Originally posted by aly
(The rest of this post is not directed towards you, Tonya)
Why is everyone assuming that all adult shelter dogs must have issues. Its not like every shelter dog is vicious or will turn on you out of the blue. MANY, MANY, MANY of them are perfectly wonderful, loyal companions who have been thrown in there by their so-called "families" for stupid reasons like moving. Just as people who go to breeders should go to a responsible one, people who go to shelters should go to a responsible shelter who will tell you as much as they know about the dog's background info, etc.
Not to mention the many, many puppies that are in the shelters. If you must have a puppy for whatever reason, why not go to a shelter for him/her?

I guess those of us who see the dogs day in and day out in the shelters and at the adopt a pets that we work, just don't understand your desire to buy from a breeder. I certainly don't mean to insult anyone, but the number of pets dying everyday is sickening, and to go out and buy from a breeder, a good one or a bad one, is just sad to me.

There is no specific breed that I want or need so badly that I would buy.