buying a big dog from a legitimate breeder or getting one from a shelter?

[DJF]

i would like to get a large athletic dog (doberman, dalmation, lab or something like that) but i have mixed feelings on where to get it from. if i was getting a smaller dog i would absolutely go to the shelter, but with a bigger dog i am very unsure.

so called master breeders claim to breed based on temperment, give the best socialization and medical care, and do not cut any corners that backyard breeders may. to me this sounds like paying the 1000 or 2000 dollars gives you more a greater chance of having a good family dog with a good temperment.

i am an active person, run daily, and have raised pretty well behaved, socialized smaller dogs (lhasa apsos, which is why i want to upgrade to a larger dog so i can have a running companion). i also have experience raising large dogs that belong to friends and family members. so i believe i am capable of raising a large breed of dog. so based only on the dog, is it beter to get a large dog from a rescue or from a reputable breeder.

*please don't give me a "you could save a life" response as your support for getting from a rescue. because either way if the dog attacks one of my little sisters or a little neighbor kid, the dog will be experiencing things worse than an animal shelter. i am looking for a realistic, unbiased response.

thanks for your help!

[Bob]

If you buy a dog from a shelter or rescue, you're pretty much buying a pig in a poke. You never know quite what you're getting.

No offense, however, to rescuers!

[Kip's Mom]

I think buying from a responsible breeder is a great option, especially if you are getting a breed prone to problems like hip dysplasia, vWD, etc.

That being said, some sheters/rescue to temperament testing, so it is possible to adopt a large breed dog (or any dog) with a great temperament.

[Ingrid H]

Yeah, I think that when considering a large breed like you mentioned you would be better off buying from a good breeder. Especially since you want an athletic dog! Even if you adopted from a breed specific rescue, there is no guarantee that the dog is well bred and will not get one of the numerous health problems that plague large breed dogs that are poorly bred. No gurantee on temperament either!

If you buy from a breeder, there will be some written health guarantee ranging from one year to lifetime for some genetic problems. As sad as it would be to return your pup to the breeder, you wouldn't be out the money you spent and would get a replacement. If you adopt a dog that you later find out can't participate in activities like running, you're going to be stuck with another house pet or going to have to find a new home for the dog. If you keep the dog, you may have to put your dream of a running companion on hold until you can get another dog.

I'm kinda stuck (since i love her) with a labxpit rescue that is not physically capable of keeping up with me or participating in the activities I had planned for her. It took 6 months for this to become apparent to me at the time she turned 3. By then i had also realized that I had a fearful dog with human and dog aggression issues. I worked long and hard with her and she has gotten much more trustworthy (as well as trusting of me and some frequently encountered humans), but I could never rehome her in good conscience with anyone but maybe a dog psychologist hermit. So now she is 4 and I'm 43... I've got about 10 years until she dies. My choices are- put her down for her aggression issues, keep working toward making her a social dog, or live with the possibility that if I get another dog that the two will have to be separated at all times through the use of kennels, fences and doors. I'm working on option #2, but if I came into some money, I'd do option #3 in a heartbeat!

[Jessica]

Consider going to a breed specific rescue. There are so many people that by puppies just because they think that they are cute, and then once they grow up and eat so much food and need training and exercise they don't want them anymore.
The breed specific rescues will help you find a dog that needs your help but also has a wonderful temperament.