership situation as well, with both sire/dam having multiple conformation/other titles. Connections do help in this respect, so if you are going to be looking to get involved in conformation, start networking now.

craigslist Pros:None!Cons:just a bunch of nutcases that in my experience of trying to get a dog (could never talk to people on the phone just through e-mails)Shelters:Pros:If they are a no-kill shelter may vet the dog and know the dogs personalityCons:if they don't vet you don't know what the health of the dog is and they may have to put he dog down (experience with local shelter)Breeders:Pros:puppy will have all if its first puppy shotsCons:they may not not if the puppy is sick or has hidden genetic defectWith the breeders the mother may have a dormant genetic defect that will be passed to the 1 or more of the puppies and you won't know about it until after you get puppy home or if the puppy has gotten sick will probably show symptoms after you get the puppy home. Always after you get a puppy from a breeder you need to get them to the vet as quickly as possible to get a complete exam to make sure that there are no genetic defects or illnesses.

depends on the breeder.. if you do not take the time to research and find a reputable breeder who earns titles on her dogs and does genetic health testing, then you have no assurance of getting a healthy, quality dog.. you're only buying a pet-quality pup, and supporting someone who contributes to the over population problem.there are no "pros" to obtaining a pet from an irresponsible breeder. They ussually have only a 72 hour health guarantee... which means nothing, because parvo can incubate up to 10 days! You also cannot detect most genetic health issues until the dog is 2 years old! Since they are not breeding for quality dogs, you dont have a guarantee on temperment, health, etc.. even if they are breeding "purebreds".. as they are just putting dogs together and getting pups, with no regard to genetics.If you take the time to do research on a breeder.. the advantages of buying from a reputable breeders are1) getting a pup of a particular breed, with predictable traits2) while there is no 100% guarantee, this is the best health and temperment guarantee you can get.. reputable breeders offer a min. 2 year health guarantee.. and some even put a lifetime guarantee on things like hips/elbows, etc.3) you have the support of the breeder should you run into problems such as grooming, training, health issues, etc.4) if the breeder is local, she can refer you to vets, groomers, trainers, etc in the area.some cons1) you may have to get on a waiting list for a pup, reputable breeders do not breed often, and do not always have pups available2) if that breeder doesnt have any breedings planned you may be referred to another reputable breeder3) depending on the breed you want, you may not find a breeder who is close to you.. you may have to look out of state and have the pup shipped, or go travel to get the pup4) if you're looking for something to breed/show, you will have to dedicate yourself to a co-owned dog with a strict showing and breeding contract.. otherwise you will be sold a pet-quality pup on a spay/neuter contract (I dont really consider this a "con" but many people do)5) if you're looking for some kind of designer mix, you wont find one thru a reputable breeder! NO reputable breeder breeds mixed breed dogs!You will not get this from a breeder that uses craigslist to advertise. Reputable breeders do not advertise, they have no need to. They rarely breed, and they get plenty of potential buyers from referrals and word of mouth.. many also do not breed until they have a waiting list.Pros of a shelter1) you save a life2) you have many different breeds of dog to choose from, including cute one-of-a-kind mixes3) many rescues spay and neuter before adoption, and that is included in the price of the adoption fee4) many rescues also do heartworm testing before adoption5) many rescues also microchip before adoption6) most shelters and rescues will give you support and tips on caring for the pup, grooming, training, etc.7) you can easily find a shelter or rescue locally8) since you can find one local, they can also refer you to vets, groomers, trainers, etc in the area9) if you get from a rescue that has dogs in a foster home, they can tell you a good idea about the dog's temperment and training.10) some shelters offer discounted or even free vaccines and spay/neuters for dogs adopted from them, or have some kind of coupon for this service thru a local vet.cons1) if you adopt from a shelter, there is no health guarantee.. there is a risk of obtaining a pup that may have contracted parvo or some other illness while at the shelter.. THIS IS NOT THE SHELTER'S FAULT! The shelter does the best they can to provide for the dogs.. if you look for a rescue in which the dogs are being fostered in a home situation, they are far less likely to become ill, as they've already been quarantined in the home and are not being exposed to incoming dogs on a daily basis.