# Negativity surrounding purchasing from breeder



## Golden_Gypsy (Dec 3, 2016)

Hello all,

A couple of weeks ago, we purchased a golden puppy from a responsible breeder in Wisconsin. We are so happy with her, and things are going really well.

I've received a lot of backlash from people because we purchased from a breeder. I actually had someone just tell me that we essentially killed a shelter dog because we purchased rather than rescued. I had no idea how to respond to that. Have any of you ever received similar rhetoric, and if so, do you constantly feel the need to explain your decision to purchase?


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## Jessie'sGirl (Aug 30, 2010)

I have not had this happen, but I firmly believe that dogs are in shelters because people get puppies and do not keep them , for whatever reason, not because you have chosen to buy from a breeder. 
Any animal that comes into my home stays until his last day . 
There are many great dogs in shelters waiting for homes, and thankfully many of them do end up in good homes, but the choice should be yours.


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## solinvictus (Oct 23, 2008)

Sorry this has happened to you. There is a lot of that rhetoric out there. Those that have been on the bull horn about animal rights have been working on this "crap" for over twenty years and many of the general public have drunk the koolaide. Those that believe this won't hear anything you have to say that doesn't fit their "truth". Just enjoy your pup. You will find more like minded people, those that believe we should find the dog that fits our needs whether it be purchased from a breeder, shelter or rescue in the breed clubs. Go to classes that eventually gear toward competition in the higher classes and you should find more support.


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## BarkWin (Apr 5, 2017)

One of my coworkers was extremely disappointed about my decision but she was polite enough about it. I actively looked into rescuing a golden for three months (the two I was close to getting were placed in other homes that had more experience with the dogs issues such as anxiety and biting people). 

I felt terribly guilty about getting a puppy and didn't even want to tell anyone that I was using a breeder. But I'm very happy with my choice now as I am the one that is going to be dedicating my life and money into raising my baby and I should be free to choose what is the best for me. A rescue dog is basically what I thought you "had" to do to be a good person.


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## WI12345 (Dec 31, 2016)

This is one of my pet peeves ... pardon the pun. If someone chooses to adopt a rescue dog then they should do it. It should be a personal decision. Being bullied into adopting a rescue dog as opposed to doing research to get the healthiest dog possible is just plain wrong, and these people make me so angry. I just say to them "I guess you are a better person than I am because I want to know everything there is to know about a dog I'm bringing into the family ... especially his health history." I do not feel guilty for a nano second. Can you imagine if someone made you feel guilty for having a baby of your own as opposed to adopting an orphan from a foreign country? I'm glad there are people out there that take these dogs in. I just can't be one of them. 

Who is the breeder? Just curious because I'm from Wisconsin and I still live there in the summer.


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## Prism Goldens (May 27, 2011)

Oh good grief. Who are these people to think they have the right to question your desire to know what you are getting history wise, health wise, socialization wise. There is zero to feel guilty about. Dogs are in shelters because they did NOT have a good breeder at their conception, who would always take the dog back even years later should the need arise. When you buy from a good breeder, you are also buying an insurance policy that your dog will have a home forever even if it's not with you! And to have the audacity to think their uneducated opinion is valued, well, find new buddies who understand you made a choice to buy a known rather than take a chance on an unknown. 

If all puppies were brought to this earth by good breeders, there would be no shelters. And you have the right to buy a puppy whose eventual looks and behavior are pretty predictable. You are not criticized for choosing one brand of clothes instead of another why should you not buy the dog you want?


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## G-bear (Oct 6, 2015)

Most of the dogs I have had over the last 40 years have been rescues (and believe me that has been many dogs as I generally have 3 dogs at a time) and we got some rather nasty comments when we got Bailey. I generally bit my tongue and told them that yes, I knew that there were dogs in sheltees who were looking for homes since I volunteered at a shelter and have 2 rescues currently living in my home. I told them that in spite of that I still believe that the dog that I (or anyone else) brings into their home is a highly personal choice and that I would never attempt to make anyone feel badly about the dog that they had adopted be it a purebred dog from a breeder or a shelter dog who arrived in a person's home with more issues than the New York Times (people who know me know about my dog Jack and his story). Then I would go into my statistics about the number of dogs that we sterilize at the shelter and the number of unwanted puppies that can result...and I watch their eyes glaze over before they quickly change the subject.
Enjoy your puppy. There will always be people who find fault with a breeder purchased dog just as there will always be people who will find fault with a rescued dog with issues ("He should have been put to sleep! Look at all the money his is costing you!"). My advice would be to figure out a snappy comeback to the comments and let them go. When strangers have made nasty comments I generally use my favorite old line with them, "I will forgive the rudeness of your comment if you will forgive my rudeness in not responding to it." Works wonders.


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## LJack (Aug 10, 2012)

Yes this happens a lot. First things first, evaluate your relationship to the person. If you don't have one or don't care to, just don't respond. Their opinion should have no weight with you so don't let it bother you. 

If you do care, here are some of my GO TOs...

Rescue saves the future of one dog. Buying from a responsible breeder saves the future of a breed. I support both and when you add a new pet, I'll support your choice. 

I needed some very predictable traits in my companion. A purebred dog was my best option and only 5% of shelter dogs are purbred and 2% of those are pitbulls or Chihuahuas. So, I chose to support a responsible breeder who stands behind our dog for its lifetime. 

My purchasing a puppy did not steal a shelter dogs chance. I would be dogless before I would choose a dog like a pit mix or chihuahua that would not be a good fit for my family. 

Breeders don't put dogs in shelters, owners do. People who die, move, or families who see pets as toys do. I am committed to my dog and it will never end up in a shelter. 

It is my pet and my choice. I am sorry I disappointed you but my views on this are different than yours and I chose to support responsible breeding. I respect your beliefs and your right to them. I hope you will extend the same courtesy to me.

I agree there are pets waiting in shelters for great homes. I was not willing to go that route but I would love to see shelter stop importing pets from other countries because there are not enough pets in shelters to meet the demand. 

I just choose based on the relationship which would work best. You are free to use any you would like.


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## WI12345 (Dec 31, 2016)

I actually see this as a political thing. I don't want to get into politics too much because that's not what this forum is for, but I see the whole "rescue dog" thing similar to issues like illegal immigration, refugees, etc. If you don't agree with all of those things you are looked upon as heartless. I see it as practical, but that's just me. We should be entitled to our opinion and our choices without being bullied. In the end, no one can make you feel ashamed or guilty unless you allow them to.


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## BarkWin (Apr 5, 2017)

I agree with all the posts here and that's why I eventually was able to shed the unnecessary guilt I was holding onto (that came from other peony). I want a predictable breed and a history I know as I want the best integration possible with my existing family (two kitties!). And of course the health history of my dog is so vital with this breed.

It is YOUR life, money, and time. I realized this is going to be a huge commitment and I shouldn't be guilted into choose a less than optimal route of dog ownership because some people feel the need to pass judgment.

My biggest judgment comes from my in laws who aren't anti-breeder but anti-dog. They have never had dogs and never really been around dogs and they hold some huge misconceptions about dog behavior (including the old school training methods). Their idea of good dog ownership is keeping your dog outside in your yard all day when you are gone, unsupervised so he gets "exercise". My yard is good size but they say it's not big enough to do that. Huge misconceptions! That's no way to train a dog or exercise a dog.

I'd have less resistance in life if I said I was having a baby (I'm 32 and choosing to remain childless in my life). The judgment I get about the impossibility of raising a puppy is baffling. It's at the point I don't even feel comfortable sharing my excitement of my journey of getting my boy on Facebook because of their judgment.


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## WI12345 (Dec 31, 2016)

BarkWin said:


> I agree with all the posts here and that's why I eventually was able to shed the unnecessary guilt I was holding onto (that came from other peony). I want a predictable breed and a history I know as I want the best integration possible with my existing family (two kitties!). And of course the health history of my dog is so vital with this breed.
> 
> It is YOUR life, money, and time. I realized this is going to be a huge commitment and I shouldn't be guilted into choose a less than optimal route of dog ownership because some people feel the need to pass judgment.
> 
> ...


I always say that if you're going to keep a dog outside, why get one in the first place? Can't even imagine keeping a Golden outside when all they want in life is to be by your side. I suppose there are some people who live in neighborhoods where they need a guard dog outside. That would NOT be a Golden, though.


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## puddles everywhere (May 13, 2016)

Purchase or rescue is a personal choice. Many people give a great deal of thought before making this decision. If they don't, maybe they should so there wouldn't so many pups at the shelters.

Until recently I had never purchased a dog and was shocked at the judgmental people making "I'm superior because I rescue" attitude towards my choice to purchase. Clearly too much time on their hands.

None of these people know my history or how many years or dollars I've put into rescue for more than 50 yrs. So I listen to them spout about how important it is to rescue and smile. 

Then I ask them how many times they have fostered? How many hours have they spent walking shelter dogs or cleaning cages? How many times have they purchased supplies for the local rescues? How many people have they offered a spay/neuter to so they won't give away puppies on the corner?

If they are so concerned about rescues, provide them with a card from your local shelter and ask them to get involved in such a worthy cause.

Enjoy your purebred dog. Let them make their own choices for their own lives. You don't owe any one an explanation.


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## Golden_Gypsy (Dec 3, 2016)

Thank you for your responses. The person I've had the most difficulty with is a coworker. She's a major proponent of "adopt: don't shop" which I can understand. However, we consider goldens to be "our breed", and we know how difficult it can be to get a golden from a rescue. We also wanted a dog whose temperament and health would be pretty predictable. We have a toddler, and having a dog of sound temperament is very important. We lost our beloved 13 year old golden in February to cancer. My family originally bought her from a backyard breeder when I was a teenager because we didn't know any better at the time. She had several health issues throughout her life that probably wouldn't have occurred if we had purchased her from a responsible breeder.

This time around, we knew we wanted to purchase a dog from a breeder who did all of the proper health clearances, would take the dog back at any time, had a spay/neuter contract and health guarantee, etc. We are also people who believe that when you take on a dog, you are their person for life. Our dogs will never end up in a shelter. This is all of the info that I feel I have to share every time I talk to anyone about our puppy.


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## Golden_Gypsy (Dec 3, 2016)

WI12345 said:


> Who is the breeder? Just curious because I'm from Wisconsin and I still live there in the summer.


The breeder is Barb Madrigrano of Wingate Goldens. She is wonderful!


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## Charliethree (Jul 18, 2010)

It goes both ways, two of my dogs are rescues, and yes, it happens, someone knows so much better than I do which dog is the 'right dog' for me based solely on where it came from. Though I don't feel 'guilt', it is more 'frustration' about the misconceptions that prevail about rescued or shelter dogs.

Bottom line, we don't have to answer to anyone, we owe it to our dogs, regardless where they come from, to give them the best lives we can give them, and help them to become the best dogs they can be.


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## Altairss (Sep 7, 2012)

I rescue when I can, but I too like certain predictable traits in my dogs. We camp and hike and have a huge family. My dogs need to be able to handle that and not be stressed. You never know what you will get with a shelter dog and we have had several over the years that required very special handling or could not go with us and required a house sitter so they would not be uncomfortable. It makes us very selective when choosing a rescue. I had planned to get a rescue this last time around but could not find one in my area that could handle our lifestyle at the time almost every dog that we were interested in we found out could not be around cats. My cat owns the dogs so we went to a breeder. 

The few people that gave me attitude quickly backed off when I told them of our search and that we needed a dog that could be around cats. Also in our area there are limited breeds available we get lots of pitbull or pit mixes or Chi's. Thankfully in our area our rescues are down in dogs and actually bringing them in from CA or Texas but many times that drives the cost of them up almost as high as some purebreds. I think it is a personal choice just smile and say you understand that point of view but everyone needs to make their own decision.


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## goldie123123 (Feb 24, 2017)

Sadly like many people have stated above this is becoming a more common reaction to purebreds. A lot of rescue people have a adopted this holier than thou complex and just love shaming people over buying dogs. They also like lumping every breeder together. There is no such thing as a responsible breeder in their minds.

I first noticed this trend about 4 years ago when a total stranger came up to me while I was bathing my Aussie in dog park. She started asking me about her and why I went with an Aussie but I could tell she was just digging to see if she was a rescue. She finally got the nerve to ask it and I happily informed her she was from a breeder. This lady went on to say how she just loved Aussies but couldn't bring herself to do something as horrible as buy a dog and that I had essentially put another to death over my selfish actions. Mind you this was in a very public space and my dog was right there so it was extremely rude. I just kept on bathing her and told her that I had no desire to get a rescue dog and that my future pups would all be bought from breeders too. This woman was beside herself and just couldn't believe I had no remorse for my actions. I then went on about how awesome the breeder was and then she just walked off.

I've actually volunteered in my local shelter and in my opinion good breeders and people that buy thru them are not the issue. It's the people that see pets as objects and get rid of them when things get a bit inconvenient and those that don't spay/neuter and aren't responsible enough to keep them under control so they don't get pregnant. Also - people who want to make a quick buck and just breed to make a profit and then dump those that didn't get sold.

I personally have no shame in owning a purebred and refuse to apologize for it. I am the type of person that thinks and researches things for a long time (took me almost 1/2 a year to decide on getting another golden) in order to assure that a dog can fits into my lifestyle. I most likely wouldn't be happy with just picking out the cutest dog in a shelter on a random visit so I go the breeder route.


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## puddles everywhere (May 13, 2016)

I'm sort of proud of the fact I spent yrs. looking for a responsible breeder. All the months of research, dog shows, discussions with people, phone calls. I had to be honest about what my goals were for this dog, what activities we would be doing, the active and sometimes chaotic lifestyle I have. All the grand kids & babies in my life. My limitations, after all I have to be able to pick the dog up to get into the bath. I tried to think of every factor in why I was going to buy this dog vs. rescue.

My entire life has been about the dogs choosing me.. this time I was able to pick the dog. I've had 6 golden rescues and fell in love with the breed. But rescuing a puppy has too many variables, this time I wanted predictability. I'm not about to let someone else steal my joy and I'm loving every minute with my purebred puppy. Absolutely gilt free 

Maybe if some of these "Marketplace" and Craigslist breeders put as much thought into their puppies the shelters wouldn't be so full.


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## BaileyzMom (Nov 26, 2015)

I had a lady at a petstore make rude comments to me about Bailey being a purebred from a breeder. She just kept going on and talking about how familiar she was with the dogs in the shelter. I asked nicely if she volunteered or worked at a shelter, no, as it turns out, she had turned in 3 dogs over the last 2 years she didn't WANT any longer.....


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## AllThatGlitters Is Golden (Apr 14, 2017)

Yikes! People has some serious misconceptions about their entitlements sometimes! that's just terrible!

I always feel guilty when people ask if he's a purebred/where he came from because many do get snotty when I answer. I even waited 2 weeks before I told my best friend about our new addition since I was worried she would not approve. 

Technically, someone else got my boy from a breeder and decided they didn't want him a few days later and posted him on CL for the same price they paid! Ugh!


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## WI12345 (Dec 31, 2016)

Golden_Gypsy said:


> The breeder is Barb Madrigrano of Wingate Goldens. She is wonderful!


The breeder we just got our puppy from here in Florida knows her very well. When she told me her name I asked what part of Wisconsin she is in and she didn't know. We live in Kenosha in the summer and there are lots of Madrigals there.


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## nolefan (Nov 6, 2009)

I have another take on this. We value many things in this world for cultural or historic value. Breeds of livestock, farm animals and dogs are among these. We don't want to lose them.

You might point out to your judgmental "friend" that everyone who doesn't support reputable breeders of pure bred dogs is playing a part in the loss of historical breeds that continue to play invaluable roles in helping people. If we lose those breeds, they are gone forever. We have made huge advances in technology but still have needs for the jobs that dogs perform so well for us under all kinds of difficult conditions. Where would we be without:

Herding dogs
Protection and police dogs
Sled dogs and draught dogs
Bomb detection dogs
Drug detection dogs
Dogs who sniff out cancer or alert to blood sugar for diabetic patients
Search and Rescue dogs
Water Rescue dogs
Cadaver Dogs
"bug" sniffing dogs who alert to termites and bed bugs
Tracking dogs who find lost children or escaped criminals under the most unfriendly weather and terrain conditions

I'm sure there are dozens of other jobs that I overlook here. Almost all of these jobs require traits that are found most reliably in pure bred dogs who have been and continue to be bred for these traits. If we do not support breeders who protect the traits of these breeds, they will eventually be lost to us. Rescued shelter dogs can do plenty of jobs, therapy work, loving pets etc. but to do very specific tasks, we still need those breeds that have been developed for specific works over generations and hundreds or even thousands of years. Shelter dogs who are taken to train for certain jobs are chosen because they have strong breed traits that are needed in most cases.


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## KKaren (Oct 29, 2014)

Golden_Gypsy said:


> Hello all,
> 
> A couple of weeks ago, we purchased a golden puppy from a responsible breeder in Wisconsin. We are so happy with her, and things are going really well.
> 
> I've received a lot of backlash from people because we purchased from a breeder. I actually had someone just tell me that we essentially killed a shelter dog because we purchased rather than rescued. I had no idea how to respond to that. Have any of you ever received similar rhetoric, and if so, do you constantly feel the need to explain your decision to purchase?





Golden_Gypsy said:


> Thank you for your responses. The person I've had the most difficulty with is a coworker. She's a major proponent of "adopt: don't shop" which I can understand....


I'm sorry that happened to you. 

Yes it happens to others also,...some people think that any dog is fine and there is some type of self righteousness that everyone should be getting a dog from a shelter.

Don't let their comments diminish the joy you and your family are having with your new puppy. 

I would not engage in the discussion, you know your co-worker's point of view and she knows that you already have purchased a dog. The only thing she's trying to do now is make you feel bad. 

Frequently people ask me about Glimmer and in general I don't provide any information about my purchase. I don't tell them the price, the application process, or research I did to compare breeders, etc...because unless they are getting ready to purchase a golden then they don't need to know. For many people the cost of a pure breed dog is very high and they will immediately say, "you could have gotten a dog from a shelter..." and then off the conversation and chastising goes.


These are some of my typical responses, in case they may be of help... 

" I got her from a wonderful breeder in NY, thanks for asking".... big smile and then I continue on my walk. 

" She is beautiful, no I did not look at the {insert your local animal shelter} but they do very good work" .... 

"No, I did not look for a rescue, but I know that's a great opportunity for many families" ... 

Take care  looking forward to seeing pictures!


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## Julie Timmons (Dec 16, 2016)

I say, enjoy your puppy and tell anyone giving you a hard time about it to mind their own business.


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## Golden_Gypsy (Dec 3, 2016)

Thank you, all. I really am so thankful for this forum and like-minded people. We are so happy with our girl, and so excited to watch her grow into a beautiful girl. She has already grown so much in just the few weeks that we've had her. We feel really lucky to have her.


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

I get so sick of the adopt don't shop. In their minds there should be no dogs bred until shelters are empty. So dumb. If dogs weren't bred there would be no dogs. It's the irresponsible people who get dogs and don't take care of them they should be going after. I haven't really had anyone say anything to me but you do see it on Facebook and other articles all the time. 

Everyone makes their own choice. There is no right or wrong answer and everyone's choice should be respected.


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

Where I live there are so few animals in the two shelters we have. And so many are pitbulls. I am sure they are great dogs but don't want a pit bull. Our one shelter brings animals up from the south on the pet smart charity wagon because they don't have enough animals for people looking to adopt.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Cut those people out of your life completely.

People who are jerks to friends don't deserve friends.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

Golden_Gypsy said:


> Thank you for your responses. The person I've had the most difficulty with is a coworker. She's a major proponent of "adopt: don't shop" which I can understand. However, we consider goldens to be "our breed", and we know how difficult it can be to get a golden from a rescue. We also wanted a dog whose temperament and health would be pretty predictable. We have a toddler, and having a dog of sound temperament is very important. We lost our beloved 13 year old golden in February to cancer. My family originally bought her from a backyard breeder when I was a teenager because we didn't know any better at the time. She had several health issues throughout her life that probably wouldn't have occurred if we had purchased her from a responsible breeder.
> 
> This time around, we knew we wanted to purchase a dog from a breeder who did all of the proper health clearances, would take the dog back at any time, had a spay/neuter contract and health guarantee, etc. We are also people who believe that when you take on a dog, you are their person for life. Our dogs will never end up in a shelter. This is all of the info that I feel I have to share every time I talk to anyone about our puppy.


I hope you get to the point you don't feel the need to give all that information. You don't need to justify your choice to anyone. You made a decision that was best for your family.


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## Gleepers (Apr 20, 2016)

I've got one of each, best of both worlds. At this point it looks like my rescue might out cost the Golden because of health issues (little guy is a year old with hip displasia). 

Next time someone brings up something stupid like that change it up to a topic like politics or god.


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## Cpc1972 (Feb 23, 2015)

I just saw this video on Facebook. Although very cute I just get ticked off by pushing it.

https://www.facebook.com/sherie.masters/videos/10204913585061819/


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## ceegee (Mar 26, 2015)

We're becoming a very judgmental society, but you don't have to put up with uninformed comments and criticism about your choices. If you want to respond to the very unkind things that have been said to you, here are some suggestions:

Bottom line - Even if there were no reputable breeders of purebred dogs, shelters would still exist and they would still be full. Why? Because the dogs in the shelters don't come from reputable breeders.

Dogs end up in shelters for lots of reasons: Because people get "cute" pups as Saturday afternoon "impulse" purchases from pet stores, with no thought or knowledge of what it's actually like to live with a pup. Because people decide to breed their female dog with the neighbour's male "so the kids can have the experience of raising pups". Because people don't manage intact pets responsibly. Because people decide they want a pup from their current dog and breed it without doing their research and homework. Because people get dogs from puppy farms or mills and then change their minds. Because dogs are regarded as disposable objects by many. Because society in general is totally uneducated about animal ownership. And so on. Shelters exist mainly because people are irresponsible.

Someone who buys a dog from a responsible breeder isn't being irresponsible. They've done their homework. They've chosen a breed of dog because it has the characteristics they want in a pet. It's not an impulse buy: in most cases they will have been on a waiting list for several months. And the pup represents a considerable financial investment. Most pups purchased in this way will live out their lives with the families that initially take them home. And if a home doesn't work out, the breeder takes the pup back and places it with someone else. Pups from reputable breeders don't end up in shelters.

Generally speaking, shelter dogs are good dogs that fell into bad hands. However, getting a shelter dog isn't for everyone. I worked in a shelter for many years, and the sad fact is that many people lie about their reasons when they give up a dog. So the dog may have issues that a potential adopter doesn't know about. Families with young children, people who want dogs for specific purposes, people seeking particular characteristics in a dog, people who don't want or don't have the knowledge to deal with certain problems, and people who don't want to deal with problems created by someone else: rescue may not be the right way forward for them.

So it's silly to say that buying a purebred pup is equal to killing a shelter dog. People have different needs when it comes to their pets. If everyone did their homework, realized what they really wanted and then took the time to get it right, there would be fewer dogs in shelters. 

Shelters exist because people aren't responsible, and also because people are ignorant of what animal breeding and ownership involves. IMHO, to suggest that good breeders are part of the problem is an illustration of that ignorance. 

To the OP: enjoy your pup and don't let the haters get you down.


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## brianne (Feb 18, 2012)

Agree that our society is becoming judgmental on many levels. And many of the most judgmental are the least knowledgeable on the subject.

I volunteered at my local animal shelter for several years and prior to Chumlee, all of my pets came from that shelter. When our last pets passed away, my son begged for the chance to choose our next dog and he desperately wanted a Golden. Most of the dogs coming into our shelter were pits or hound mixes so we began looking at rescue and eventually found Chumlee.

A few people were judgmental with me because I chose to "rescue" instead of "adopting" from our shelter. (isn't that kind of the same thing?!)  

A couple of people even told me that it wasn't really a "rescue" because Chum is a GR and lots of people want them. :doh:

I believe in rescue and will definitely do it again, but someday I hope to purchase a well-bred puppy from a great breeder. I'm very grateful for the education I've received by the knowledgeable people here on GRF so I will know what to look for. 

Bottom line: You can't please everyone, nor should you try. It's your family, your choice. Enjoy your puppy and remember to post lots of pictures!


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## WI12345 (Dec 31, 2016)

I'm sure there are many people who adopt rescues because they truly want to save these dogs, etc. But it seems that we are becoming a society of "I'm a better person than you because"... fill in the blank. Because I rescue dogs, because I give money to people who beg on the street, whatever. So I just say "you're a better person than me," when I get the rescue lecture and I get it over with. They don't know what to say!

Another line I have used is "I don't rescue dogs, they rescue me from the heartache of the one I just lost." Now if you just lost a dog, you want to get one that stands a chance of sticking around for a while. Hard to know that with a rescue. For those that adopt dogs with the knowledge that they will only have a short time with them ... well, they really are better people than me because I am not willing to have my heart broken over and over again. If that's selfish, then so be it.


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## Charliethree (Jul 18, 2010)

There are those who are 'passionate' and 'vocal' about adopting rescued/shelter dogs, there are also those who a just as 'passionate' and 'vocal' about buying a dog from a breeder. I can respect that, but it doesn't make one more 'right' or 'better' than the other, it doesn't make one dog, one life, 'better' than the other. We all take a chance, invest our hearts, love our dogs, regardless where our chosen dog comes from. We all have a common goal, to give our dogs, regardless where they come from, the best life we can give them and hold onto hope that they should live long and healthy lives, and do our best to help that happen. When they don't live quite as long as we hoped they would, and it is never long enough, we all hurt, we ache, mourn their loss, and are thankful for the gift they have given us - the opportunity to love and travel a most amazing journey with our dog- the 'meant to be' best friend, for each of us.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Charliethree said:


> but it doesn't make one more 'right' or 'better' than the other...


Actually.

To me it sounds like the people who jump in for the slightest reason to attack another - they are in the wrong. It's important that we remember civility. And just being nice doesn't hurt anyone.

If I meet somebody who has the ugliest mutt you ever saw - I am nice to them. Not because I'm putting them on a pedestal as holier than though because they adopted a regrettably ugly animal that nobody else wanted. I'm nice because they like their dog and you don't want to discourage somebody or hurt their feelings concerning their dog. We none of us want to see an adopted dog get bounced back to a rescue. There are people who adopt rescued dogs who absolutely are mops for recognition. They are looking for admiration and applause. If you make them feel unpleasant about their dog, the dog's going to bounce right back into rescue while they go hunting for something else.

People who get into dog ownership with shallow or flaky emotions or expectations - these are the ones who surrender the dogs at the drop of a hat, and they are the ones who kill dogs. 

People who get into dog ownership with love and passion - if not for having a dog who they think is just perfect (this includes people who adopt, including my family - as we have an adopted dog whose been the apple of my mom's eyes and a little girl's hero for about 10 years now) and don't care about human opinions out there.... these people are not ever going to end up being guilty for the idiotic and mindlessly cruel behavior of other people who dump dogs at the drop of a hat... those other people who are not even a percentage of the person that these other people are when it comes to caring and keeping their animals. 

Buying a puppy is another thing that generally with the best people out there falls into the love and passion category. With people who love the dogs before they were born. These people spend the next 10+ years looking for ways to keep their dogs longer because they enjoy their company so much. And these are the people who when the dogs get old, fat, smelly, sick, and expensive - they love the dogs the most then. This is the types of people like my neighbor who for almost 2 years carried his female golden outside and held her up so she could go potty. And carried her back into the house and showered her with comfort and affection in her twilight years. She was almost 18 when she died, so this was a dog who had a very long and happy life, and lived more senior years than most goldens do.

I can give examples such as a litter which I'm hoping comes to fruition (fingers crossed) where the breeder is hoping for 10+ puppies because they all were already spoken for and basically sold even before the girl came into season so she could be bred! And 10 might not even be enough since the first 3 puppies are breeder picks. You already have homes lined up who are looking to have each puppy for a very long time. And this case, the breeder will step in and take dogs back if there's any problems. The breeder makes every effort to ensure that no dog she produces sees the inside of any rescue (even the good ones out there). 

These puppies are being produced for people who already want and love them. And this is how it should be for most good breeders who are not selling pups to just anyone. And this is how you can absolutely say that neither the breeders or puppy buyers can ever be accused of "killing" dogs in shelter. 

The types of people who buy these puppies would not adopt just any dog in rescue. They generally would zero in on golden retrievers if possible - and considering that rescues are now importing strays (including probably stolen dogs) from Eastern Europe and Asia, it's a firm guess that these people would be out of luck if they still had the "belief" that they could adopt a young golden retriever with a healthy background + health for their family. *coughs* All the more so if they have an unfenced yard and family of young kids.


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## chloemissynapoleon (Feb 4, 2011)

Golden_Gypsy said:


> Hello all,
> 
> 
> 
> ...




That's just nonsense people these days. It's what fits you. There are dogs in shelters for other reasons just like there are people who adopt kids. Nothing wrong with your decision.

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Instagram - @chloemissynapoleon #chloemissynapoleon



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