why do people say this?

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Originally posted by aly

Not every shelter dog's background is unknown. At my shelter, the previous owners fill out a 6 page questionaire of the background of the dog. Sure we don't have those on every dog, but still.

Also, when we have dogs with unknown backgrounds, we (volunteers and staff) start taking the dog on outings, home visits, overnights, foster rotations, etc so we can evaluate the behavior and start getting the dog acclimated to life outside of the shelter.

Researching a breed is good, but there comes a point where you also have to evaluate the individual personality of the dog. It is definately good to know what the breed is prone to, but SO much diversity exists between individuals.

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I usually don't quote an entire statement, but this bears
repeating. Amen Aly.....:)

Every reputable Shelter & Humane Society temperment test all
the dogs who might be questionable for adoption. Their aim is
to find a good match between the person & the dog. They sure
won't push a dog that's clearly not right for each individual
person or family wanting a dog. People are encouraged to walk
a prospective adoptee dog & also bring their home dogs to meet
the new dog in a neutral setting. Reputable Shelters want the
new dog to have a forever home & will even work with helping
with the transiton from shelter to home enviroment. :)

Another Humane Society dog, Buddy, the best dog ever.:)


http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...a/f96194d4.jpg

I guess I didn't word that right, because I didn't mean to say every dog from a shelter is a nitemare. It has more to do with my insecurity. I look at you and lizbud and think you guys are great trainers and know any dog y'all had would be great. Then I look at the people with dog issues and I keep thinking there for the grace of a good choice would be me. So I know if I stick with a certain breed and go to a reputable breeder they're going to help me pick the right dog. I dunno the shelter is an unknown for me and is scary for me. It's a mental thing of not wanting to make mistake.

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Originally posted by ParNone
I guess I didn't word that right, because I didn't mean to say every dog from a shelter is a nitemare. It has more to do with my insecurity. I look at you and lizbud and think you guys are great trainers and know any dog y'all had would be great. Then I look at the people with dog issues and I keep thinking there for the grace of a good choice would be me. So I know if I stick with a certain breed and go to a reputable breeder they're going to help me pick the right dog. I dunno the shelter is an unknown for me and is scary for me. It's a mental thing of not wanting to make mistake.

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My mom is like that. Which is probably why as long as I'm still living with them, we won't adopt from a shelter.
A few years ago, we adopted a 10 month old Australian Shepherd mix we named Bandit at a local adoption fair. I've posted a few pictures of him on here before. He had the sweetest personality, but I'm sorry to say, was untrainable. I know most of you will say 'No dog is untrainable' but trust me, he was. We worked with him for MONTHS on basic obedience and none of it sank in. My parents just got fed up one day when he tore a wire out of the wall, and attacked Molly for no apparent reason. If we had known he was aggressive towards other dogs (AND food aggressive) we wouldn't have gotten him....plain and simple.
I was very sad to see him go. I cried on the way over to the shelter, when we dropped him off, and back. I still have his collar and name tag. Don't get me wrong, I loved him with all my heart, but sometimes those things can turn into a big hassle when you've been trying for so long and see no improvement...

The way I see it with breeders is, most of them help you pick the right dog; and you can train it, and socialize it from Day 1 while he/she is still young.

Please don't make it out that I hate shelter dogs...because that's entirely not true. I know that and can see that from most of the people on this board. :)

Hey Goldenretrluver,

You know I keep looking at the Aussies on petfinder. I really seem to be attracted to them. I'd actually sent an email on the most cutest Aussie/Collie mix you ever saw, but she was already adopted. And I found an Aussie/Catahoula mix that I was so drawn too, I actually went down to the adoption center to talk to them, which was a Huge step for me. She ended up being adopted already too. During all this I keep having a friend warn me against Aussies and then my agility trainer the other night was really telling me I need to be real careful if I planned on getting an Aussie. And now I hear your story. See just makes me worry more about my judgement.

Par...

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Originally posted by ParNone
I dunno. Am I the only one that researches and analyzes to death and agonizes over choosing the right dog (more or less losing sleep over the decision)? I am so paranoid of making a mistake and having a nitemare on my hands and it would absolutely kill me if I ever had to give away a dog. I feel I have limitations on dog experience and training ability, that I have to be very careful. I see all the behaviorial issues on this forum and others, that people have to deal with and after Oz, I just know it doesn't have to be that way. I look at other dogs, but I find myself circling back around to Smooth Collies.


Par...

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I know exactly what you mean. I was never sure I could adopt a dog, esp an older dog from a shelter. Not knowing their background scared me...not knowing how they were trained (if they were) as a puppy. Esp. after we got Sadie, I did not want to bring in a dog with severe issues, nor did I want to have to give a dog back.

And then along came Spot. We agreed to take him to save his life, but we didn't know if he was staying. We went into it thinking he may be a foster. Within 24 hours, that idea was out of our head....we was here to stay, a decision we have not regreted at all in the last year. And honestly, he was the easiest dog to bring into our home...no housebreaking, no training from scratch (just refreshing and building) no puppy cries the frist nights away from momma.

I can't say where all my future dog will come from, or what age they will be, but through Spot, my mom's dogs and many other PT dogs I am not nearly as nervous about adopting through rescue. I have seen how wonderful these dog truely are and how apprecitive they are of having a good home.

Would you just LOOK at these nightmares!
http://img2.photobucket.com/albums/v...mmy/vday/4.jpg

I can't imagine why anyone would want to go to the shelter for these guys. Bleck! :eek:
:p





About not getting a dog from the shelter, not knowing if they're going to be a "nightmare" or not, that's why I always recommend that people go as often as the can to the shelters, interact with the dogs, take them out if possible. Patience is the key. Just like it is when you actually find "the one" to come home with you.


With that said, My neighbor bought a Lab puppy (Gunner) from a gooed, responsible breeder. She's far more of a "nightmare" than Nala ever was or is at her age.

I don't look down on anyone who doesn't get their dogs from a shelter--I don't want it to seem as if I am saying that, because that's not the case at all.
I admire everyone who does all of the research into the breeds they own, and gives them a loving wonderful home.
I have had great success in rescuing dogs, everyone may not be so lucky.

To be honest with you, I was scared to death to get Jada. I had never had a rottweiler, and it took a lot of smooth talking on my husband's part to get her into this house. I was torn, because I knew a grown up rottweiler wouldn't last long in the shelter, but yet I was afraid to have her in my house.
I was even afraid of her at first, and didn't want to be left home alone with her--but she gained my trust, and I love her so much.

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Originally posted by Kfamr
About not getting a dog from the shelter, not knowing if they're going to be a "nightmare" or not, that's why I always recommend that people go as often as the can to the shelters, interact with the dogs, take them out if possible. Patience is the key. Just like it is when you actually find "the one" to come home with you.

With that said, My neighbor bought a Lab puppy (Gunner) from a gooed, responsible breeder. She's far more of a "nightmare" than Nala ever was or is at her age.

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I totally agree with you. I board and groom thousands and thousands of dogs every year, and I can tell you without a doubt, that the worst "nightmares" I've ever seen were purebreds from BYB's and puppy mills. Hands down, no contest.


If you have your heart set on an otterhound or a Dandie Dinmont terrier .... no, you are probably not going to find one in rescue or shelter. It's not impossible, but highly unlikely. Then, buy one from a reputable breeder. That's fine.

And, if you are into conformation showing ... and by that I mean truly dedicated and informed, not just thinking about it or dabbling around in it ... then, of course, you would want a top of the line, unaltered, show-quality dog from a top breeder. But, that's probably about what .... 1% of the dog-owning population, if that?

However, IMO, if you are looking for a lab or a golden retriever, for example ... there are literally tens of thousands of these dogs of all ages, both sexes, in every town in the nation looking for a home - at shelters, rescues, dog pounds, etc. I personally do not feel there is any excuse for buying a popular breed from a breeder when thousands of them are dying every day for simple lack of homes. I know I personally couldn't live with myself if I bought a fox terrier from a breeder, knowing that tomorrow one will die across town at animal control.

And here are my ten "nightmares", all of them shelter or rescue dogs... notice them disobeying, tearing up the house and eating small children.

I don't believe that Parnone was calling any dog a nightmare, but rather comparing what might be a terrible situation with a nightmare. :)

To be honest, my Rainbow Bridge, Rosco was a nightmare. I got him as a 5 week old puppy at the pound. I dealt with skin disorders, ear infections, anxiety issues, parvo, worms, and severe agressiveness. I eventually had to put him to sleep which was the most heart breaking and painful decision that I have ever made.

The day I put Rosco down...this was my exact words..."I swear that I will never ever ever again get a dog without a background. For now on, all my dogs will come from a reputable breeder with perfect history. This is hurting way to much to take another chance."

Of course, just after 5 days,my heart ache and the pain of seeing Dusty depressed was to great and it outmeasured my fear. I rescued Roxy about a week after I put Rosco down.

I will always encourage rescue. And my first choice will always be rescue. But from my experience with Rosco, that unbearable pain and suffering that we both went through, I can understand a person wanting to go through a reputable breeder.



Please hear me that I'm not saying that rescue is bad. I have enough sense to not let one bad experience change my opinion, but it does make me more sensitive towards rescue vs. breeding.

Well, I bought my dog, who is a labrador retriever, from a breeder, and, I'm not ashamed that I did. I can certainly live with myself. I personally look at it this way, if you fall in love with an animal, give it a good home. I can't imagine where Finn would have ended up had I not taken him in. he could very well have ended up in a shelter. I've gone to shelters in the past, and, just hadn't clicked or connected with any dog, including several labradors. Yeah, ideally, in a perfect world, we would not even have to worry about shelter animals. But, in my opinion, as long as you get the pet you want and give it the best life you possibly can, that's what's the most important part. In a perfect world, again, everyone would do a lot differently, including people who rescue animals from shelters. There are millions of animals that die horrible deaths so that we may eat them, and, I'd be willing to bet that a lot of the strongly opinionated people looking down on those that buy from breeders chow down on animal flesh just as often as I do. I don't drink cow's milk, and, hardly eat red meat, but, I still eat chicken, cheese, eggs...etc. I just don't think it's appropriate to say truly hateful things about people that don't have rescue pets. Sorry if that was a little confusing, it's late. :)

Hi again,

I hope you guys are not getting from my posts that I'm anti-rescue. I look everyday at petfinder with the hope that I can find the right dog for me. And if I find her, I'll take that step and rescue. But there's a strong possibility that I could get another Smooth Collie from a breeder too. Remember I have Oz already, so it's going to be pretty well impossible for y'all to convince me that Smooth Collies are bad, with examples of bad purebreeds. I know that's a safe choice for me. May not be the right choice for somebody else, but I know they're the right choice for me. I've got a dog that has zero people or dog aggression. That can be left uncrated in the house while I'm at work, without worry of coming home to destruction or potty accidents. That I can let off leash and know he's gonna stick near me and come back when I call. That watches out for me and Murph and lets me know when there's something amiss in the house. Who's up for a good play session or a good ole nap, whichever, he just goes along with whatever I'm doing. So it's very hard for me not to be drawn back to this breed. Hopefully people aren't going to hold that against me if I go that route.

Thanks to y'all who understood what I was trying to say.

Par...

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Originally posted by ParNone
I've got a dog that has zero people or dog aggression. That can be left uncrated in the house while I'm at work, without worry of coming home to destruction or potty accidents. That I can let off leash and know he's gonna stick near me and come back when I call. That watches out for me and Murph and lets me know when there's something amiss in the house. Who's up for a good play session or a good ole nap, whichever, he just goes along with whatever I'm doing.

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And all we're tying to say is that you can find ALL of that in a shelter dog, too.

Chester didn't come from a shelter and is slightly dog aggressive, though I'm teaching not to be and it's going very well. He just growls the first couple of minutes and then settles down for the most part now. Millie is the only one who will stay by my side unleashed, and I prefer them on a leash anyway.

JMO