Where Should You Get Your Dog? (The Honest Breakdown)

Bringing a dog into your life is a big step, and one of the first decisions you’ll make is where to find your new companion. There are a few options when choosing where to find a dog, but the two most popular places to get a dog from are adopting from a shelter/rescue organization or purchasing from a breeder. If going the breeder route, we highly recommend you go with an ethical breeder (more on ethical breeding in our next post). Both paths offer distinct experiences, and the right choice depends on your lifestyle, preferences, and priorities. Let’s break down each option and discuss the possible advantages and disadvantages of each.

Shelter or Rescue Adoption

Here are some of the main factors to consider when adopting a dog:

What You Gain

• Diverse Options: Shelters offer dogs of all ages, sizes, and breeds; puppies, adults, seniors, and mixes; providing a broad range of options to choose from.

• Lower Initial Cost: Fees typically range from $50 to $300 and often include vaccinations, spaying/neutering, and microchipping, making it a more budget-friendly option upfront.

• Quick Adoption Process: You can often visit, meet dogs, and bring one home very quickly, usually the same day or within a few days, depending on the shelter’s policies.

• Unique Connection: Choosing a dog in these situations can feel deeply rewarding, offering a chance to give a dog in need a fresh start. It can be an equally rewarding experience for the person and the dog.

• Learning Opportunities: Shelter dogs, with their varied backgrounds, can teach you a lot, whether it’s patience, adaptability, or training techniques, making them great companions for building your skills and understanding of dog behavior.

What to Keep in Mind

• Unknown Genetic Health: Without a known genetic history, shelter dogs may carry risks for conditions like hip dysplasia, heart disease, epilepsy, etc. Common health issues, like skin allergies or dental problems, can also emerge unexpectedly, potentially leading to higher vet costs over time. Unfortunately, many shelter/rescue dogs have increased risk for potential genetic disease due to usually being produced from unfavorable breeding stock.

• Temperament Uncertainty: A dog’s temperament can stem from both genetics and environment. Genetically, they might have tendencies toward behaviors like anxiety or aggression, but without lineage details, it’s hard to predict. Environmentally, past experiences can lead to unstable behaviors like fearfulness or reactivity, which may require a lot of patience and hard work to address.

• Adjustment Period: Some dogs need time to adapt to a new home, meaning you might invest extra effort early on to help the dog through the integration into the home.

• Young Kids and/or Other Animals in the Home: If you have young children or other animals (like dogs, cats, or small pets), a shelter dog’s unknown past could mean uncertainty about how they’ll interact. They may not have been exposed to kids or other animals, potentially leading to nervousness or unpredictable reactions that require careful introductions and supervision.

Ethical Breeder

Choosing a dog from an ethical breeder means getting a puppy raised with intention and transparency. Here are some key considerations:

What You Gain

• Predictable Characteristics: Ethical breeders focus on producing dogs with reliable traits, allowing you to choose a companion whose personality and physical needs align with your daily life.

• Health Transparency: Ethical breeders test for genetic conditions and provide lineage and vet records, offering clarity on health risks. While even ethically bred dogs aren’t guaranteed to be free of health issues, since genetics can still bring surprises, an ethical breeder will disclose any potential complications to puppy buyers upfront, ensuring you’re informed about what to expect.

• Early Start: Puppies come home at 8-12 weeks, letting you shape their training, socialization, and temperament from the beginning.

• Breeder Support: Many offer ongoing advice, health guarantees, or even return policies, ensuring long-term guidance.

• Young Kids in the Home: With a puppy from an ethical breeder, you can socialize them with your children from a young age, fostering a predictable and positive relationship.

What to Keep in Mind

• Higher Upfront Cost: Prices often range from $1,000 to $3,000+, reflecting the care, testing, and quality involved.

• Wait Time: You may need to wait months or years for an available litter, depending on the breeder’s schedule.

• Research Required: Finding a truly ethical breeder takes a lot of effort and research to avoid puppy mills or profit driven operations, requiring you to verify their practices.

• Young Kids in the Home: Puppies can be energetic and nippy, requiring supervision and training to ensure safety with little ones. Breed can be a major factor in determining the level of energy and biting the puppy has, so when choosing a breed it’s important to consider this factor.

Questions to Guide Your Choice

Both options can lead to a wonderful companion, it’s about what fits your life, experiences, and preferences. When deciding which route to go, here are some considerations to think about:

• How Does Your Daily Routine Look?

  • How much flexibility do you have to adapt to a dog’s needs, whether they come with surprises or a known foundation?

• Are You Drawn to a Specific Breed?

  • Do you enjoy the idea of a mixed-breed surprise, or do you lean toward a dog with particular traits like size or energy?

• How Do You Approach Finances?

  • Are you more comfortable with lower initial costs and potential later expenses, or a higher upfront investment with clearer health expectations?

• How Do You View Uncertainty?

  • Does the idea of not knowing your dog’s past bother you, or do you prefer knowing more from the start?

• What Motivates You Most?

  • Do you feel a pull toward giving a dog a second chance, or toward supporting careful breeding practices?

• What’s Your Background with Dogs?

  • Do you have experience addressing a range of behaviors and needs, or do you prefer starting fresh with a dog you can guide?

• How Much Time Do You Have Available?

  • Are you able to invest time in a dog’s adjustment or in the early stages of raising a puppy?

• What’s Your Home Environment Like?

  • Does your space suit a dog whose traits might vary, or one bred to fit specific conditions like a smaller home?

• How Do You Think About Health?

  • Are you open to handling possible unknown conditions, or do you prefer having detailed health information upfront?

• What’s Your Ideal Timing?

  • Are you looking to bring a dog home soon, or are you okay waiting for a specific match?

• Do You Have Young Kids?

  • Are you comfortable introducing a dog with an unknown history to children, or would you rather raise one alongside them from puppyhood?

Whatever path you choose to obtain a dog, it’s important to put careful thought and consideration into the decision to ensure the highest chances of success. Adoption offers variety and the chance to embrace a dog’s unknowns, including genetic health risks and temperament shaped by both nature and nurture. Ethical breeders provide predictability and a tailored beginning, with transparent disclosure of any potential health issues. Want to learn what “ethical” breeding really means? Our next post from Speaking Dog Is Ruff will explore our definition. For now, think about the dog you see by your side your journey starts with that vision.