Rescue or breeder?

Rescue for me too - I baulk at breeders, the concept of making money out of dogs having puppies (not pets, this is how the breeder makes money, from these dogs). It actually makes me quite angry.

My sister has rescued Afghans over the years from Afghan specific rescues, her latest rescue is a beautiful lurcher, soft, gentle, loving soul. My dog is a border collie, 3 owners before me and she's difficult. But I'm an experienced dog owner and I'm handling the problems she comes with.

Anyone else watching The Dog House, about Wood Green Animal Centre and the rehoming of dogs? It's a lovely series but I've found I'm constantly irritated by families expecting their young children to be able to handle dogs without any training - training for the young children, that is! Slowly, quietly, with patience!

Please - rescue rather than buy.

I have got two rescue dogs, both from Spain and they are so lovely. Rescuing from overseas is pretty easy and the rescue that I went to said, if ever there were problems, they would take the dogs back and rehome them. They were both puppies, so they didn’t really have any bad memories. We’ve loved them from the day they arrived. My Son got a lovely puppy from Greece.

I help at our local rescue home so am probably biased. They have all types of dogs, cats, etc., the volunteers work so hard and everything is run on donations, so why not give them a chance rather than line the pockets of breeders.

Rescue homes are always grateful for any food, towels, bedding, etc. that you may wish to donate.

I would choose a rescue dog every time and always for the right reasons. However, I am increasingly concerned about people who have several dogs, which is happening in the village where I live. Dog dirt is a big problem especially when put in a plastic bag and then stuffed in a hedge even though there are bins supplied. Not environmentally friendly.

Not sure of your ages, but an average lifespan of dogs is between 12 to 15 years and no one gets any younger! There are many, many dogs stuck in kennels, usually through no fault of there own, crying out for a forever home, so my conscience would not allow me to increase breeders profits, when a dog could be saved and re homed!

I would definitely go for a rescue. As has already been said, why pay an arm and a leg to a breeder when there are dogs out there longing for a home?

If you want a particular breed, there are specialist rescue centres for breeds.

Woodmouse49
Mya is beautiful, but then I am a sucker for GS’s.
I would agree with a lot on here and say rescue. There are so many beautiful animals out there just looking for that special someone.

Rescue dog definitely any reputable rehomng kennels will make sure you get the right dog for your lifestyle and experience . Think about what you are able to do in terms of walking everyday, training and the sort of personality you want, this’s important. So many dogs are in rescue because the new owners didn’t understand that they are work, walking, training, etc. I’m on my third rescue and they are so worth it.

I go with rescues. My daughter and SIL bought a beautiful (quite expensive) puppy from a breeder. He's a wonderful dog but inherited many health problems due to inbreeding. He twelve now and barely able to get around.

Our neighbors dog, a rescue just turned fourteen and still romps around like a much younger dog. Both dogs are the same size. The pedigree is a silver labrador and the rescue is a cross between a labrador and a Dalmatian (and possibly some other).

Rescue every time.
We got our little Westie from Many Tears Rescue in Wales.
They have foster carers all over the uk. We live in Scotland and our wee one was brought up to a foster home in Edinburgh for us. The most loving little dog we have ever had.
Very nervous to begin with but has settled in great and with our other westie.

I have three rescue dogs and one I chose from a breeder at eight weeks old
Interestingly , the little rescues adore me and are more obedient than the one I trained myself!! They vary in age from 14 down to three
I do homechecks for a rescue. It’s lovely to see a dog go to a new home. Not all rescues have been abused or ill treated. Some are the result of a marriage split. Some are ex breeding dogs. And some are the result of bereavement or allergy to dog hair.
Some really good rescues are Many Tears. Silver fox dog rescue. Lily’s chihuahua rescue. German shepherd rescue
Please have a look at their websites Every sort of dog is there

Rescue dogs are forever grateful for a good, loving home. Yes, of course they can come with ‘baggage’, but lots of love and walks can overcome massive hurdles. Enjoy whatever dog you choose.

I have worked as a behaviourist for many years and see the other end of the rosy tales above.
Any dog can have behaviour problems but a puppy that has been well socialised will always bounce back. Many rescue dogs have been well socialised and if you find one of those all will, eventually, be well. Rescue centres vary enormously in their ability to match the right dog to the right person so choose your rescue carefully. If you have not had a dog before then one of the toy breeds is probably best as they have been bred for generations to just be companions. At the other end of the spectrum giant breeds can be very laid back and easy to live with. In between you have many breeds that have been bred to work. Terriers are bred to hunt vermin and can be challenging to live with if they do not have an outlet for the energy. Gundogs all need lots of work to do as do all the Collies and Shepherding breeds. I would steer clear of the many dogs being imported form Europe. Many of these dogs are genetically programmed to live on the streets and do not cope well with being confined to homes and gardens. This manifests itself as stress which is not easy to cope with.
If you opt for a puppy then you have the minefield that is the search for a good breeder. They all say that their breed is wonderful. They all say that their dogs are healthy. They all say that they will grow out of problems. It is your job to do your research and find a breeder that breeds for health and temperament above everything else. To do this you need to steep yourself in the breed you have chosen and delve under the surface by listening to lots of ordinary owners about their experiences. Your vet will also have an opinion.
I speak with passion about the above because I have just been through it! I nearly fell foul of a puppy farmer! Very convincing I can tell you I scoured the rescue centres for a medium sized dog that could take part in dog sports. I delved into the online presence of lots of breeders to find that they were obsessed with breeding champions for the show ring but not healthy, calm and friendly pets. Families who bred their darling bitch with the dog down the road with no idea of co efficients of inbreeding or heriditary defects.
Having recently had several rescues with problems I decided to have a "rest" and rear my own puppy from a hobby breeder who was as obsessed with health and temperament as me. My criteria was - bred in the home with lots of noise and activity, not inbred, from health tested parents and born in the Spring for ease of socialisation.
Sorry to go on but it is my passion

I didn't have any luck with rescue centres. When one of my adored poodles died her brother was inconsolable and so was I.
I applied to all the rescue centres with no luck.

I have now re-homed a wonderful female, 5 year old, from my local breeder who lets them go to good homes after four litters. Investigate that possibility.

As s vet nurse I had a house full at one point of cats and kittens no one wanted because they were not a popular colour or were elderly, had bits missing etc and would have been put to sleep because there was no room for them anywhere.
I also had a rescue Labrador who the breeder wanted to our to sleep because they couldn’t sell her.
She had hip displasia and had to be put to sleep age three after trying physio, surgery etc. She was wonderful. So loving.
I’m down to three cats nowadays. The house feels as though it’s getting empty, despite two children and a third en route.
I would honestly go to a few rescue centres, some only keep dogs for so long before they are euthanised because of lack of space, when there’s nothing wrong with them.
It’s really awful how some people treat animals. I have refused to put animals to sleep and taken them home myself to live love and care for.

We have had both and as others have said, as long as you chose your breeder, or rescue centre well, and are prepared to invest time and love you should be fine.
We have re homed from Bluecross who were excellent with the process and I our lovely rescue dog Jack as been with us now for nearly 12 years.

We too have had both: Labrador which ended up with dysphasia living to 11 yrs old; a cross Springer who was full-on energy living till 18 yrs old and a mutt rescue bitch who was the most delightful, loyal pet who also lived 18 yrs - but - she brought her baggage with her. We got her at age about 3 yrs old and she did mega destruction when separated from us. If we’d bought a cage to put her in when we went out that wouldn’t have happened. After a few weeks of destruction (which a puppy can also do) we took her back to the kennels we got her from. I then spent the following week crying - we had ‘abandoned’ her! My hubbie phoned the kennels to see if she was still there, she was. We immediately went and got her and, believe it or not, it was like bringing home a different dog. No damage whatsoever when we left her on her own. It was as though she had ‘learnt a lesson’. She gave us 15 more yrs of unconditional love and loyalty.
Pedigrees can cost 100s of £s - Rescue dog always but might have to hang in there.

Definitely rescue. At the moment ours is lying keeping my leg arm, lol. We were her 4th home in 6 weeks and she was so depressed and nervous but she is now a delight, we haven't laughed so much in 10 years. She adores my husband who has anxiety and depression and it has done wonders for both his mental and physical health. Our last dog was a rescue, had her for 16 years and the vet and chief nurse came in in their day off when she was being put to sleep as they had become so attached to her. There might be more initial teething problems but when you get the breakthroughs, the first wag if a tail etc it will give you more joy and satisfaction than a dog from a breeder. To be honest going around the park the best behaved dogs have always been the rescues. Just make sure you go to a reputable centre ours was a small organisation who fostered the dogs first in a family home so the fosterers could see what they were like in a family setting. Good luck whatever you decide.x

Again thanks everybody you have been really helpful and all have put forward valuable points to think about. I can say I have a clearer idea on how to go about it!

There is only one answer ... rescue every time. No breeder is truly reputable so long as there are animals in shelters to be rehomed.

We adopted our rescue dog just over a year ago. Some of the more familiar rescue centres did not give very much information about their dogs. We found a website that offered a huge amount of information for each dog ready for their forever family. The dogs are rescues from Romania. After registering with the site, we had a home visit to make sure we were suitable. We had seen a dog that we were interested in and travelled about an hour to the centre to meet her. It was so obvious that the staff love the dogs and that the most important thing is that the right dog fits the right family. The staff are honest about the dogs and any behaviour issues. I can honestly say that our beloved girl brought us much joy. As expected, it took a while for her to settle and for us all to get used to each other. At first, she would growl and snarl at people when we were out for walks but after a few weeks she stopped doing that. It has helped that my DH is retired. She is a very loving and affectionate dog and likes lots of cuddles. I would recommend a rescue, just do the research. Best wishes.

Sight hounds are usually gentle, kind dogs who just need a run and then snuggle down and sleep.
However they're also going to have a high prey urge. I know one such, lovely kind dog but now wears a muzzle, in the garden and when out on walks. She can't go off lead because she catches cats and other small furry animals and kills them.

When you've done some research BlueSky, let us know where your thoughts are.

We have had our lovely boy for almost six years, he is a rescue (mainly Deerhound x Greyhound) and had been abandoned in Ireland. He is the most loving, affectionate and gentle soul on the planet and absolutely adores us as we do him. With a rescue they seem to be so thankful and loving. Good luck

Take your DH to a local shelter just for a look around. There's bound to be one there that will pull at the heart strings. there's no guarantee that a puppy will be problem free.

Doodledog, your experience of feeling criticised because you wanted another labradoodle is one that's familiar to any of us who shared our lives with poodle crosses
There is a labradoodle rescue, the Doodle Trust. All their dogs go to foster carers to be assessed before being matched with prospective adopters.
Labradoodles are generally lovely dogs, highly intelligent. Mine is working lab x standard poodle, 4th generation full doodle. You'll know this background = high prey urge, easily distracted and in need of training and mental stimulation, or they're likely to find their own entertainment.
BlueSky - if you do go ahead and find a dog, please join a good positive training group. All dogs benefit from training and joining a good group means the handler learns a lot and the bond between handler and dog strengthens.