I'm sorry to hear about your sad experience with your puppy. There can be no sure thing when dealing with any living being, but I do feel that purchasing from a reputable breeder can increase your odds of getting a healthy, well-socialized dog. There are some great rescues out there too, and I am by no means saying that it's impossible to find a great pet in rescue. I'm glad your story had a happy ending, for both you, and your rescued dog. 
Essentially what I'm trying to get across is that I'm sick of breeders getting blamed for the dogs in shelters. Good breeders screen families carefully, and have clauses in their contracts to ensure that their puppies come back to them if the new family can no longer care for it. If you walk into any shelter today, the odds are slim that you will find a healthy, adoptable purebred. That's because 1) they tend not to end up in shelters in the first place because their breeders take precautions to prevent it, 2) breed rescue will usually come in and remove a dog of their breed if they find out it's in a shelter. They will then work amongst themselves to hold the breeder accountable and/or find the dog a suitable home, and 3) a healthy purebred who is not claimed by rescue will usually get adopted immediately.
The animal rights agenda is continually pushing legislation to restrict the breeding of purebred animals. They are creating the illusion that we are responsible for pet overpopulation, when in fact, that's not the case at all. Every day they introduce new restrictions such as dog limit laws, mandatory spay/neuter, kennel licensing procedures, etc. which are making it more and more difficult for responsible hobby breeders to continue their programs. The demand for puppies is not going to go away. Americans love their pets! What's going to happen instead is that they're going to legislate all the responsible breeders out of breeding...but there will always be someone out there looking for a buck who will be glad to fill the demand.
Essentially what I'm trying to get across is that I'm sick of breeders getting blamed for the dogs in shelters. Good breeders screen families carefully, and have clauses in their contracts to ensure that their puppies come back to them if the new family can no longer care for it. If you walk into any shelter today, the odds are slim that you will find a healthy, adoptable purebred. That's because 1) they tend not to end up in shelters in the first place because their breeders take precautions to prevent it, 2) breed rescue will usually come in and remove a dog of their breed if they find out it's in a shelter. They will then work amongst themselves to hold the breeder accountable and/or find the dog a suitable home, and 3) a healthy purebred who is not claimed by rescue will usually get adopted immediately.
The animal rights agenda is continually pushing legislation to restrict the breeding of purebred animals. They are creating the illusion that we are responsible for pet overpopulation, when in fact, that's not the case at all. Every day they introduce new restrictions such as dog limit laws, mandatory spay/neuter, kennel licensing procedures, etc. which are making it more and more difficult for responsible hobby breeders to continue their programs. The demand for puppies is not going to go away. Americans love their pets! What's going to happen instead is that they're going to legislate all the responsible breeders out of breeding...but there will always be someone out there looking for a buck who will be glad to fill the demand.
