I just wanna say for the whole "adopt don't shop" thing, I personally CANNOT get a dog from a shelter at the moment. I was bit as a child. I have very specific requirements and can't adopt an adult dog or a dog that is more likely to develop aggression issues or might possibly grow too large. To be able to adopt a dog in the future I have to get a dog from a breeder that I know will work well for me. I can adopt other animals and maybe dogs in the future, but not now. (1)
(2) you don't know why somebody might be buying a dog from a breeder over one from a shelter. For me, to be able to have ANY dog at all, ever, in my life, to be able to adopt a dog in the future (for which I have a shelter I'm interested in adopting from) I need a very specific kind of a dog from a good breeder who can help me find the best possible puppy for me and my home. I can't give any dogs a home without that. Sometimes the best choice for someone isn't a shelter and sometimes it is.
You seem to be working under some very shaky assumptions here. You say you can’t adopt a dog more likely to develop aggression, and seem to be using this as a reason to buy from a breeder. A shelter animal with no existing behavioural issues is no more likely to develop aggression than a puppy from a breeder is; this has been a long held myth that just isn’t supported by the evidence at all. In fact, a dog from a good shelter is less likely to be agressive.
Why do you assume that a breeder, who is selling you a dog for profit, is more likely to be honest with you about a dog’s behaviour than experienced, professional shelter staff are? Why do you assume that you can better predict the behaviour of a puppy you got from a breeder, than an older, fully socialised dog which the shelter staff have been able to observe for months in order to have an accurate picture of how that dog will behave and whether or not that matches your specific needs? I’m sorry, but these assumptions are just plain nonsense.
You’re also just missing the point behind adopting. We should take animals into our lives so that we can help them, not the other way around. Dogs are massively overpopulated, thousands are dying in shelters every day and we have a duty of care to them. Everyone thinks that they’re the exception, that they specifically need to buy from a breeder, but nothing you’ve told me here indicates that this is the case, and this is true of almost everyone I speak to who is pushing this ‘you don’t know why people buy from breeders’ argument.
Every time you give money to a breeder, you contribute to the problem of pet overpopulation - that is the case regardless of your situation. Every dog purchased is a dog not adopted, and every litter of puppies from a breeder adds to our already significant overpopulation problem. If for some reason you are unwilling to adopt from a shelter then you just shouldn’t get a dog. I know that may sound harsh, but pets aren’t a right, and animals don’t exist to serve our interests. Instead, perhaps opt for one of the animals you are willing to source through adoption.
More than that, I implore you to at least visit your local, reputable animal shelter, meet the dogs and actually speak to the staff about these concerns. They are experienced professionals who do not stand to make any profit from the dog you adopt, unlike breeders, so they are best placed to advise you on whether or not they can provide a dog to meet your specific needs.
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