Where to buy a dog or puppy

Hobby Breeder

A hobby breeder is someone who raises and shows dogs as a hobby. Responsible hobby breeders care deeply about their breed and their own dogs and their breeding programs are designed to produce healthy dogs who are excellent examples of their breed.

Think these superb dogs are out of your reach? Not true! Each outstanding show dog usually has some littermates with small flaws, such as a misplaced white spot or a nose that's a fraction too long. While these traits make them unsuitable for the stringent requirements of the breed ring, they still make lovely pets. And surprisingly, the prices you pay for these pet puppies will often be less than you would pay for an inferior puppy from a pet store. Hobby breeding is a labor of love and not a business - financially, most hobby breeders barely break even. Adult dogs who are "retired" from the show ring may also be available.

Pros: Responsible hobby breeders want to produce healthy dogs with sound temperaments. They test their dogs before breeding to screen for inherited diseases and extensively socialize the puppies. They know their lines and dogs and can match you up with a puppy or dog which is a best fit for your personality and lifestyle. You should be able to meet the mother and possibly other relatives to get an idea of the likely temperaments the puppies will have as adult dogs.

Cons: Many of these breeders only raise one or two litters per year - there may be a waiting list for their puppies. Also, responsible breeders will only place their dogs with loving, caring and responsible owners - expect to answer a lot of questions!

Notes: Not all breeders are equally responsible or ethical. When in doubt, get referrals from local dog clubs, veterinarians or the AKC parent club for the breed. As with any other purchase, if you go to see a litter of puppies and get a bad feeling about the breeder, trust your instincts and walk away.

Animal Shelter or Pound

Animal shelters have dogs which have been surrendered by their owners and dogs which have been "found" and not claimed by anyone. While the shelter will have a record of why a dog was surrendered, it's important to know that people turning in a dog are often not truthful when asked to give a reason. They may claim the dog has a behavior problem when they are just tired of caring for it, or conversely they may minimize a serious behavior problem in hopes that it helps their pet finds another home. Some shelters have behavioral experts who assess the dogs before putting them up for adoption, however this is not always the case.

Pros: A shelter or pound is an inexpensive option and one that will leave you with the good feeling of having saved a life! Dogs will usually be neutered by the shelter at little or no cost. Some shelters provide inexpensive or free training classes and follow-up counselling.

Cons: Due to the noisy and stressful conditions, it can be difficult to evaluate the temperament of dogs in a shelter. Most shelters have a quiet area where you can spend some time with the dog. Ask questions - the people who care for the animals have the most insight into their personalities. Also, you will rarely know the medical history of the dog.

Notes: Animal shelters can be anything from overcrowded, public facilities to modern, state-of-the-art private shelters. There is a wide range of conditions and staff qualifications from shelter to shelter.

Dog Rescue Group

Like shelters, dog rescue groups take in and attempt to re-home dogs who have been given up or abandoned. However, unlike in a shelter, these dogs are cared for and evaluated in a normal "foster home" environment. There are rescue groups for individual breeds of dogs ("breed rescue"), all-breed and mixed breed rescue organizations.

Expect to be screened - an application, an interview and a home-check are customary. But don't be intimidated - rescues just want to be assured that the dog's next home will be a responsible and caring one. Many adoption contracts require that you surrender the dog back to the rescue if you (and your family) become unwilling or unable to care for it.

Pros: Dogs are evaluated in a home atmosphere, giving an accurate picture of their temperament and everyday behavior. Most rescues are very good at matching up potential adopters and dogs. Normally, dogs are fully vet-checked and neutered before being placed. There will usually be a small fee - more than you would pay a shelter but less than you would pay to get a dog from a breeder.

Cons: You may have to wait for a suitable dog to become available.

Notes: For more information on dog rescue, see our article about dog rescue groups >>

"Back Yard" Breeder

"Back Yard" breeder is a term commonly used to describe someone who breeds a litter of dogs without much (if any) intent or knowledge. Maybe a friend, neighbor or co-worker had an un-neutered male and female dog and either the inevitable happened or they decided to have just one litter. Or you saw an ad in the paper. Some people breed their pets repeatedly to sell the puppies.

How does this differ from the hobby breeder? These puppies do not benefit from the genetic testing of the parents and the knowledge of pedigrees and animal husbandry that hobby breeders contribute. As a result, litters (pure or mixed breed) can be "hit or miss" healthwise and in temperament. These breeders aren't necessarily bad people - they may love and care for their dogs deeply. The problem lies in the ignorance of sound breeding practices.

Pros: You can usually meet both the puppies' parents. Prices may or may not be less than other sources.

Cons: There is not enough information to know if your puppy may be carrying genes for some hereditary illness or bad temperament. They may be fine ... or not. This is basically a random breeding and, especially without genetic testing, the results will be unpredictable.

Notes: We don't advise back yard breeders as a good place to buy a puppy because it encourages people to breed their pets irresponsibly. If you absolutely must, at least check to see that the premises are clean and the dogs are well-kept and friendly. Ask to meet the parents so you can get some idea of the puppies' future temperaments - as they say: the apple doesn't fall far from the tree!

Pet Stores

With all the news stories and bad press about puppy mills, it's a wonder pet stores still sell puppies, but they do. While you can get a perfectly satisfactory pet from a pet store, we're sorry to say the odds are not in your favor!

Pros: Any puppy in the store is available for immediate sale to anyone who can pay for it.

Cons: Numerous! Where to begin?

- Pet store puppies are "mass produced" by profit-oriented breeders, commonly called "puppy mills". No responsible breeder will sell their puppies to the first person who produces a credit card! Maximizing profit is a goal of these breeders (often called "puppy mills")- parents are not screened for hereditary disorders and are bred to produce a large number of puppies, not healthy,ones. Dogs in these breeding facilities are usually housed in stark, or in the worst cases squalid and filthy conditions with little human contact.

- Puppies spend their days isolated in small cages. In order to develop proper social behavior, young puppies need to be with people, dogs and other puppies - isolation can lead to serious behavioral problems. Also, as the cages do not have a separate area for elimination, puppies learn to eliminate where they sleep, leading to housebreaking difficulties.

If you're tempted to buy a pet store puppy because you feel sorry for it, don't! No matter how sad you feel about these puppies, buying one just puts money into the puppy millers' pockets and continues the cycle.

Internet (Online) Pet Stores

If there's one worse place to buy a puppy than a regular pet store, it's buying a puppy on the internet from a pet store that sells online. All the negative aspects of pet stores and you don't even get to see the puppy before you plunk down your credit card!