Rescue or breeder?

Polnan good point, I'll tell DH that in my breeder v rescue argument! As you can see we have no experience on dogs whatsoever having only had cats. I used to be a full cat person then as I got older I've felt the need for the love and companionship of a dog!

Rescue every time or what we call opco’s ( other peoples cast offs) our lab and German shepherd were opco’s both fantastic dogs who we still miss,followed by a greyhound from dogs trust then a shepherd opco and now another shepherd rescue and we’ve loved them all dearly and would have them all back in a heartbeat if we could ❤️

Rescue, please. There are wonderful dogs there who have been 'orphaned', and need a loving owner to save them. I have had many rescue dogs and have had my life enhanced more than I can say by them. One of my family members had has pedigrees over the years and has had quite a lot of trouble with what turned out to be inbreeding problems. One breeder I could cheerfully have punched - she clearly saw the poor creatures as a 'commodity'. I won't go on as I end up with raised blood pressure on this subject. Pleeeeese BlueSky go to a rescue centre . x

Our local greyhound track facilitates the rehoming of retired greyhounds, which I was surprised to learn don't need as much exercise as I expected. The ones I've had contact with were lovely dogs.

Rescue. So many out there in need of a loving home.

We have had both. Lovely dogs all but beware of issues that may come out of the woodwork months later with rescues. And who can blame them. For choice I would have a rescue puppy. Also I would be cautious with very young children who are not used to dogs and who dogs are not used to. Good rescues will test dogs for child and family friendliness. Our present dog was unwanted by her owner. She is not a cruelty case so did not need the very long and patient settling in time. She loves people and is crazy. A friend of mine rescued a neglected GSD and it turned on her one day. She was lucky not to be savaged, it went for her throat. Very unexpected but who knows what the poor thing had been through. It had to be put down and she was devastated. So good vetting beforehand is essential.

Please consider rehoming a greyhound. They have a lovely personality and deserve a special home after their race days are over

We have a rescue dog who was two years old when we got her. She is now 12 and has been a fantastic companion to both of us. The rescue centre told us she had been bred too early and handed in because her owners moved to somewhere they couldn't have a dog. Whatever the reasons she had not been badly treated and they must have had small children as she is perfect with them. In contrast a friend bought a Spanish waterdog (mixed with something else) from a breeder and it is full on. She then bought another from a different breeder and said that the difference between the two set ups (breeders) was completely different with the second dog being much calmer. It shows that not all breeders are the same.
Personally, I would always choose a rescue and as someone has said there are specific rescues for specific dogs/cats if you are looking for a specific breed.
Hope you find the dog you want.

Without a doubt the doggy loves of my life were two rescue dogs. As much as I loved and was loved by my breeder dogs there was most certainly a relationship I had never before experienced until becoming a 'mum' to my little rescues.

I have 2 rescue West highland Terriers. One was a breeding dog and kept in a shed. She wasn't socialised and is a the quietest most lovable little dog you could have. My second I got 2 weeks ago. She was rehomed through Westie Rescue. She is lovely and Westie Rescue could give me her background and possible medical,condition, she also is the most living little dog and just is happy being near me for cuddles. I have in the past had a rescued Springer Spaniel, the best dog anyone could have wished for. There are unscrupulous breeders out there asking large amounts for pure bred dogs with many inherited problems. You don't know what your getting . Older dogs can be gently retrained if they have been badly treated, puppies that have inherited problems can cost thousands of pounds in vets fees. For me rescue every time.

Rescue all the way for me, my current dog is 9 this month, she's a Lab x Collie and is the most wonderful, gentle dog you could wish for, I've had her since she was 5 months old, she's curled up in her bed snoring as I type this

Rescue every time. We have had rescue samoyeds for nearly 30 years. Some come with issues and may have permanent psychological damage. We had two some years ago who had been a breeding pair on a puppy farm before they were rescued and were in a terrible state when we got them, very underweight, terrified of everything, the bitch had to have her coat shaved off due to matting and neglect, had never lived in a house before. They turned into fantastic dogs, confident, happy and so gentle and loving. Seeing them gradually turn into lovely dogs was wonderful. They came from Many Tears Animal Rescue, who specialise in rescuing from puppy farms. One of our current Sammies had lots of homes before we got her and is reactive to other dogs. However, we have friends whose dogs, which they've had from a pup, is even more reactive. You never really know how they are going to develop but as long as you are positive and consistent in your training they will respond well, in my experience. Good luck in whatever choice you make.

If you do decide to get a pedigree, have a look at the webside of the Dog Breeders Association UK. They have a list of dog breeders with puppies available and you can be as sure as possible that they are not puppy farms. Then see the puppy in its home, preferably with the mother. Don't take one under 8 weeks old as it is too young to leave the mother and only dodgy breeders would sell them younger than that. Bear in mind that you might have to wait for one. My father was a police dog handler and also gave training classes and had boarding kennels so I grew up in a very doggy household. He always said that puppies are a big like lambs in that the best ones are born in Spring. Now is not a bad time to look for one. Don't choose one that is nervous or too shy.
As you are undecided, I would visit your local rescue and see what they have available but don't feel that you are being mean by being choosy.

You could even do a bit of both - if there's a particular breed you really like, there is going to be an organisation that re-homes ones that need it. A friend has always like Cav King Charles and after his old one died, he got 2 from the breed's rescue people. These were dogs that were the casualties of a family divorce and very lovely they were too. Me, I've always fancied one of those big poodles but I'm not really a dog person so I probably never will have one. I'm stuck with a lovely but grumpy/needy Burmese cat instead!

I’ve had many dogs over the years. I’ve had them all from puppies and loved them very much, except the one rescue dog I had. She’d been found running down the motorway having been chucked out a car. I never bonded with her. She lived until she was seventeen.

We have a SN foster child living with us and so we would always go with a breeder so we could choose a child friendly breed. We would not be allowed to risk a rescue dog in case it hurt child. Foster agency deem them higher risk than a puppy.

Rescue every time. But be prepared for it to take a little time for the dog to settle, and seek as much information about the dog's background as you can.

Am I right in saying you haven't had dogs before? In that case think about your ages, ie puppies could live another how many years, your level of fitness, your pocket and the things that you want your dog/s for - companionship, hiking and walking etc, each breed has different traits - no experience then steer clear of hounds who are stubborn and can take a while to train, terriers are territorial little feisty characters, larger dogs could pull you over if not trained etc

Definitely go for a reputable rescue - how about Battersea?

Have you heard of cinnamon.org.uk/ They place pets whose owners can no longer give them the care they need. Friends have had mature dogs from them - so very little training needed and generally not such boisterous pets.

It depends how trainable the rescue dog is. An adult that has been accustomed to straying is difficult to recall when off the lead. Some second hand dogs were never taught to wee in the garden, although this is not a problem if you have hard floors no carpets and is comparatively easy to train even an adult dog to wee in the garden.

I have had 6 rescue dogs, and every one has been sweet natured. Mostly collie or shepherd types although my present dog is a lurcher.

Sometimes rescues sell 'made' dogs sometimes from deceased former owner. They are a very good buy and usually go quickly whatever breed they are.

Rescues will advise you which dogs would suit you best.

I only once got a young puppy from a rescue, and that was a super dog, jrt + collie.

Yes I was thinking about the work involved with a puppy and I honestly would rather an adult dog. Why we want one? Company I guess, we enjoy walking so that wouldn't be a problem. Also heard that they could help with depression. Will check the sites you mention thanks.

We were considering getting another dog recently, and heard of a litter of Labradoodles for sale. When we said that we were thinking of getting one, we were inundated with comments about breeders being awful and rescue dogs being the only way to go.

As it turned out, the last doodle had gone when we tried to see them, and we are still 'between dogs'; but we had decided against a rescue dog as we wanted a puppy that my husband could train. He is good at training dogs (he comes from sheepfarming stock), but prefers to start with a puppy.

Also, friends of ours have had no end of problems with a rescue dog (and yes, I realise that it wasn't a representative sample), as he had been ill-treated and neglected. He growled and was aggressive to everyone who came near him, and destroyed anything he could chew.

We had tried a couple of times to rehome one from our local shelter, only to be let down at the last minute. We had set our heart on one, and been in correspondence with the shelter, only to find that during this process he had been with a potential owner for a trial period. The shelter don't like to put others off in case things fall through, but we were really disappointed not to get him. Also, shelters rarely have puppies, as it us usually after an owner has had a dog for a while that they realise that they can't keep them for whatever reason.

I don't think that there is anything wrong with wanting a particular breed, either, although we were made to feel selfish or shallow when we said we really wanted another labradoodle. A dog has to fit with your family, and if you are not comfortable with a breed it is perfectly ok to want a different one - it would be irresponsible to take the wrong dog for you. Obviously, shelters can't provide breeds to order, and it could be years before they have a dog that will be right for you, so if you don't want to wait, a breeder can be the best bet.

I was quite surprised at the number of people who insisted that a rescue dog was the only way to go, even when they didn't seem to have considered any of the things that mattered to us.

I would say that there is no real right or wrong in this case - do what works for you, but think it through first.

It’s a dilemma, 26 years ago we firstly decided what sort of dog would suit our life style, have a good health record, non-shedding etc, we decided on a Bichon Frisé. for our first two we went to a reputable breeder, saw both parents etc and were delighted with our darling Wilf first then Daisy a year later. When we realised we were going to lose Wilfie, we decided to get a rescue so Daisy would have a companion, we went to Bichon Rescue UK, we were assessed/approved and a few months later our Teddy came into our lives followed a year after that by Millie, another rescue, we lost Teddy almost exactly a year ago, then Millie this July both aged 15. They were a joy and as we were also retired we did ‘Pets as Therapy’ once they’d passed the test and for five years visited a nursing home where they brought joy to all who met them, Millie went on to work with dog phobic children, from a poor little scrap when we got her from Rescue. So I’d say definitely rescue but be very sure of what sort of dog would suit you first so you don’t make a mistake. Hope this helps and good luck to you.

A Kennel Club breeder for me every time. I know there are dogs that are in need of homes in shelters etc but IMO most of these come from puppy farms, Spain, Ireland etc and are being bred then put into rescue with no health testing done on their parents prior to breeding them. Nor is there any consideration of compatibility of the parents. By taking in one of these dogs you are encouraging these unscrupulous breeders of these dogs who have no concern for the welfare of the dogs or pups.

As an alternative to a puppy from a breeder try contacting a breed club and see if there are any older dogs that a breeder may be looking to place in a new home.

I would only ever have a rescue/re-home dog as so many are PTS. Please reassure your husband that a reputable rescue will always take a dog back for whatever reason, very few breeders will.
All reputable rescues will tell you all about the dog, and any problems it might have; for that reason, I would suggest a rescue that uses foster homes rather than kennels. They will be at the end of the phone should you ever need help or reassurance. Most breeders will hand over a pup as soon as you hand over the cash.
Having said that, I am still in touch with the breeder of the only puppy I bought (basenji) way back in 1984, before I realized what a problem there was with unwanted dogs.
If you want an older dog (7+) I can recommend Oldies Club. They also advertise dogs from other rescues.
Good luck!