Breeder vs Shelter: What to Know When Adopting

Adopting a dog is a big decision, and you no doubt want to make the right choice for your lifestyle and find a dog that fits into your expectations of what dog ownership can be. There are two main ways to adopt a dog – buying a puppy from a breeder or adopting a dog from a shelter or rescue organization.

It’s important that you review both the pros and cons of these adoption methods so you can better understand them and make an informed choice about what might be the best way to add a dog to your family.

Breeder Pros and Cons

Buying a dog from a breeder can be controversial, and it’s important that you understand the differences between an ethical breeder who puts their dogs first and a puppy mill. Puppy mills are purely for-profit, and they treat their puppies and the breeding dogs very poorly.

The same might be true for a backyard breeder who doesn’t have any specific experience breeding dogs but is trying to sell puppies of a pure or mixed breed solely for profit.

Before buying or putting down a deposit on any dog from a breeder, you should make sure that the breeder is ethical and reputable. Use online resources like the American Kennel Club’s breeder locator and speak with local resources like veterinarians to figure out the best breeders for the type of puppy you are looking for.

You should also make an effort to check any applicable license and visit the breeder’s location when possible to check the conditions where puppies and breeding dogs are being kept.

Pros of adopting from a breeder include:

• You can adopt a dog as a puppy and have the experience of raising them.
• You can adopt a specific breed of dog and have a general expectation for their size, appearance, and temperament.
• You can train your dog from a young age, and you don’t need to be too worried about any behavioral issues that might stem from time in a shelter or rescue.
• You have overall more freedom and choice when selecting a type of puppy and breeder to purchase from.

Cons of adopting from a breeder include:

• You may accidentally support a backyard breeder or a puppy mill if you don’t complete careful research.
• More expensive than shelters to purchase the puppy from a breeder.
• You are responsible for all of your puppy’s medical care, first vaccines, and any other starting health items.
• You may adopt a dog that is prone to specific health issues depending on the breed and how ethical the breeder is.
• Some breeders may have long waitlists and it may take several months to a year to adopt the specific type of dog you want.

Always make sure that when considering a breeder, you double-check their standards and stay away from puppy mills – puppy mills are responsible for many of the daily euthanasians of dogs, and they should not be supported.

Shelter Pros and Cons

Dog shelters are a popular way to adopt a dog, and shelters and rescue organizations are located all over the United States. Sometimes, there may be more than one shelter or rescue in your city due to the increased need for homeless pets to have a reliable home.

Shelter organizations typically take in all kinds of pets, including dogs, cats, and rabbits, and they will provide basic medical needs and yearly vaccinations to dogs. The majority of shelter pets are also neutered or spayed as needed.

You may be able to locate a rescue that is dedicated to a specific breed, and this may be a national organization, or there may be a local organization that is dedicated to rescuing certain types of dogs.

The pros of adopting a dog from a shelter include:

• You give a homeless dog a loving home and save a life.
• There are mixed breeds and purebred dogs occasionally available in shelters or in dedicated rescue organizations.
• Adoption is straightforward, and you most likely won’t need to wait months to years for your dog.
• Basic medical needs including yearly vaccinations and spaying or neutering are taken care of by the shelter.
• Adoption is cheaper up-front than purchasing a dog from a breeder.

The cons of adopting a dog from a shelter include:

• Puppies might not be available.
• Some dogs have personality or behavioral issues stemming from their time in a shelter or their first home.
• Options for adopting specific breeds, sex, or age of dogs may be limited in some shelters.

Keep in mind that most shelters do have fairly intensive adoption policies and checks that need to be made before you can bring your dog home. This is done to ensure that once a dog leaves the shelter, they will be in their forever home, and they have a low risk of being returned.

These checks also make sure that any potential owner is ready for the realities of dog ownership, including being informed about any quirks or special needs that their new dog may have.

Adoption Considerations

Before you make a final decision about where to adopt a dog, you should keep the following considerations in mind. These factors can help you figure out if you need to purchase a specific type of dog from a breeder or if a shelter dog from the local rescue is the right choice for you.

Lifestyle

When it comes to adding a dog into your family, you will need to make sure they get along well with your lifestyle and routines, and that they also have their care needs met. In some cases, you may need a working dog to assist you outdoors, or you may simply be seeking a dog for companionship.

Depending on your lifestyle and the type of canine companion you need, you may need to contact a reputable breeder to adopt a specific dog, or you may be able to visit your local rescue to find a dog that connects with you.

Family Needs

Always take into concern the needs of your family when adopting a dog. This may mean ensuring that the dog you adopt will get along well with young children, or it may mean that you ensure your new dog gets along well with any pets already in your home.

If you are trying to adopt a specific breed of dog, you might need to research their expected tolerance with other animals or children. If you are adopting from a shelter, speak to the shelter staff about how your selected dog behaves in certain situations to figure out if they are a good match for your family or not.

Financial Concerns

Before adopting a dog, you should be certain that you can provide for them and that you will be able to financially support them over the course of their life. However, you may also want to consider the fact that purchasing a dog from a breeder, especially a breed that is very popular, can be much more expensive up-front than adopting a dog from a shelter.

When you buy from a breeder, you will also be responsible for your puppy’s initial medical care and their spaying or neutering. All of this can add up fairly quickly, and you will need to budget for all of these initial costs plus the cost of keeping your dog healthy annually.

If you want to save some money up-front, you may want to adopt from a shelter, as most shelters will ensure their animals receive all of the necessary vaccines, medical care, and neutering or spaying as needed before the dogs are placed into homes for adoption.

If you adopt an adult dog instead of a puppy, the overall health costs of this dog may be lower due to your dog already being a healthy, established adult pup.

How Can I Tell a Breeder Is Reputable?

Finding a responsible and reputable breeder is essential if you are interested in purchasing a specific breed of dog, and you will need to pay attention to a few signs that indicate your breeder is worth working with. We give you some things to look out for below that will help you navigate toward a good breeder and away from suspect or unethical dog breeding practices.

• Review who the breeder is associated with, such as the American Kennel Club, local breeding organizations, or other reputable organizations dedicated to a specific breed. If applicable, check licenses and certifications that your breeder may be required to have in your state.
• Experienced breeders are typically better to work with, as they will have years of experience and knowledge about the breed they are working with. Plus, lots of years of experience may lead to an established online presence that makes it easier to review the breeder and their practices.
• Your breeder should be very knowledgeable about the breed you are adopting, easily answer any of your questions, and ask you questions in return. An ethical breeder cares about their dogs and the homes they are placed into, and they aren’t simply trying to ship dogs out the door for the money.
• A responsible breeder will ensure that their dogs live up to breed standards and that any fads in the dog breeding world are avoided, such as specific mixed breeds, specific coat colors, and the creation of ‘teacup’ versions of certain breeds, something that can lead to very serious health issues for the dog.
• You may be asked to meet the litter of puppies and sign a puppy contract that ensures you will look after your puppy, do everything possible to ensure they are happy and healthy, and you will return the dog to the breeder if a problem should arise. Many breeders are happy to take a dog back instead of having them end up in the shelter or sold to an owner who will treat them poorly.

If, after getting to know a breeder better, you suspect that they are not treating their dogs correctly, you can report them to local animal control professionals, a local rescue organization, or the USDA Animal Regional Care Offices. More details about reporting a bad breeder can be found here.

How Should I Prepare for My New Dog?

Once you have made the choice of breeder versus shelter, you can prepare your home for your new dog. Take the time to puppy-proof or dog-proof certain areas, ensure you have all basic supplies at the ready, such as leashes, beds, toys, water bowls, and food, and start thinking about the new routine you’d like to establish with your dog.

Keep in mind that it can take a few weeks to several months for your new dog to warm up to your home and for their personality to shine through. Start training your dog as soon as possible and give yourself and your dog grace to become adjusted to your new lives together.

Making the Right Adoption Decision

When it comes to adding a dog to your family, this can be a big decision that takes plenty of consideration. You will need to make sure that you are ready to take care of a dog and any of the specific needs they may have, and you will need to choose between adopting from a breeder or a shelter.

We recommend reviewing our list of breeder and shelter pros and cons carefully to see which option fits you best, and, when in doubt, always visit a local shelter or rescue organization to see if you can provide a dog in need with a loving forever home.