Spring is here, the weather is warming up, and soon you will see countless new puppies strolling down the streets with their new owners. If you're anything like me, you don't get baby fever, you get puppy fever, and this is flu season. Each passing pup with their big clumsy feet and floppy ears takes you further down the rabbit hole of adoption. You find yourself Googling breeders in your area, scoping out local dog parks to see which breeds you prefer, and calculating costs to see if a pooch can fit into your life. When you start getting serious about your dog hunt, you will face a tough decision: Rescue a dog from a shelter or purchase one from a breeder. While each option has pros and cons, and one many not always be right for everyone, here are some of the misconceptions many have about shelter dogs.
1. They don't always have behavior problems
You will be wondering why a dog ended up in the shelter, and sure, some of them probably did have some behavior issues. Of course, this doesn't mean they gnawed someone's face off. It may have been a chewer as a pup, and the former owner didn't provide and bones which led it to chew the chair leg. Maybe the dog barked a lot because the former owner was never home. Or maybe the dog is just a chewer or a barker and needs a home that can adjust. It's also possible that the dog is there for something they had no control over. Often, people move and can't take their dog to their new home. Many families give up their dog when they have a new baby. There are all sorts of reasons a dog can end up in a shelter, and you can always ask.
2. You can still get the breed you want
One of the most common misconceptions is that shelters only have mutts or mixed breeds. If you have a specific breed in mind, check out your local shelter first. If they don't have it, check out a breed specific rescue. They have rescues for every breed you can imagine, like beagles, labs and even Bernese Mountain Dogs.
3. You can still get a puppy
A lot of people say they are going to a breeder because they want a puppy, not a full-grown dog. First of all, a full-grown dog does have its perks, like not having to be potty-trained and being already past the chewing-on-your-furniture phase. But if you're set on a puppy, your local animal shelter likely has some. Often, a pregnant pooch will find its way to a shelter, and when she gives birth, each of those pups will need a home.
4. They aren't more costly than one from a breeder
Some people believe that shelter dogs, while cheaper, at first, have lots of expenses in the long run due to the unknown breeding conditions. While it's true, you don't get a full pedigree with a shelter dog. That doesn't mean they are unhealthy. Mixed breeds tend to be healthier than pure breeds, and adopting a pure breed from a shelter poses the same risks that come with a pure breed from a breeder (unless you're comparing it to the champion bloodline breeder). A breeder breeds dogs for certain traits, and some of those traits can actually be harmful to the dog. A dog from a breeder can cost anywhere from $500 to $3,000. That's a steep price, and the comparative figures for a shelter adoption are much, much lower. There are often events (and even coupons) for a free or discounted adoption, and they usually cost no more than $250 before any discounts. Health issues that do arise with a shelter dog may still keep the overall price tag lower than that of a dog from a breeder.
5. A dog from a shelter will love you
A dog from a shelter may have a past. They ended up in the shelter because they were rejected by someone else. It may have had a family already. It may have been abused. Maybe it was a lousy human who mistreated the dog, or maybe it was an elderly human who knew they could no longer care for their dog. But neither of those scenarios prevent a dog from loving you just as much if not more than it loved a former owner. It's always amazing how a dog can overcome any troubles in their past with a loving and nurturing home. And by helping a dog with a shaky past to move on, it will only love you more and be more grateful to you. They are so glad to be out of a kennel, to have their own toys, their own yard. That gratitude will come with sloppiest puppy smooches you could ever imagine.
