Hear me out before you pick up the pitchforks and burn me at the stake.
I'd like to start by saying how much I love shelter dogs and the people who care for them. Every dog, in fact. Every single one is special and has inherent value, no matter if it was born intentionally or by accident. No matter if it was purchased, rehomed, or adopted from a shelter- he or she has value. Shelter dogs can make wonderful, life-long companions and achieve some amazing things in terms of obedience and even sports.
But shelter dogs are no more deserving of love and joy than any other dog, and do not bring any more love and joy to their people than purchased dogs do. Shelter dogs are not more healthy or more stable than dogs that are responsibly purpose bred. It does not even necessarily fix the problems of overpopulation, backyard breeding, breeding by accident or negligence, or responsible dog ownership overall when a shelter dog is adopted (although, certainly, getting adopted means the world to that dog). The solution to these problems are outside of the scope of this post and I can address them on another day- this post is simply to share how I personally plan to source dogs for myself, and why.
Let me educate you on how dogs (even intentionally bred ones) end up in shelters to begin with, usually in one of three ways:
First, they are found wandering and are picked up by or turned into animal control. The animal is held for a few days depending on the shelter's policy, then if no owner can be located the dog gets put up for adoption if it is adoptable. When a dog hits the adoption floor, it usually means no one bothered to properly look for them. Dogs that are well mannered, do not have behavioral problems, and are valued members of the family are generally dogs that get looked for. Well mannered members of the family have owners that either do not lose track of them in the first place, or think to call the shelter and don't stop looking until they are found. Dogs that are "too much" get lost or often intentionally abandoned, and desperate people consider it a blessing when they do not come back and do not look for them.
Second, the owner surrenders the dog because they are "moving," "don't have the proper time," "the dog needs to be an only dog," "the dog would do better in a home without kids," their "landlord says the dog (they have had for 6 years) can't stay," "work too much and the dog doesn't like to be alone" etc. And while sometimes these reasons are valid and can be taken at face value, they are very often code for "the dog has complicated or extreme problems that I don't have the time, energy, or money to fix." And the average person, unfortunately, will not have the time, money, or energy to fix it either. I cannot tell you how many times I hear from a new client that they were told by (the totally innocent and well meaning) shelter or rescue staff that the new dog they just adopted was adopted before and returned because "it just pulls on the leash too much," which really ends up meaning that the dog has explosive reactivity or aggression on the leash when another dog or person appears and becomes a danger to itself and everyone in its path.
Third, the dog was seized from a situation that was so out of control the shelter or rescue had legal rights to intervene. If you've ever called animal control to report the neighbor dog who lives it's entire life out chained to a dog house even if it is snowing and barks all day, you probably know how hard it can be to get animal control involved in cases of abuse or neglect. The reason for this is not because the shelter or animal control agency does not care, but legally defining animal cruelty is actually a bit complicated. Some people would consider it to be abusive to have a purpose-bred Great Pyrenees permanently living outdoors in inclement weather on a mountain top, quite happily guarding it's sheep. Some people consider feeding a bottom shelf dog food brand, such as Alpo or Pedigree to be "abuse." Some are happy to put their dogs on e-collar so they can be off leash while hiking, while others would say that this is abuse and certainly the dog should be kept under lock and key, never off leash at all. And some people would say that keeping a dog "safely" indoors, under lock and key, never exposed to anything that could be potentially upsetting or dangerous is abuse. So as you can see, by the time that animal control actually has the proof and the ability to seize an animal from hoarding, indisputable abuse/neglect, or a breeding mill situation things are pretty serious and it's rare that this kind of situation does not have a permanent impact on the dog's health and behavior.
I'm not saying that shelter dogs always come out with problems. I am not saying that rescues do not make great companions, or that we should stop supporting shelters. I'm definitely not trying to discourage anyone from saving lives that need to be saved.
But what I am saying, as someone who is called in on the daily to fix problems people are having (usually with their new rescue) is that it is really, really important to base a choice on a dog that will impact your life for up to the next 15 years on whether it is a good fit, not to feel good about saving a life or appeal to the "adopt don't shop" and "save them all" rhetorics.
Here is a "Sparknotes" version of how I became a dog trainer.
My dog Boo was the runt and last puppy to go of an unplanned litter of 12 here in Southern Utah, a hometown mix of American Bulldog, Australian Cattle Dog, Pitbull and a dash of Border Collie. He was turned over to "the system" and neutered at the extremely young age of four months (more about the hormonal and developmental impact of pediatric spay/neuter in a future blog post). He was adopted once and then returned, then at five months was adopted to a retirement age couple at an adoption event at the local chain pet supply store I used to work at. It wasn't until about a year and a half later that I saw him again, at which point his parents asked me if I would be willing to adopt him because they knew I was looking for a dog. I tried him out for about 30 days, and to be honest- I did end up adopting him, not because I fell in love, but because his behavior really concerned me and I thought there was a good chance he would be put down if he went to anyone else. He was a constant mouther with no bite inhibition, would become very overstimulated and intense during tug, basically only new how to kennel and sit (if he felt like it), was a very bad jumper, was VERY territorial at home, was unpredictable with strangers especially men, was dominant (he pushed me over and mounted me the first few days he was in my care), pulled on the leash like a freight train, was forwardly aggressive with my cat, and was an intense resource guarder (from the cat and my husband at the time). I honestly could not believe that he had been at his last home for so long. They loved him dearly and did right by him in so many ways, but he was a LOT and I was not surprised that he ended up not being a good long term fit for their traveling and retirement. I had to get my shit together- and quick! I researched dog training intensely and did everything I could to fit him into my lifestyle and make sure he was safe in this world, and because of that training journey it wasn't long until I did develop a very strong bond with him. I wouldn't trade it for anything and he has become my "heart dog."
But Boo has honestly been a very hard dog to have, and it hasn't been until the last year I have spent learning from my mentor that I have been able to make major progress on the very worst of his issues. Boo's behavior had a very negative impact on the marriage I was in at the time I got him, and I have always had to be very careful about taking him along while traveling, who could pet-sit him if I went without him, who could walk him if I was sick or injured, who could supervise him if guests were coming over, which dogs he could be with on any level, who could pet him in public, etc. His care and consideration dominated my life and essentially led me to the "crazy dog person life" I cherish today- but I cannot emphasize enough how many tears I shed over him and at a few points even strongly considered behavioral euthanasia for him as an option.
I am so, so grateful that I stayed committed, kept working, overcame my feelings of fear, frustration, and even bitterness- and never had to resort to that. But for many people who end up with the same kind of dog, the outcome isn't so rosy. Most people are not prepared to do what I did for Boo, through no fault of their own.
For the most part, this lifestyle with Boo became normal to me over time, and it wasn't until I finally achieved my dream of owning a social, well-bred Belgian Malinois that really I understood how different life could be with a stable, purpose bred dog. Although I knew on the surface that a dog like Percy would open up a new world, it's just different when you experience something on a personal level. I suddenly had a dog that could help me in my everyday work, from simple demos, to social experiences with client and friend's dogs, to great default neutrality, to easy travel and adventuring to new places, to very reliable and predictable behavior, and the out-of-the-box drive and readiness to work. Owning a Malinois is not for the inexperienced or faint-hearted, but in many ways (despite her exceptional energy and completely wild personality) owning Persimmon has been joyful and easy compared to my journey with Boo. My life is so open with Percy- and yet still so careful with Boo.
When I meet people with dogs like Boo, they are suffering. They are suffering greatly. They did not realize what they were signing up for. They did not realize that some things cannot be "fixed," only managed. They did not realize that dog training was so expensive and messy and consuming. They did not realize how much they would need to change their lifestyle simply for their new dog to stay alive. They did not realize how much breed and early development play a role in who a dog becomes, and that those things cannot ever be altered.
It's hard for me knowing, on a personal level, how much happier most people (and by extension their dog) would be if they had a lot more clarity and informed consent on the type of dog they took on. And for most people, this would mean making a well thought out investment with a responsible breeder, who would help determine a good fit for them as well as offer a safe and constructive environment for the dog to return to in the event it was not a good fit for any reason.
Sure, there are never any guarantees with a breeder- ever! But you have A LOT more information any time you purchase from a responsible breeder than you do adopting a dog with an unknown history or sporadic and inconsistent upbringing. I'm actually very lucky that I know so much about my dog Boo. I have all of his records and know personally many of the people who have been a part of his care. And yet- there was SO much I did not know when I officially adopted him. To be honest, Boo was not really a good fit for me. I had to become a good fit for him. When you invest in a purpose bred dog, you have so much more control over that dog's formative experiences than you do when you adopt a dog with so many unknowns. If you are really committed to adoption, involving a dog trainer to offer an assessment of prospects you are interested in can make a world of difference!!
Dog's are supposed to add joy and value to your life. Very few people get pleasure and value from blindly taking on a "project." Therefore, it's really important to be able to identify how a dog from any source will or will not be a good fit in one's life and be able to fulfill those goals. For me personally, my needs for a future dog are complex beyond that of the average person at this point, because in order to be my best dog trainer self I need all of the dogs that are in my personal care to be be able to participate in sports, do demo work of all kinds including being a "test" or "practice" dog for client dogs who are struggling, be dog neutral or social, be able to kennel and be alone,
have out of the box working ability that is easy to direct after pushing other low-medium drive pet dogs uphill all day, and be stable around people in crowded and overwhelming situations. My dogs must have very good health, have low maintenance coats, and be able to travel well. I need dogs that can live with other dogs with easily and do not need super careful considerations. I need dogs that are not a potential liability as much as possible. Basically, I need very sturdy and flexible high drive dogs in order to make my best contributions to my community as a dog trainer and for my dogs to live the happiest and most fulfilled lives they possibly can- and that is just me. While it's possible that the right kind of dog for me could drop into my lap from a shelter or rescue- I'm definitely not going to be looking there first because it's a needle in a haystack kind of situation.
The perfect dog is going to look a little different for each individual. Let's move beyond the stigma of sourcing from responsible breeders. Adopting the right dog or purchasing the right dog are both great choices.
Let's just start by understanding ourselves, and above all- what the "right dog" is.
If you want help picking out the perfect dog for you, we'd LOVE to help! In Southern Utah we offer free consultations for shelter dogs, information about breed and temperment, private lessons to help your new dog learn obedience training and behavior modification training for any problems that may arise, GRC Dog Sports in Cedar City, and pack walks and group classes classes in Cedar City to help dogs reach their full potential. If you're ready to have your dream dog, give us a call at 385-220-5403!
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