Did you get your animals from a breeder/farm or a shelter?

[yssie]

All of ours have always been shelter animals or strays/ferals we've brought in off the streets. We've only ever had pets, though. I think it's a great thing to adopt from shelters when you're looking for a pet, but if you're wanting a specific type a breeder is really the only reliable option. Just - please, please do your research, there are so many unethical breeders out there, and you really have to dig to find them sometimes - it's all too easy to have the "mistakes" euthanized and keep right on breeding without sullying the record.



I would go for a shelter pet regardless of children, age, etc. You can find dogs of excellent temperaments in shelters and pounds, and you can find dogs bred for generations to be gentle, that aren't in the least - and vice versa, but either way you have to do your homework and spend time with the animals. If you get an older dog you have the benefit of knowing what it's like - a puppy is a complete unknown.

 

[chiquitapet]

We got our first kitty Lula when we fell in love with her in a local pet store, but we got her little brother Nino couple of months later from an animal shelter.

 

[Novel]

We''ve gotten our cats from shelters (just make sure its a reputable shelter first - seriously), and one dog was a stray and one dog from a shelter. We had no problems with the shelter and street dogs, even when we were young kids. They both happened to be purebreds, so we knew at least if the breeds had histories of aggression, etc.

I agree that getting from a rescue might be a good idea. Our most recent cat was from a rescue and they had a "return" policy, that if we fostered and it didn''t work out, they would take him back. An animal might have a bad history, but really, you take your chances with an animal either way, as they are still individuals, even if their breed has a good history.

Have fun with this though, don''t forget that part! Its about falling in love with an animal!

 

[jewelz617]

Everyone has given such excellent advice. I let my husband read the responses and we''ve decided to go with a reputable shelter for our pet. No judgments if people have pets from farms, I just know there are so many animals out there that need a home as a matter of life and death. If we get a young puppy (or kitten, if I can get over my fear...

) maybe that would be our best option.

 

[stepcutgirl]

I work with a rescue and we busted a large puppy mill and I personally took home to permanently live with me sweet Pete who is in my profile pic and a very old girl names Calu. They are so grateful and you can tell they are appreciative.

I''ve had several other rescue dogs before them and while each had an issue or two they were able to overcome them and I feel like the love from a dog who has been hurt and abandoned is a special gift.

My dog growing up was bought from a breeder and he was wonderful as well. Most breeder dogs will sell and go to good homes, most shelter dogs will die at the same shelter. That makes it an easy choice for me.

 

[LabRatPhD]

Our pug was from a breeder. There were no rescues in the town we were living in and FI wanted this breed. Our second dog is a German Shepherd and we got her as a puppy from a shelter. Any other dogs we get here on out will also be from shelters.

 

[lulu]

Three cats are shelter/strays. Black lab doggie from a very reputable breeder with great bloodlines. However, he has many health issues that I never had with previous "mutts". I love him to death, but I won''t get another purebred dog.

 

[whitby_2773]

Date: 1/23/2010 5:07:34 PM
Author: y2kitty

Date: 1/23/2010 3:08:41 PM

Author: whitby_2773

i wouldnt recommend a shelter dog past a certain age (4? 5?) if you have small children, as NO grown dog like ot be 'jumped from behind' by a small thing he knows doesnt really need to be respected (they KNOW who is alpha in the family, and toddlers arent it!) but if you dont have kids - most shelter dogs are womderful - warm and loving and incredibly grateful for a home.

I respectfully disagree with this. I know several people with small children who got dogs from the pound and there has never been an issue. All depends on the dog.

I have 3 rescue (think PetSmart) cats and have helped my sister choose dogs from the pound. Its like anything, you need to look around and its unbelievable the animals (purebreed, great personalities, totally trained) that end up in shelters. I don't fault people for using responsible breeders. Sometimes you know exactly what you want, are set on it, and breeder is the only way to get it.

hi y2kitty

i'm an interviewer (one of many) for an english setter rescue service (the one we adopted Dapple from), and there are exceptions to every rule - granted. but the rescue service i volunteer for works on the basis of being over-cautious. i'm not sure if pink has had a dog before, or a rescue dog, or a big dog, or a dog with a difficult past, or any host of things. so i think it's best to err on the side of caution. dogs from the rescue i volunteer for that go into homes with young children have to have both dog and family well vetted - a thing the pound doesn't do. with the english setters we place, we visit the home, meet *all* members of the family, check out the house, and do a long questionnaire. a rescue dog can also be pretty insecure - dogs are pack animals and, in general, *hate* the pound and the isolation, so some try extra hard to be useful to a new family. this can lead to them trying to 'help' the 'alpha dogs' (parents) with the youngest members (ie toddlers). this might manifest as dominant behavior, which can be problematic. however, a puppy knows itself to be the 'buck private' of any pack, so is generally fine with younger members of the family and doesnt try to dominate.

not all rescue dogs do this - most dont, in fact. but a middle aged dog is *more* likely to do this than a puppy, so i'd err on the side of caution if asked for an opinion.

however - having said all that... i placed 2 rescue dogs with a family that turned out to be my closest friends in the US (their home is where i currently am in LA) - a 5 year old female and a 9 year old male. the children in the family were 4 and 7 when the dogs came to the family. there was a period of adjustment (quite a long one for the female - think a year) - but there's never been any problems. the female was overly submissive and timid - which *can* lead to aggressive self protective behavior - but on the whole, there were no problems that impacted the family or the children. but this was a family where the dog wasn't going to be home alone, the parents were very 'dog smart' and experienced, and the kids were carefully monitored. but if i *didn't* know the situation so well, i'd take the line i've been advised to take - dont place middle aged dogs with families with young children.

getting a dog from a rescue service that has fostered dogs can be an excellent safety precaution. their foster family can give you all sorts of information, and most rescue services encourage conversation between adoptee and foster so both parties can ascertain that the fit is a good one. if the foster has young children, they're the best people to let you know if the dog will fit an adoptee's family well.

it's amazing to me - and heartbreaking to all people who love dogs - how many adopted dogs are returned because 'it just didnt work out/the fit wasn't right for our family'. my whole goal is to see a dog well placed...and to stay there in its forever home.

hope that clarifies

 

[Maisie]

Our Labrador Blossom and our Bengal cat Gracie are both retired breeders. We didn''t pay for Blossom on the condition we had her spayed. Gracie was already spayed so we had to pay the cost of the proceedure. Both are wonderful pets even though they are quite shy and nervous around strangers. I guess thats because they were kept outside with limited human contact.

 

[y2kitty]

Date: 1/23/2010 7:43:04 PM
Author: whitby_2773

Date: 1/23/2010 5:07:34 PM

Author: y2kitty

Date: 1/23/2010 3:08:41 PM


Author: whitby_2773


i wouldnt recommend a shelter dog past a certain age (4? 5?) if you have small children, as NO grown dog like ot be ''jumped from behind'' by a small thing he knows doesnt really need to be respected (they KNOW who is alpha in the family, and toddlers arent it!) but if you dont have kids - most shelter dogs are womderful - warm and loving and incredibly grateful for a home.

I respectfully disagree with this. I know several people with small children who got dogs from the pound and there has never been an issue. All depends on the dog.


I have 3 rescue (think PetSmart) cats and have helped my sister choose dogs from the pound. Its like anything, you need to look around and its unbelievable the animals (purebreed, great personalities, totally trained) that end up in shelters. I don''t fault people for using responsible breeders. Sometimes you know exactly what you want, are set on it, and breeder is the only way to get it.

hi y2kitty


i''m an interviewer (one of many) for an english setter rescue service (the one we adopted Dapple from), and there are exceptions to every rule - granted. but the rescue service i volunteer for works on the basis of being over-cautious. i''m not sure if pink has had a dog before, or a rescue dog, or a big dog, or a dog with a difficult past, or any host of things. so i think it''s best to err on the side of caution. dogs from the rescue i volunteer for that go into homes with young children have to have both dog and family well vetted - a thing the pound doesn''t do. with the english setters we place, we visit the home, meet *all* members of the family, check out the house, and do a long questionnaire. a rescue dog can also be pretty insecure - dogs are pack animals and, in general, *hate* the pound and the isolation, so some try extra hard to be useful to a new family. this can lead to them trying to ''help'' the ''alpha dogs'' (parents) with the youngest members (ie toddlers). this might manifest as dominant behavior, which can be problematic. however, a puppy knows itself to be the ''buck private'' of any pack, so is generally fine with younger members of the family and doesnt try to dominate.


not all rescue dogs do this - most dont, in fact. but a middle aged dog is *more* likely to do this than a puppy, so i''d err on the side of caution if asked for an opinion.


however - having said all that... i placed 2 rescue dogs with a family that turned out to be my closest friends in the US (their home is where i currently am in LA) - a 5 year old female and a 9 year old male. the children in the family were 4 and 7 when the dogs came to the family. there was a period of adjustment (quite a long one for the female - think a year) - but there''s never been any problems. the female was overly submissive and timid - which *can* lead to aggressive self protective behavior - but on the whole, there were no problems that impacted the family or the children. but this was a family where the dog wasn''t going to be home alone, the parents were very ''dog smart'' and experienced, and the kids were carefully monitored. but if i *didn''t* know the situation so well, i''d take the line i''ve been advised to take - dont place middle aged dogs with families with young children.


getting a dog from a rescue service that has fostered dogs can be an excellent safety precaution. their foster family can give you all sorts of information, and most rescue services encourage conversation between adoptee and foster so both parties can ascertain that the fit is a good one. if the foster has young children, they''re the best people to let you know if the dog will fit an adoptee''s family well.


it''s amazing to me - and heartbreaking to all people who love dogs - how many adopted dogs are returned because ''it just didnt work out/the fit wasn''t right for our family''. my whole goal is to see a dog well placed...and to stay there in its forever home.


hope that clarifies

I think I read your original post differently than you intended. Now I agree with you. If this is someone''s first dog, or first big dog, or they lack confidence you are right, they should err on the side of caution.

 

[charbie]

growing up, we had a lab from a breeder. he was wonderful.
buddy, our mutt, came from a rescue event. he and his sister were both there, but the sister was already adopted.
charlie, our lab, came from a rescue. he was born on a farm where there were over 50 dogs, and he was being fostered when my husband picked him out. i wanted a purebred- but my husband knew better than me, and now i''m so proud that charlie is a foster dog. we joke that he''s like marlie...a discount dog. our vet even gives 10% off all services for life for any dog that has been adopted from a rescue or shelter!

the most important thing is to research what kind of dog fits into your lifestyle. my husband and i are active, so its important we have dogs who are adaptable and want to be outdoors. and train, train, train! my dogs misbehave, but i know it is my fault for letting them get away with things- they don''t know any better!

 

[Burberrygirl]

Our family dog growing up was bought from a breeder. Her name was Leia and she was a Bouvier. Sadly she had to be put down on Thursday because of health problems

. She was 13 years old and had been sick for a long time. She had huge cysts all over her body (she had a ton of them removed but they kept coming back), cataracts, lung issues, and went from 65 pounds to about 30 in the last 6 months. Her last surgery to remove some cysts never healed and she had open sores

, poor baby! I miss her so much, but she's not in pain anymore and it would have been selfish to let her continue to suffer.

My dog is a rescue dog, I was very adamant that whatever dog I got would be from a shelter. He is seriously the smartest and sweetest dog! I can't see myself buying a dog from a breeder, but I understand why others do. My sister and mom bought Italian Greyhounds from a breeder last year. They're great dogs and adorable... idk, the whole breeder thing just isn't for me! I'd like to adopt another dog in the next year or so.

 

[Mara]

We got our pup at a breeder, and she was a puppy. She is 5 now.

I would def consider a rescue, but for a home with a small child i would only consider a rescue where i knew the history of the dog... because it's too questionable to bring a new dog into a home with a child where you don't know the background of the dog IMO. I'd hate to bring a new dog into the home and then have it not work out. It's not fair to the family or the pet.

 

[Cehrabehra]

I would go through a rescue group - those people have it in their own best interests to place pets in appropriate (not just good) homes and are generally very clear about any negatives.

That said - our dog came from a breeder. Her parents are show dogs, or were 10 years ago anyway) and we had a deal where we got her for free but she would be shown occasionally and bred selectively but when she got older her tail wasn''t quite right and she was a little tall so they said get her fixed and we won''t show her - we completely lucked out.

All of the cats were strays - mama cat had kittens and voila - we had 3 cats instantly.

I would go to a rescue group then a breeder for a pure bread. If I was not particular I''d go to a shelter.

 

[radiantquest]

Farm. Twice.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

All our cats have been adopted either from the pound or from families giving away free cats (advertising in the paper). Reason being I love cats and am not picky about breed or any of that. Normally I just pick loving ones who I think would mix well with our current cats. Of course that never works out as my 17 year old cat is grumpy (since kittenhood) and bickers with all the other cats we've had.

My fish, on the otherhand, I guess come from breeders? I have five betta fish and of course those were breed to be sold at the pet store. . .the guppies are all from pet stores, too. I'm trying to breed my own guppies so I don't have to buy anymore, but thus far, they keep eating their babies, so we still only have a few in the tank

I keep finding one or two babies and the other day, one poked its head out and three of the adult guppies dive bombed toward it and it hid. . .it's gone now though. . .

ETA - I've never seen any behavioral problems associated with shelter pets. Both of my both affectionate cats have been tuxedo cats. One was from the pound and the other (in my avatar) was from a family giving away kitties. Cats just have their individual personalities and where you get them from won't result in how they act. (IMO) That is unless you find a pet who has been abused, etc., so when you go to the pound you can tell how the cat reacts as to how it will be at home.

How old is your daughter? You may want to find a very outgoing kitty as children can easily scare cats with their voices and by running around.

 

[Maisie]

Date: 1/24/2010 5:23:00 PM
Author: MC
All our cats have been adopted either from the pound or from families giving away free cats (advertising in the paper). Reason being I love cats and am not picky about breed or any of that. Normally I just pick loving ones who I think would mix well with our current cats. Of course that never works out as my 17 year old cat is grumpy (since kittenhood) and bickers with all the other cats we've had.

My fish, on the otherhand, I guess come from breeders? I have five betta fish and of course those were breed to be sold at the pet store. . .the guppies are all from pet stores, too. I'm trying to breed my own guppies so I don't have to buy anymore, but thus far, they keep eating their babies, so we still only have a few in the tank

I keep finding one or two babies and the other day, one poked its head out and three of the adult guppies dive bombed toward it and it hid. . .it's gone now though. . .

ETA - I've never seen any behavioral problems associated with shelter pets. Both of my both affectionate cats have been tuxedo cats. One was from the pound and the other (in my avatar) was from a family giving away kitties. Cats just have their individual personalities and where you get them from won't result in how they act. (IMO) That is unless you find a pet who has been abused, etc., so when you go to the pound you can tell how the cat reacts as to how it will be at home.

How old is your daughter? You may want to find a very outgoing kitty as children can easily scare cats with their voices and by running around.

I totally agree. Gracie was 4 when we got her and she is fearful of James. He only wants to love her but its just too much for the little girl! Just normal 5 year old running about and noise makes her run for cover. The only time she is happy to see him is when he is feeding her

He is very good at rattling her bowl at mealtimes!

 

[Amber St. Clare]

We got our cat from the shelter.

My husband found him on the internet and suddenly there was my Mothers Day present.

I haved to say the cat must know my husband was the person who rescued him. He hangs all over him like a bad rash--cries when he goes into the bathroom or leaves the house. He tolerates me!!! {and I''m home with him all day}.

Shelter rescue animals are the best. IMO the have the instinctive knowledge they were saved and are eternally grateful.

 

[purselover]

Both of our cats had been abandoned and they are the most loving wonderful cats you could ask for! I would never go to a breeder there is just no need when there are so many homeless animals you can adopt.

 

[soocool]

I had cats growing up and they were strays that my sister and I begged our parents to keep. we had them checked out by a vet and they became loving pets and lived to what we guess about 15 to 17 years.

Our first dog was a rescue, and he was a dear, very loving and smart. The owner had passed away and the shelter said he needed to be with a family that would be home most of the day. Unfortunately, the dog only lived a few years after we got him, had no sign of any illness, just did not want to eat one morning and passed away the same day.

We got our current dog from a breeder. We thought DD would enjoy raising a dog from puppyhood. While it was a pain taking the puppy out every few hours during the night for about 10 days, once the dog was 10 weeks old (we got him at , he was totally house trained. Maybe just one accident, but that was my fault because I ignored him while he gave me the signal that he needed to go. We took him to both puppy classes and teen classes and is very well trained and listens to all commands.

Wherever you decide to get your pet, as long as you show it love and you train him/her you will have a great companion for many years. Dogs at any age can be trained, you just have to be patient.

 

[tlh]

I have a really long horror story about shelter dogs. but the truth is, the responsibility lies with the owner.

Just because you buy from a breeder, doesn''t mean you''re getting anything worthwhile... or from someone I''d deem "reputable"...

But the truth is people lie. Breeders lie - while trying to find my dog, one breeder I talked to didn''t have momma on sight... why? because the puppy was shipped away from its mother "from a friend" to have her help sell the dog. Momma dog lived in Missouri - HUGE PUPPY MILL STATE. Big red flag there. Reputable breeders - often times COST MORE... but not always. You have to do your homework.

Shelters can LIE. Most shelters rely on volunteers, or those fulfilling court ordered community service... these people don''t always CARE or know waht is best... and sometimes will LIE because they hope that getting the dog adopted - is the best thing for it. True... but THAT dog may not be the best thing for your family. They also rely on those turning over their animals to be honest about the issues and what not... but those turning over the animals aren''t always honest.

My husband adopted a 10 week old jack russel terrier from the shelter. Supposed to be only 10-15 pounds full grown...turns out the dog was only 3 weeks old, and now weighs around 45-50 pounds and is knee high at the shoulder. Not only was this dog - NOT what he was "sold" - but this dog also had a surprising and rare auto-immune disease... which not only turned his personality, but if the disease won''t kill him - the treatment will! Alright kidney failure...

So now we must deal with the fact that a dog he was "sold" cannot be accomodated in most places because he exceeds the size requirements of the hoa. But what do you do - give him back? No. You deal with it.

A cat you get from a shelter doesn''t have the potential of turning into a 100 pound mountain lion... but a dog they tell you will only be 10 pounds, can get considerably larger. Require more food, more space - etc.

I did a lot of research when I adopted my dog. Did one of those personaluty tests to determine what my ideal dog match was. I wanted a lot of different dogs, and I thought this would help me determine my match (of those breeds)... turns out NOT ONE of those dogs was over a 30% ideal match. my ideal match was a cavalier king charles. A dog I thought was UGLY at the time. But I thought eh, it has the traits I want. So I adopted one. He is my perfect dog. I will probably never get another dog from a shelter ever again. I just found that I''m actually a lazy dog owner. Sure I run my dog, and what not... but I''m not willing to spend countless hours working on obedience with a dog that is high strung - or aggressive. I like knowing what I''m getting into - ahead of time - before the dog is 6 months old and you are already attached.

But that is just me. Good luck on your search!

 

[MAC-W]

Date: 1/23/2010 11:29:14 AM
Author:PinkAsscher678
Just doing a little research. My husband really wants to get our daughter a pet for her 2nd birthday (in other words HE wants a pet) and he wants to go to a breeder. I want a shelter pet.

He says shelter pets might have bad history, I say there are too many unwanted animals in the world who need homes.

What were your reasons and why?

I''m with you 100%

Shelter every time.

All the pets I''ve had as a child or adult have come from shelters (or farms) and they''ve all been the most amazing personalities.

There are too many unwanted animals already in this world for me to even consider breeders.


The only animal I''ve ever had a problem with is one of my current cats who was a stray that adopted us.

We think we''ve managed to piece together his history, which was mainly one of abuse before he came to us.

4 years later and he''s only now starting to become "normal"

Nurture not nature is the deciding factor from my experience and the reward of seeing an abused animal starting to learn to trust again is out of this world.

 

[Prana]

We got our dog from a breeder so that we could be as sure as possible that he had a good lineage (in terms of behaviour, his hips, overall health, etc). We wanted a specific breed, and didn''t want to end up with a dog with major health problems or behavioral issues secondary to bad and unknown breeding. I think for certain breeds of dogs, I would definitely rescue (for example, mixed breeds).

 

[PinkTower]

I have done both with mixed results.

Our first poodle was at our vet''s and needed a home. That was a big mistake, and he lived ten long years. He was very alpha, and bit. We spent a great deal on private trainers, even sent him away for weeks at a time to trainers. One trainer was even a professional Bouvier trainer!!! He continued to bite, no matter what training method we tried.


Next time, you better believe I went to an excellent breeder and purchased my beloved Standard, who is at my side at all times.
She is the best dog I have ever had, and was rather expensive.

However, a few months ago, we adopted another dog from our state poodle rescue group, and again, she is very gentle. So, I have had good and bad results with adoption.

I would like to mention one more thing for your consideration. In our state, the poodle rescue does not allow their dogs to be adopted into a household with children under the age of ten. You might want to think about that, as state rescue groups have much more experience than we do. A combination of a baby and a new dog can be quite stressful.

 

[zoebartlett]

When I was about 12, my parents got our mixed breed puppy from a woman who was selling the pups for $20 each. My mom said it was by far the best $20 she ever spent (our dog was with my family for almost 16 years).

I''ve also had two sets of cats. The first set I bought from a coworker (sadly, one passed away a month later and I had to give up the other one a year later to my roommate). My husband and I have two cats now, which is my 2nd set. We got one from the shelter and one from a parent at school who had rescued two kittens. We would have taken both but I couldn''t justify having three kittens in the house.

 

[vespergirl]

I''ve gotten nearly all my pets through shelters, but I did get one dog from a breeder, and one from a pet store.

The dog that I got from a BREEDER was so inbred, high-strung and mentally troubled that after caring for him for a year and a half, and going to weekly training sessions with three different trainers, I finally had to find him a new home. No one could explain or help me fix his nervous issues (he was in constant neurotic misery) and I have had several dogs over the course of my life (none of whom exhibited these symptoms) so I know it was the dog or his background and not me.

The dog that I have now I got at a pet store 10 years ago (I couldn''t find a Pom breeder in the area I was living at the time, and I searched for one through shelters & rescue groups for 5 months with no success). She is very healthy, intelligent and well adjusted, as opposed to the neurotic Pom that came from the breeder. A couple of years after I got her, I started hearing about the horrible places pet store dogs come from, so I wouldn''t purchase a dog at a pet store again, but I have to say, I got a great dog from a pet store.

From now on I would probably just go to shelters, as I had during the first 23 years of my life. I always got the best, smartest, and most loyal animals from shelters.