What are the pros and cons of adopting a dog from a shelter?

Or rescue, vs. the pros and cons of a breeder. Tell me all of the information you have.

Puppies are not housebroken! Most people work during the day and are gone for 8 hours or more at a time. Puppies need to go out on a regular schedule so they have frequent opportunities to eliminate where you want them to. Puppies can't wait for the boss to finish his meeting or the kids to come home from school. Adult dogs can "hold it" for longer periods and, often, a Rescue will have the dog housebroken before it is adopted. 3. Intact Underwear. Puppies chew! You can count on at least 10 mismatched pairs of socks and a variety of unmentionables rendered to the "rag bag" before a puppy cuts all its teeth. Shoes? yes, puppies like to chew them also. Expect holes in your carpet (along with urine stains), backs and pages missing from books, stuffing exposed in couches, and at least one dead remote control. No matter how well you watch them, it will happen. This is a puppy's job! An adult dog can usually have the run of the house without destroying it. 4. A Good Night's Sleep. A puppy can be very demanding at 2am and 4am and 6am. Puppies naturally miss their littermates and a stuffed animal is not a substitute for puppy pile with littermates in the dark of night. Prefer peace and quiet, an adult rescue dog usually sleeps through the night? 5. Finish the Newspaper. With a puppy loose in the house, you will NOT be able to relax when you get home from work. Do you think kids ever really feed the dog? Clean up the messes? Walk in the pouring rain every hour to get the dog housetrained? If so, you probably have a severe case of denial. An adult dog will generally sit calmly beside you as your workday stress flows away and your blood pressure lowers as you pet it. 6. Easier Vet Trips. Puppies need a series of puppy shots and fecals, then a rabies shot, then surgery to spay/neuter them, and generally a trip or two to the emergency vet after eating something dangerous. (All of this usually adds up to substantially more than you paid for the dog!) When adopting an adult dog, the adoption fee should get you a dog with current vaccinations, this is altered, heartworm negative and on a preventative, at the minimum. 7. What You See Is What You Get. How big will the dog get? What will its temperament be? Is it easily trained? What will its personality be like as an adult? Will it be hyperactive? Adult dogs are, to steal a term from Internet lingo, WYSIWYG (What you see is what you get.) All of your questions are easily answered, because the dog is already an adult. You can pick large or small; active or couch potato; goofy or brilliant; sassy or sweet. Further, the rescuer and/or foster homes can help guide you in choosing just the right match for you. (Rescues are FULL of puppies who became the wrong match as they got older!) 8. Unscarred Children (and Adults). If a puppy does not teeth on your possesions, it will teeth on you and your children. Rescuers often get calls from panicked parents sure their dog is about to seriously injure their children. It usually turns out the puppy is just doing what puppies do, i.e., mouth or nip. Parents, too emotional to see the difference, just want to get rid of the dog. A growing puppy is going to put anything and everything in their mouth. It must be taught bite inhibition. As the puppy grows, the puppy's jaws become stronger and its teeth are replaced by its adult teeth. The mouthing and nipping it did as a puppy now can have serious consequences. Far better to get an adult dog that has "been there, done that, moved on."9. Matchmaker Make Me A Match. Puppy love is emotionally appealing. They are so cute! But, in reality, cute is not a sufficient reason to get a pet, a pet that will probably live 15+ years. It may be cute, but cute can grow up to be hyperactive. It may be not want to share your home with anyone else, including your spouse, children, or other animals. It may want to be a couch potato, when the main reason you got the dog was to run with you every day. Pet/owner mis-matches are the MAIN REASONS owners "give-up" their pets. 60% of the animals in shelters nationwide are there for this reason. Good rescuers extensively evaluate of dogs and applicants to insure both will be happy with one another until death do them part. 10. Instant Companion. With an adult dog, you have a dog that can go everywhere and do anything with you NOW. You don't have to wait until the puppy grows up and hope it will like to do what you to do with it. With an adult rescue, you select the dog most compatible with you. You can find one that travels well, loves to play with your friends' dogs, has excellent house manners, etc. You can come home after a long day's work and spend your time on a relaxing walk, ride, or swim with your new best friend (rather than cleaning up after a small puppy.)

Shelter dogs come with no guarantees of growth, behavior, appearance, or health. NORMALLY, however, they are VERY healthy and long lived.Purebred dogs are predictable in their characteristics and are normally very healthy too. Will you settle for a cubic zirconia, or do you prefer a diamond?

Shelter Pros: Saving a life, usually a mutt which has a unique and one of a kind look, know that the shelter has cared for animals according to regulations, shelters will help you train dog, shelters available for help/adviceShelter Cons: Don't know exact background, dogs may have problems (i.e. my dog had separation anxiety)I highly recommend adopting a shelter dog. Although some of them may be a bit harder to train, they can make the greatest of pets. I constantly get people asking where I got my dogs/what kind of dogs they are. I love mutts for their unique looks and I love shelter dogs for their unique personalities. Please save a life and adopt from a shelter. The breeder dogs will find a home, but not all the shelter dogs will. Give one a chance!

I agree with Petsinformation! Definately get an adult!!!!! DONT GET A PUPPY! I just got one! Unless u dont have a job or have to go to school or basicaly do ANYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!

PROS: the dog doesnt dieCONS: NONE!!!

PROS- You are adopting a dog that needs a home, is very inexpensive compared to purebreds, is just as good as a purebred, and you get a loving companion!Cons- some of the dogs there have no background. The shelter does not know where they came from or what they have gone through, so you really don't know what will bother them. That is all i can think of!!ADOPT! PLEASE!! You will be saving a life!http://petfinder.comTry that site! It has a list of shelter dogs in your area! Good luck!

shelter Pros you give a dog a second chance at life many dogs are just dropped off at shelters cause they bought it for the cute puppy look and got bored and well didn't relize home must work is invovled in owning a dog.Pro's you never know the bad habbits or behavior the dog has and some shelters only offer a certian amount of time to bring a dog back if it gets sick after that time or has a medical condition your stuck dealing with it. Breeders pro. The genetically test al dogs before mating them and know the breed standard. They breed to better the breed and produce high quality pups and don't just stick any two dogs togethere. Ofter you get a two year health gaurantee that will offer a replacement pup if anything goes wrong that makes the dog not able to be a pet such as hips problems or such. You know you have a breeder who will stand by its pup and if you have any problems there just a phone call away.Cons they are more pricey in general but you get your money's worth.

Shelter:Pro-can be the most lovable appreciative things on earthPro-usually healthyPro-cheaperPro-you give a deserving dog a chance at a great lifeCon-can have behavior problems Breeder:Pro-health guaranteesPro-know its history (living with the breeder)Pro-behavior predictedPro-are prone to breed specific health issues (so you know what to watch for)Con-more expensive

Personally I think adoption is the best way to go but here are the pros and cons:Pros of Adoption:--Save one of the millions of dogs euthanized in shelters every year. When you adopt a shelter dog, you give one of them a second chance at a new, healthy life and a happy home.--Pay less for your new best friend. Adoption fees typically are far below what pet stores and breeders charge.--Discover that the dog you thought you wanted isn’t the one you need. For example, you may think you want a puppy but discover that an older dog is calmer and better trained, so a shelter may be a much better place to find your fit.--Find out more about your new dog than you can from a pet store or breeder. Responsible shelters provide you with plenty of care information, support, temperament evaluation, and more.--Get more specific information about the dog from shelter workers. Talk to the people who have been spending time with the dog to find out about what the animal is like and what he needs.--Feel good about contributing to and supporting a process that supports the welfare and management of stray animals in your community. You can get involved with the process in many ways, from adopting pets to donating money to volunteering your time.Cons of Adoption:--You may be unable to find the exact breed of dog you want if you’re only going to shelters.--You may be unable to adopt the dog you like immediately. Shelters and rescue groups often adhere to a waiting period so you don’t rush into a decision and so owners have time to reclaim any incoming animals that may be lost.--You’re faced with answering a fair amount of questions and paperwork.--Your new dog may turn out much different than you expected. When you bring any animal home, you may find it’s much different than it appeared to be at the shelter.--Some shelter and rescue dogs have special needs that you may not be willing to deal with.--You may be rejected for the dog you want if you don’t meet the organization’s requirementsThis way you save a life, save money, and get a very unique animal Many shelters and rescues have purebreds too. I got an Italian Greyhound puppy at my local humane society (a VERY rare find) and he turned out to be my dream dog! Good luck! Adopt!

Many times dogs are in shelters because of some "issue" that may not always be evident when you adopt...unless you buy from a reputable breeder (which can be very hard to find now days) you are likely to face the same issues. I am a fan of rescuing dogs, as there are already way too many unwanted puppies. You can check www.petfinder.com and do a breed search and find exactly what breed you are looking for. I just rescued a weimaraner mix from a rescue group that is awesome...he didn't have any issues of his own, the family that gave him up had the issues...so i got very lucky!! He's a great dog. Often times "rescues" are already housebroken and out of the destructive puppy stages...depending on what you are looking for. Many times, breed rescues, will know more about a specific dog than a county or state shelter because the dogs are fostered in homes and not crammed in kennels until they are adopted. Another benefit of adopting is that the dog is already altered and usually microchipped, which can save you money in the long-run. Whatever you decide to do, find a dog that fits into your lifestyle and goals...do lots of breed research before deciding on a dog...many dogs end up in shelters because that "cute little puppy" turns into an energetic dog that can become hard to handle without training, they don't stay puppies for long!! Many people think that it's impossible to bond with an adult dog or a rescue...that's wrong...you can bond just as easily with them and they offer the same unconditional love!

I both a GSD from a very reputable breeder and a poodle we "adopted" from friends that no longer wanted her, but I know quite a bit about shelters- close friends are very very involved, run Animal Haven...I personally feel that the attitudes of shelter people can be quite rude. These people, finding that my dog is from a breeder, immediately look down on me and my dog, and push anti breeder/breeding crap on me, telling me that my dog never should have been bred,breeding is wrong, etc, etc... and you know what? My dog's breeder is internationally known for her working German Shepherds. This breeder imports dogs from Europe regularly, shows extensively in Europe and the US (schutzhund), has dogs in Seeing Eye THAT SHE DONATES, along with dogs in the police force, also donated, ditto Search and Rescue, and also great pet and show dogs. She will take any of her dogs back w/o question and does talk with the buyers extensively before and after purchase about their dogs. There is no reason for her to stop breeding, and I do not appreciate shelter people telling me otherwise.I think shelters are great, they do great things for dogs, but there's nothing wrong with GOOD breeders.

Shelter:Pros - saving a lifeCons - unsure of dog's background and breeding, genetic problems quite possibleBreeder (responsible):Pros - you know everything about the breed, the dog, its parents, health checks done, constant support and help from breederCons - none, except the price, which will be higher than a shelter, also, you need to make sure it's a good breeder and not a BYB or similarGood on you! Either of these options is a good option! There are three places you should get a dog from: a mutt from a shelter, or a purebred from a breeder, a rescue of maybe a shelter. Good on you from choosing one of these options.

hi:First you have to be a dog lover. Next is good because your rescue a dog for puting to sleep also some need a lot of love and if you are patient you can many unsual breeds that you might want. In our experience they are very loving partners and companion and just look at their eyes when you go their and follow your heart. Don'ts you dont know about his history however you can be sure the they have all their shots and generally fixed.

Pros: your saving one life, mix breeds usually don't have the health issues pure breed have, after buying the dog getting its shots and having it fixed it is much cheaper, they are usually so sweet cause they are just so happy to have one on one human interactionCons: They may not have the exact breed or look you had in mind.sorry couldn't come up w/ very many cons, thats just my opinion

Pro: When adopting from a shelter you are saving a life. Pro: When adopting you will get the most grateful, soul you can imagine, they seem to appreciate life just a little more.Pro: Less cost prohibitive.Pro: Will already in most cases be spayed/neutered and up to date on all shots.Con: Even though you may get an older dog there is no guarantee that they will be housebrokenCon: You will not know any of the inherent health disordersBreeders:Pro: Will get a pure bread dogPro: Will get to know all or most of the health disorders she or he may have Con: ExpensiveCon: Possible disorders for the pup due to overbreedingI think the most important thing that you can do in both cases is weigh your options as to which things are more important.Make sure you study the breeder that you are going to possibly purchase from. Ask to see the parents of the pup. In regard to the rescue ask about temperment tests. Routine care and maintenance of the dog. Also be sure to ask about return policies.