Breeder or rescue?
When deciding to commit to a new furry friend, it’s important to consider all your options in order to provide the best home possible – for both you and the dog! Inevitably, the conversation becomes breeder versus rescue, which can elicit a lot of strong responses. So how do breeders and rescues bridge this gap?
Breeders and rescues have the same end goal: placing the right dog with the right home.
Both breeders and rescues are concerned with the safety and well-being of dogs and stand in opposition to bad breeders (like backyard breeders and puppy mills) as well as irresponsible owners. With this in mind, let’s take an objective look at some of the ways in which breeders and rescues agree as well as the ways in which they differ. In addition, we’ll cover how to determine whether working with a breeder or rescuing a dog is right for you.
Breeders and rescues are aligned in a desire to put an end to bad breeding.
In this conversation, we’re going to assume that we are consistently talking about reputable – or preservation – breeders.
Reputable breeders will vet prospective homes and include a clause in their contract that says if the owners can no longer take care of the dog, it must be returned to the breeder. A reputable breeder will provide lifelong support to the owner and placed dog, potentially including grooming lessons, free or reduced rate boarding, and acting as a resource for training and health issues. Rescues can also vet potential owners and stipulate that should it come to it, the dog will be returned to the rescue.
Rescues exist because of irresponsible breeding and irresponsible pet owners.
The argument isn’t “breeders versus rescues;” the argument centers around responsible breeding and ownership. If a person breeds any kind of dog with no realistic plan to find appropriate homes for the resulting puppies, the lineage of the litter doesn’t matter. If they can’t (or won’t) take good care of all their dogs, papers are irrelevant.
Breeders and rescues alike want dogs to live in safe, happy homes.
My daughter has two rescue dogs whose origins can only be speculated. They were each adopted as tiny puppies, so there was no telling what their temperaments, exercise requirements, or even eventual sizes would pan out to be. She and her husband could manage (and do!) as large and energetic as they became, so they weren’t concerned about the genetic lottery that’s often part of rescue.
Not all families have that luxury. Some need to ensure their new family member will never be too big to pick up, or that they’ll be fairly lazy past the puppy stage. Someone else may have a very active lifestyle, so they need a companion that can happily keep up. In those cases, getting a dog from a reputable breeder may be the best option for them. By taking the guesswork out of how a dog will grow up, it keeps those dogs in their homes.
Now let’s take a look at the pros and cons of both breeders and rescues.
In both cases, we’re going to assume best case scenarios in the ‘pro’ sections.
Breeders
- Pros
- They are dedicated to the health of the breed at large as well as their own dogs, testing for genetic disorders with each addition.
- They screen potential pet parents and enter into a contract with them for the good of the dog.
- New owners know what to expect as their puppy gets older in terms of general size, temperament, physical activity, and longevity.
- New owners can rely on their breeder as a resource – breeders can direct owners to the educational materials and training classes they need to succeed as pet parents.
- The breeder knows the parents of their litters and raised the puppies from the time they were born, familiarizing themselves with each puppy’s personality.
- Breeders provide life-long support for owners and puppies/dogs.
- Breeders are focused on an enrichment program with litters that helps them grow up into dogs that stay in homes.
- Breeders may have adolescent or adult dogs available.
- Cons:
- It isn’t always easy to spot a bad breeder. A professional website and high puppy fee doesn’t indicate good genetics.
- They are adding to the overall population of dogs.
- There may be a waitlist for a new puppy.
- They can be expensive – a puppy from a breeder can cost anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.
- They can perpetuate breed-specific genetic problems. While good breeders will do everything they can to minimize genetic issues in their bloodlines, the risk still exists.
Rescues
- Pros:
- Adoption fees can be significantly less expensive than breeder’s fees.
- Rescues screen prospective pet owners and enter into a contract with them for the good of the dog.
- New owners save rescue dogs from shelters or temporary foster homes.
- Older dogs are usually readily available, which can be the best option for some people.
- There are almost always dogs of all ages in need of a home.
- Cons:
- From its genetics to its previous situation, the dog’s background is an unknown quantity. This could lead to life-changing surprises, such as a tiny puppy that turns into an 80 pound dog or an otherwise sweet adult who will fear-bite men, for instance.
- Many rescues are overwhelmed, juggling new animals, foster homes, volunteers, and adoption applications. They may not have the manpower to spend time coaching new pet parents.
- While there are dogs of all ages available almost all of the time, puppies are usually the first to be adopted.
Bottom line: research, research, research!
Before bringing a new dog into your home, make an honest evaluation of your lifestyle. Can you devote time and energy to potty training a puppy or would you do better rescuing an older, housebroken dog? Are you specifically looking for a jogging partner or are you just happy to have a wagging tail to come home to? Carefully evaluate what your expectations are from a canine family member.
With that clarity, you can more easily decide whether you’re better off working with a breeder or if you can rescue a dog in need. Research breeders or rescues you may want to work with and ask questions. They should be forthcoming and want to answer! They should also have plenty of questions for you, to determine if you’re a good fit. If you decide to work with a breeder, they will have no problem with you coming to their home to meet the parents of your prospective puppy.
Together, breeders and rescues have the best interest of dogs in mind. Both a good breeder and a good rescue are more concerned with finding the right home rather than any home. It’s easy to take hard stances when it comes to breeders and rescues. In reality, there’s a lot more that unites breeders and rescuers than divides them.