Adopting vs. Buying a Puppy - UPDATE 1/15/13

[mickeysgal]

Another advocate of a getting rescue/adopted dog rather than buying a dog from a breeder. There are far too many good dogs needing a home.

We have a wonderful rescue group that has adopts at Petsmart on Saturdays and sometimes Sundays. Some rescue groups are small in size, others - and the one we've used - have a very strong presence here in our metro area. They have connections to many of the local animal shelters and vets. If you can find a similar, strong, rescue group...contact them and tell them what you're looking for. They will keep you in mind.

What I like about adopting from a rescue group is that their dogs are fostered first. A good rescue group will tell you the good and the bad qualities of the dog so that when you adopt, you adopt with eyes wide open. A humane society is great, but you don't get as good of a feel for how the dog will be in a normal, household setting.

 

[runsandjumps]

Rescue all the way.

 

[kacaju]

What I like about adopting from a rescue group is that their dogs are fostered first. A good rescue group will tell you the good and the bad qualities of the dog so that when you adopt, you adopt with eyes wide open.

And a good breeder will do the exact same thing. I honestly have to say...I am so tried of breeders getting a bad rap. Like anything else...there are great breeders and not so great ones..the trick is doing your homework.

OP are you near Fitchburg? There is an all breed Dog show the first weekend in Jan I can get you the info if you are interested.

 

[LuLuO]

I wanted a smallish senior dog. None of the rescues I contacted (and I contacted many of them) would consider us because we had a baby even though I had a lot of experience with dogs and could provide references from other rescuers (cat) that I had personal experience with. It really made me mad.

I went to the animal control shelter instead and found our perfect match. She's a mutt. We've had her almost four years now. She is the best dog ever. She's between 14 and 16 but has the spirit of a 4 year old dog. She's amazing. Protective of the kids and so good with them. We love her so much.

 

[LuLuO]

I also want to say that I have nothing against breeders. There are many fantastic breeders out there. You have to do your homework to find the good ones.

 

[mickeysgal]

And a good breeder will do the exact same thing. I honestly have to say...I am so tried of breeders getting a bad rap. Like anything else...there are great breeders and not so great ones..the trick is doing your homework.

OP are you near Fitchburg? There is an all breed Dog show the first weekend in Jan I can get you the info if you are interested.

I was referring to adopting through a rescue instead of directly via the humane society. The atmosphere at a humane society is usually so unnerving and chaotic for a dog that its difficult to get a good feel of the dog's personality whereas a rescue has the dog in foster homes and have a better ability in my opinion to get to know the dog in a more calm and normal environment.

OP don't give up on the local shelters and rescue groups. They do get purebreds if that is what you want - that's how we adopted our latest. And I've seen several since - of various breeds.. Ours asks for a bit higher adoption fee for them. Put yourself in contact with them. They have connections and often the humane societies contact them directly when they have good, adoptable dogs. They know what's out there on a weekly basis. Ours pulls from various surrounding county shelters all the time.

Someone up thread mentioned waiting until after the holidays when the reality of the cute, impulse puppies as presents hits. Many end up at the shelters or rescues soon after the holiday.

Good luck! I'm sure it's hard to tell the kids to be patient.

 

[AlohaPolynesian]

I am begging you with every fiber of my being to PLEASE RESCUE. I see HUNDREDS of dogs euthanized each week (though I do live in a large city) because no one wants them. One of my dogs is a "designer dog" breed that was given up by her owners. I work for a rescue group and I was at the city kennel to rescue a different dog when I saw mine.

To give you an idea, the kennel we rescue from is the city pound. They mark a huge "E" -for euthanize -on their cage card with a big black Sharpie and someone comes around and takes those dogs to be killed. It is hell on earth.

I am begging you to please be patient and rescue. Maybe consider other breeds than just a Shih Tzu. I have asthma and am slightly allergic to my own dogs! I take a Zyrtec if it becomes problematic but as long as I keep them clean it is not a problem.

Plus if you rescue, spay/neuter and vaccines are included in the adoption fee. I understand where you are coming from about the difficulty of working with some rescue groups. Honestly, it is one of my biggest pet peeves because people who are trying to do the right thing are turned off by that. If it is easier to purchase a dog from a breeder, then people will do that instead.

My other dog is from a shelter near my apartment that the rescue I work for isn't affiliated with. Even WORKING FOR ANOTHER RESCUE was not good enough for them. I can't tell you how much they quizzed me and drilled me about my lifestyle to make sure my dog was right for me.

Again - please, please, PLEASE rescue. There are hundreds of thousands of homeless puppies and dogs out there. One of them will be just perfect for your family.

Please send me a message if there is anything I can do to help.

ETA: After one of my childhood dogs died (I was 17) I begged my mom to get a dog. Cried every day. So I understand where your kids are coming from. But we finally, after about 9 months, found THE. PERFECT. DOG. He is about to be 7 now and my dad says my mom likes the dog more than she likes him!

ETA again!: Maybe you should consider becoming a foster parent. That way you can have a dog immediately for your kids, and if there is one that is a good fit - you can keep it! Message me if you have questions about fostering

 

[AlohaPolynesian]

To give you an example, the kennel we rescue from currently has about 10 poodle/shih tzu mix dogs who would be hypoallergenic. So they are out there! Here is just one of many of the dogs who only have days to live:

 

[horseshowmom]

This is what my friend said...she actually mentioned that I may have more luck after the holidays because unfortunately that is when many places receive dogs from folks who made impulsive decisions over the holidays. I'm in no rush which I guess is a good thing.

Sadly, this is true. That cute Christmas puppy has to be taken out at inconvenient times and sometimes has an "accident" on the new carpet or chews up something and has become not so cute in their eyes anymore. Grrr...

I think I saw that you're in Massachusetts. I don't know how far you are from Westchester SPCA, but they would be a great place to contact (I know that some of my foster pups have been adopted from there by people from Massachusetts). I do foster care for pups that leave here and go north to the Westchester, NY shelter. They are great folks who have a real heart for animals.

Since April, I've had 13 foster puppies go to that shelter for 100% adoption. Not all of their animals are listed on their site, but I know they have plenty of adults and may have what you want. Also, they have connections with other agencies. If you contact them, I'm sure they would be happy to try to help you.

http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/NY282.html


ETA: One of my dogs is a Poodle. He came from an animal shelter a year ago last October and is a joy to us! Over the last several months, I've seen several poodles along with Yorkies, Papillons, even a Chinese Crested. They are out there.


2nd ETA: Not sure whether this would interest you, but here are the links (at Westchester) - http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/24744141 or http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/24744158

 

[crjack]

OP,

Have you tried Petfinder? I plugged in Shih Tzu in Boston with a 100 mile range and did see quite a few listed in shelters. It's hard to say if they are still available but it's worth a shot.

I also live in MA and 10 years ago we got a wonderful rescue dog through Save a Dog. They did a fabulous job of matching us up with a dog that would be a good fit for our family. (They do bring up many dogs from the south - particularly from areas struggling with pet populations and lack of no-kill shelters. Many rescues do and our successful getting them adopted up here)

Best of luck to you. It is important to find a dog that works for you and your family.

 

[Domo]

We're considering giving a little Westie called Sebastian a home from the RSPCA. Poor thing was badly abused and was confiscated from his owner, who struck him, locked him up, never washed him, never fed him and basically made the poor puppy afraid of human contact. He needs a home and we might be able to give one to him.

Thing is though, we just lost our elderly westie a week ago and it still hurts. Is it too soon? Who knows. But we're not discounting it...

 

[Andtototoo]

Maybe consider other breeds than just a Shih Tzu. I have asthma and am slightly allergic to my own dogs! I take a Zyrtec if it becomes problematic but as long as I keep them clean it is not a problem.

Please do not give medical advice. Just because your allergies can be handled by Zyrtec and cleaning does NOT mean everyone's allergies and asthma can be handled so easily. I know WAY too many people who took advice like that and a dog or cat had to be rehomed because the human's allergies and asthma were not so amenable to mitigation.

I was referring to adopting through a rescue instead of directly via the humane society. The atmosphere at a humane society is usually so unnerving and chaotic for a dog that its difficult to get a good feel of the dog's personality whereas a rescue has the dog in foster homes and have a better ability in my opinion to get to know the dog in a more calm and normal environment.

OP don't give up on the local shelters and rescue groups. They do get purebreds if that is what you want - that's how we adopted our latest. And I've seen several since - of various breeds.. Ours asks for a bit higher adoption fee for them. Put yourself in contact with them. They have connections and often the humane societies contact them directly when they have good, adoptable dogs. They know what's out there on a weekly basis. Ours pulls from various surrounding county shelters all the time.

Yes, that's what the shelters told my sister -- that the rescues get first dibs on the most desirable dogs and she'd have to "suck up" to the rescues in order to get a dog from them and be prepared to pay twice what the shelter would have charged. They also told her it would take 2-3 years for her to find a dog. And then we wonder why breeders are still in business?

This hand-in-glove relationship has been reported:

an effort also began to find accommodations for homeless animals outside the municipal and private shelter systems, which have limited room and often short deadlines for keeping animals before moving them to death row. The new organizations take potentially adoptable pets out of the shelters and foster them, usually in private homes, until the right owner comes along. They control the fate of an increasing number of animals. In New York City, for example, almost 45 percent of the dogs and cats that come into the Animal Care & Control system are passed to one of more than 150 private rescue groups.

Source: http://www.slate.com/articles/life/...a_dog_or_cat_prepare_for_an_inquisition_.html

 

[mjkacmom]

About a year and a half ago, I told the kids we could get a dog. They were so excited to decide on a breed. Nope, my deal was, we would get the greatest dog out there, regardless of breed (although I did prefer a smaller dog - gets pretty crowded here). A friend of mine volunteers with a rescue group, and would foster.

About six months later, she called me and told me she found us our dog. It was a mix of 2 of the most hyper breeds on earth, and I told her she was crazy. She told me to trust her, and we met our puppy (6 months old, crate trained, completely housebroken). Everyone who meets her says they are so jealous, because she is perfect in every way (maybe a little too kissy). She is always on a leash for walks, but she is completely command trained (I don't know how). It only takes a NO to stop her in her tracks when chasing bunny in the field.

She was rescued from a kill shelter from West Virginia, and she thanks us over and over each and every day.

OP, be patient. Getting a dog is a LONG committment - I don't think waiting for a year is too long. If your dd doesn't have allergies to dogs (and if she does, just don't do it), I think she'll be find with most dogs. Three of us here have very bad allergies (all seasonal, dust mites, cats), and one is nebulized with every respitory illness.

 

[Planogirl]

Some rescues can be difficult. I would suggest scanning Petfinder and looking for a suitable companion at one of the many shelters. I personally see nothing wrong with going to a good breeder either.

 

[sunshinehighway]

I am begging you with every fiber of my being to PLEASE RESCUE. I see HUNDREDS of dogs euthanized each week (though I do live in a large city) because no one wants them. One of my dogs is a "designer dog" breed that was given up by her owners. I work for a rescue group and I was at the city kennel to rescue a different dog when I saw mine.

To give you an idea, the kennel we rescue from is the city pound. They mark a huge "E" -for euthanize -on their cage card with a big black Sharpie and someone comes around and takes those dogs to be killed. It is hell on earth.

I am begging you to please be patient and rescue. Maybe consider other breeds than just a Shih Tzu. I have asthma and am slightly allergic to my own dogs! I take a Zyrtec if it becomes problematic but as long as I keep them clean it is not a problem.

Plus if you rescue, spay/neuter and vaccines are included in the adoption fee. I understand where you are coming from about the difficulty of working with some rescue groups. Honestly, it is one of my biggest pet peeves because people who are trying to do the right thing are turned off by that. If it is easier to purchase a dog from a breeder, then people will do that instead.

My other dog is from a shelter near my apartment that the rescue I work for isn't affiliated with. Even WORKING FOR ANOTHER RESCUE was not good enough for them. I can't tell you how much they quizzed me and drilled me about my lifestyle to make sure my dog was right for me.

Again - please, please, PLEASE rescue. There are hundreds of thousands of homeless puppies and dogs out there. One of them will be just perfect for your family.

Please send me a message if there is anything I can do to help.

ETA: After one of my childhood dogs died (I was 17) I begged my mom to get a dog. Cried every day. So I understand where your kids are coming from. But we finally, after about 9 months, found THE. PERFECT. DOG. He is about to be 7 now and my dad says my mom likes the dog more than she likes him!

ETA again!: Maybe you should consider becoming a foster parent. That way you can have a dog immediately for your kids, and if there is one that is a good fit - you can keep it! Message me if you have questions about fostering

They idea of waiting 9 months to find the perfect dog is insane to me. As is the idea that I should let some people who don't even know me decide what dog is right for me.

I understand there are many abused and neglected animals and rescues are trying to do what they believe is best. The problem comes when everyone is treated like they are one of those people until they are thoroughly scrutinized and then the rescue people pick out their dog for them. Who wants to go through all that?

Getting a dog shouldn't be so complicated.

 

[Pigeon]

I volunteer in a low-key way with a rescue. I hope you find it in your heart to adopt a rescue or shelter pet. There are so many who are needlessly put down every day, and it's such a great feeling to know you've saved a life.

Up until our current dog, we'd always gone the breeder route for a puppy. The current dog came from the same rescue where we now volunteer. She was about a year old when we got her and I will never go the puppy route again.

I'd be the first to admit that rescues can be difficult. Their mission is to find good, permanent homes for the dogs under their care. It is not to provide a pet for every member of the public who wants one. They may have rules that seem ridiculous. Those rules are there because they've had a lot of problems with people returning animals. For example, our rescue won't place a puppy with people who aren't home during the day. Plenty of people who work manage to do fine with raising puppies, but we've had enough who don't manage to housebreak the dog or who return the dogs because they are miserable being alone that we've got that rule.

Getting a dog back is usually a nightmare, and something the rescues want to avoid if at all possible. The dog is older and therefore harder to place and has usually developed bad habits (like not being housebroken as an adult, which is much harder to fix). Hence the rules.

I don't always agree with the rules, personally, but they are what they are and if you do some research you should be able to find out what the rules are before you waste your time. Some of the people who run rescues can be a little over the top. That comes from dealing with a whole bunch of people who mistreat dogs, who lie, who are irresponsible, etc. It doesn't excuse it, but that's why they are the way they are.

As for the cost the rescues charge, ours shells out a fortune on vet care, for exams, shots, treatments, neutering, special needs animals, etc. We also have costs for food, transportation, shelter, supplies, etc. We do fundraising constantly and none of the rescue folks make a dime on this. To the contrary, we typically donate a ton ourselves.

 

[A_Princess'_Daddy]

my dog cost $1000... wasnt even trained... this was 16 years ago though.

We had the exact same issue. We purchased a purebred dog from a champion bloodline from a highly reputable breeder about 12 years ago and paid $1,200 at that time. That dog has been an unmitigated disaster from the beginning (severe anxiety, unbelievable allergies, attitude beyond belief, etc.). Meanwhile our rescue cat that we took in from a shelter has been an absolute dream pet and came to us already "trained"! I will never buy a puppy again, and IF we get another dog (our current one has pretty much scarred me) it will absolutely be a rescue with a good personality from a shelter.

 

[Hardy]

We were unable to rescue either. Our local shelter (rural) pretty much has hound type mixes, or pitbull mixes and neither of those types of dogs are for us. They are a relatively high kill shelter though and just need to get pets out. $10 a head. We are an extremely busy family though and I would rather see a dog humanely euthanized than living in a home where they are crated all the time or chained outside bc they aren't the right fit. We wanted a Great Dane, rescues would not consider us bc we have no physical fence and had a 3 year old at the time.

I found our dog as a "clearance" from a breeder. The runt of 14 puppies she was on the small side, plain black, I guess no one wanted her. I picked her up at 5 months old and she has been the best dog. Super lazy, gentle with the kids, very much an indoor dog but enjoys her time outside with an electric fence.

Unfortunately too many rescues are far too picky and intrusive. We would have been an excellent home for a rescue, but we never got the chance. I understand not handing them out to just anybody, but a good breeder doesn't either, the just want their animals to be loved and part of a family.

 

[DannysMom]

Snip. It was a mix of 2 of the most hyper breeds on earth, and I told her she was crazy. She told me to trust her, and we met our puppy (6 months old, crate trained, completely housebroken). Everyone who meets her says they are so jealous, because she is perfect in every way (maybe a little too kissy). She is always on a leash for walks, but she is completely command trained (I don't know how). It only takes a NO to stop her in her tracks when chasing bunny in the field.

She was rescued from a kill shelter from West Virginia, and she thanks us over and over each and every .

So you didn't mention, what mix is your pup? Just wondering what you thought would be a disaster & turned out just perfect.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards App, please excuse any typos or autocorrects!

 

[mommyrosa2]

OP here.....

I honestly appreciate everyone's input and comments...that's why I posted on the DIS to begin with !

I will say again that I'm not stuck on a Shih Tzu and would consider another breed/mix as long as they have hair, not fur, and are small. The one thing that is not negotiable for us is my daughter's health and I won't even consider bringing any dog in the house that would compromise her health in any way. Now, I will say that overnight I did receive a response back from a rescue group in NY about a Shih Tzu I saw on Adopt-a-Pet.com. They sent me an application and would consider us even though we are about 3 1/2 hours away. I was hoping for a little more information on the dog before I got into the application but they want that before they give me any add'l info . We'll see what happens. I'm going to continue looking everywhere and I had the conversation again with my girls last night about being patient...not something teen girls have a lot of .

One of the pp's asked me about being near Fitchburg? We are in the Southeastern part of MA near the RI border...not sure where that town is but if anyone has any information they want to share, please feel free to PM me with that... I will consider everyone's recommendations and will most certainly look at all options before making a final decision. I appreciate everyone's feedback, I really do.