People have differing opinions on where they should obtain a dog when they make the decision to get one. My choice was pretty clear-cut when I decided I wanted a dog, but this was because of my previous experiences. You see, growing up, we were never allowed to have pets in the house until my Mom surprised us with a dog when I was in high school. I was ecstatic to say the least. Sure enough, the dog Xero ended up being my companion. I fed him, I walked him, and he slept in my room. I loved that dog to death! Unfortunately he became very protective of our family and bit two people. We ended up having to put him to sleep and I was devastated. I thought the world was ending. Xero was adopted from a family that no longer had the time to take care of him and he was approximately 1.5 years old. My family thought that the previous owners abused him, causing him to exhibit aggressive behaviors towards certain types of people. This caused me to be afraid of adopting a dog because they come with learned behaviors. I don't want a repeat of what I went through with Xero. There are negatives and positives to adoption, purchasing from a breeder, or purchasing from a pet store.
When you adopt a dog from a shelter, you can feel good about the fact that you saved that dog's life. Many shelters put dogs to sleep that they are unable to adopt out, or don't have the room to hold. Tampa Humane Society doesn't kill the dogs if they don't have space, rather they just turn dogs away. They will also not accept dogs that they feel they won't be able to adopt out. Adopting a dog gives the pet a good home. There is a bit of a risk involved, though maybe I am just skeptical from my previous experiences. You never know what the dogs previous life was like. It couldn't been used to fight, could have chronic health issues. Another problem is that if they have behavioral problems, adult dogs can be harder to train than puppies because they are set in their ways. If you're looking for a purebred dog, you'll be hard-pressed to find one in a shelter.
Purchasing a dog from a breeder is a good way to go if you want a purebred puppy. This type of purchase requires a lot of research. Not every breeder is a good one. It is important to communicate frequently with the breeder, and if possible, visit the location to ensure the dogs were raised in a healthy environment. Reputable breeders can be found through the American Kennel Club or Continental Kennel Club websites. If you have the ability to register your dog through either of these clubs, this is a benefit as it basically ensures your dog has not been inbred. Most breeders offer a health guarantee in that if the dog has health complications in the first year of it's life, they will cover the medical costs. AKC and CKC registered breeders have the guarantee and give you an fallback if the breeder is not working with you per the guidelines. You have the ability to report them.
The third option is purchasing from a pet store. An overwhelmingly large amount of dogs that are sold in pet stores come from puppy mills. This means that the dogs are kept in confined spaces and used for one purpose and one purpose only - breeding. By purchasing from a pet store, you are essentially supporting puppy mills. I don't recommend this as an option when looking for your new pet.
As you can see, there are multiple ways to obtain a dog. I believe that it is important to do your research and base your decision on that. Adopting a dog is a great way to obtain a dog, it's just not for me. It is important, however, that if you purchase from a breeder, you do your research. Just because it's a breeder doesn't mean it's a good one!
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