Pros

Cons

Notes and Tips

Breeders

• Some behavioral traits are genetically inherited (the “nature” part of “nature vs. nurture”). Therefore, a puppy from parents and grandparents without serious behavior problems is less likely to develop those problems.
• Allows you to get a puppy in your breed of choice.

• Many breeders do not breed with health and behavioral traits in mind.
• It may be difficult to find a responsible breeder, and many of them have wait lists.
• With the pet overpopulation problem, some people prefer to adopt a dog from a shelter or rescue group.

Do your research to find a reputable breeder.   Breed clubs may be able to help you with this.  A responsible breeder should:

• Not be making a profit (although the puppies can be expensive, a good breeder has to spend about that much for proper vet care, health testing, etc.)
• Show you the parents (or at least the dam if the sire lives elsewhere).
• Not have to advertise in the newspaper or online classified ads.
• Screen the parents for inherited health problems. 
• Be very selective about who purchases their puppies.
• Be able to tell you about the life expectancy of the line based on the life span of the parents, grandparents, etc.
• Be able to discuss the inherited diseases of the breed.
  

Shelters

• Allows you to give a homeless dog a home.
• Perusing the shelter can be a good way to look at many different breeds, ages, and sizes of dogs and get an idea for what kind of dog you are looking for.

• The shelter is an unrealistic representation of a dog’s home environment, and therefore shelter temperament testing cannot yet predict a dog’s future behavior in the adoptive home
• Many dogs in the shelter are there because they have behavior problems of varying degrees.
• Puppies in shelters come from unknown breeders and may not be well socialized.
  

• Be prepared (as with any new dog) to work on training and socialization.
• Educate yourself on how to identify a friendly dog in the shelter.
• When perusing the shelter, it is easy to fall in love with many dogs.  Avoid being tempted to adopt a dog whose breed characteristics do not fit with your lifestyle.

Rescue Groups

• Often these dogs have been living in foster homes, where one can get a better idea of their behavioral traits.
• Many have already been socialized and trained.
• There are many breed-specific rescue groups, for just about every breed.
• Many groups attempt to match dogs with owners with appropriate lifestyles for the breed.
  

• It may take some time to find the breed and age you are looking for.
• A dog’s behavior in a foster home may not predict its behavior in the adoptive home.

• Be patient.  There are many different breeds and ages available in rescue groups.
• Use the internet as your guide (search for breed rescue sites or use petfinder.org)
• Breed rescue groups can give you information on the behavioral traits and inherited diseases of the breed.

Pet Stores

None.

• These dogs often come from “puppy mills”, where they are bred and raised in poor and often inhumane conditions.
• These dogs have received no training or socialization prior to purchasing them.
• Purchasing dogs from a pet store creates a market for the “puppy mill” industry.
  
  

• Some pet stores will host adoption fairs for local shelters and rescue groups.  Make sure that you are adopting from the rescue organization, not the pet store.

“Free Puppy” ads

There are many available and they are easy to find.

These puppies come from unknown backgrounds with respect to temperament, health, and socialization

• Educate yourself on how to pick a friendly puppy.
• Ask to see the parents and their medical records.