Trying to find a puppy and so frustrated!

24

Replies

  • GreenGoddess22
    GreenGoddess22 Posts: 3,818 Member
    I adopted a darling little pure bred Shih Tzu from Rescue Me. I actually went in looking at another dog when this white cotton ball bounded out to us and captured our hearts right then and there. She definitely found us, not the other way around. I like this particular group because I can select alerts when certain breeds are available for adoption in my area. I only drove an hour for my girl. Most adoption groups won't adopt outside certain areas unless you're in some secluded rural area. I had to provide pics of my fence and yard and our vet's contact information so they could do a check on us. Here's my sweet Elizabeth Victoria from www.rescueme.org

  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    Basset-Hound-hound-dogs-15342201-1280-1024.jpg
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    tapwaters wrote: »
    Don't get it from a breeder. Millions of dogs die every year because people have this insane notion that if they get a dog from a breeder they will "know what to expect." No, you don't. Every dog is different, even within their breeds. When you buy a dog from a breeder you are perpetuating the death of millions of dogs and the unnecessary confinement of millions more. Health, temperament, life expectancy are all completely individual and not guaranteed when you go to a breeder any more than when you get a dog from a shelter who will die or not have a family. Stop perpetuating cruelty, exploitation, and the overpopulation of animals. It isn't necessary.

    The shelters and rescues make visits to make sure the animal will get along with the animals and humans in the home and reduce the likelihood of a mismatch. Further, just because a rescue is far away isn't a good reason because you literally mentioned driving hours to go to a breeder. Why would you trust a breeder that you can throw money at, but bemoan the rescue that actually wants to make sure that your family is a good fit for this dog? A life that you will be responsible for loving and caring for for years.
    http://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/why-breeding-dogs-is-a-problem-even-if-the-breeder-is-reputable/

    I'd have no problem driving 3 hours to get a dog from a rescue/shelter, actually... they just won't adopt to me. All the ones I've looked at are only adopting dogs within the closest counties.

    I know that dogs are different within a breed, but you're less likely to have a dog that will end up snapping at your kids if you know that the parents had good temperaments... while you never know what you're going to get if you get one from the pound or a puppy mill. I guess it's really an issue for me because I DID end up getting a puppy from a puppy mill that had issues.

    But yeah, I'll probably end up looking at rescues first, when we actually decide to go for it...
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    MeganAM89 wrote: »
    Have you spent time looking at the temperaments of different breeds?

    The ones I'm interested in, yes. I do have some experience with some of them to know what I don't want too. With mixed breeds you never know what you're going to get anyway...
  • DietPrada
    DietPrada Posts: 1,171 Member
    It is so frustrating here in Australia. Even if you have money to buy a puppy ($500 to $1000) you can not find one for sale anywhere. Not anything suitable anyway. I do not understand why when everyone wants family friendly dogs or small dogs the only thing people breed are Am staffs (pit bulls), or Rottweilers, or staffies or other big aggressive types, or working dogs that will rip up your yard and pull the washing off the line. Why doesn't ANYONE breed Labradors or Jack Russel or other such dogs?

    We have a little dog - jack Russell cross corgi. She was a rescue, and she had belonged to a disabled couple before being surrendered. I suspect she was run over by their wheelchair more than once, and she was not taken care of that well. She's weird about food, and she still needs puppy pads inside (she's 6) as she was never toilet trained properly. She's getting better though. The shelter nearly put her down as unsuitable to rehome as she was so timid and could be aggressive when scared. We took a chance on her and she's the smartest, funniest, most loyal dog we've ever had. Now that she trusts us there's not a hint of aggression in her. She even tolerates my 3yo grand daughter for a couple of hours at a time before she has to go off and hide (I don't blame her, I want to do the same).
  • LiveLoveFitFab
    LiveLoveFitFab Posts: 302 Member
    If you buy from a breeder they will probably let you return the puppy if your dog doesn't get along with it. I wanted to rescue, but every chihuahua that was up for rescue was either really fat, really old or not even close to being small enough (I'm not into 2lb dogs, but I travel with my dogs so they have to be under a certain size to ride in the plane)

  • PennWalker
    PennWalker Posts: 554 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Has anyone else noticed this? I'm all for rescuing, but frankly, I can understand why it's so much easier for people to just go to a pet store and buy a puppy sometimes...

    I've been looking around on Petfinder and for the puppies I'm interested in, I just don't live in the right county to adopt and they all prefer local people, or their application links are down, or the rescues want 3 home visits or something else equally ridiculous... It's getting really frustrating!

    My other (and probably only) option at this point is to get a puppy from a breeder... but there aren't many breeders for the breed I would be the most interested in (newfies) in the area, so I'm looking at driving probably at least 2-3 hours and spending 5x as much money (and I haven't even contacted any yet... so I have no idea what loops I'm going to have to go through to actually bring a puppy home either).

    Bleh! I'm not in a rush or anything (I have a 13yo dog who is very picky about the dogs he can tolerate, and a 16yo cat), and I REALLY don't want to support puppy mills (or random backyard breeders who are just in for the money), but sheesh, it's really frustrating and sometimes it seems like the only available option.

    What's everyone's experience in getting puppies? The only reason I'm not really considering adults is because I have children and I admit I would be a bit nervous with a dog I don't know anything about... at least I can train a puppy from scratch (but I admit that I find the puppy stage extremely stressful).

    Good luck with ytour dog search.

    Just a few thoughts here. Most rescue groups just do one home visit, not 3. They are looking out for the animal's best interests. They want to be sure the potential owner is responsible, not someone with mental health problems, like hoarding. They also want to be sure the property is what people say it is -- that there really is a fence, etc. I've adopted many animals, both dogs and cats, from rescues, and I've never encountered a rescue that wanted more than one home visit.

    The other thing is the distance. 2-3 hours to drive is not that far if you really want a dog. I've driven to other states several times to adopt collies and it was worth it.

    Please don't consider buying a dog that has come from a puppy mill. Many times these young dogs are not well socialized. A responsible breeder will also look out for the dog's health and give you some guarantees. We just see a cute puppy in the store, but puppy mills are absolutely cruel places and shouldn't be supported.

    Best of luck with your search.
  • dawnna76
    dawnna76 Posts: 987 Member
    edited March 2017
    finding a breed specific puppy from a rescue or shelter is a pretty tall task. if your sure that it has to be a certain breed find a good breeder and purchase the puppy. I'm sorry I don't think cost should be a factor when getting the right fit. I have a Viszla (pointer) and it wasn't cheap but my boy was worth it. we knew his parents and were able to see how they did in hunt tests and what their standing was in the AKC
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    So update, husband said yes for a Newfoundland, and I'm considering a Bernese Mountain Dog as well (they are a better fit, but the short life expectancy is a big con for me), so I contacted all the breeders (that do hip testing) I could find within a 7 hour radius, only got a couple replies from breeders who are planning to breed sometimes this year. I'm not in a huge rush obviously but it's still a bit of a downer to only find one breeder in the 'area' that 'might' actually work out.. and it's not like we live in the middle of nowhere either!

    I actually found a couple puppies on Petfinder that I would have applied to, but hubby doesn't want a very active breed, and I don't want a breed that has a history of chasing cats, so it's a bit tough... plus week ends are crazy anyway and we can't always drive 2 hours just to go fill in an application at some random pet store... so we wait...

    I'm still only looking at puppies because I'm honestly just nervous to introduce an adult dog to our dog (and cat, and kids), and puppies are just easier that way. I'm opening up to a female though because it might be easier with our adult male... just really don't want to deal with heats, which I suppose isn't a huge deal as we're planning to neuter anyway.

    Of course I could get a newf pup in 2 months from a breeder who contacted me right away about her puppies, but does no health testing on the parents at all... which I'm trying to avoid.

    Anyway, a bit frustrating, but I suppose I can enjoy the quiet life with my old dog and cat while I wait.
  • JennyHsavage
    JennyHsavage Posts: 123 Member
    I like the 3 home visit option. Buy from a breeder and you could quickly realise your current dog doesn't mix well and you are surrendering your new puppy. Rescue a dog and you have the support of the service to assist you settling the new dog and your current one.

    I'm from Ireland. Iv two dogs. One rescued and one bought. We had great support from the rescue centre mixing our too and ensuring they got on well. I think it's great they do the home visits. It's what's best for the new doggy and your family after all. It may be inconvenient for you, but rescue dogs haven't usually had the best start in life so of course the service wants to ensure you and your family can provide it with a forever home.

    Good luck on your search.

    Try buy one that the mother is a family pet, I bought a Doberman puppy that way and she is the most placid animal iv ever known, she loves kids and trust other dogs completely.

    If you have kids and other animals it's probably better u know the dog.... just to be safe.

    U don't necessarily have to buy with papers that way too if it's going to be part of the family and that will keep the cost down and u can find out a lot more about the mammys traits.

    I love my girl we do lots of exercise together x we did a 10k today and she's snoring her head off... keeps me nice and fit too.

    Good luck with your new puppy xxx

    Ps u can just about see her on the bed with the little man and teddies lol she loves kids
  • JennyHsavage
    JennyHsavage Posts: 123 Member
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I like the 3 home visit option. Buy from a breeder and you could quickly realise your current dog doesn't mix well and you are surrendering your new puppy. Rescue a dog and you have the support of the service to assist you settling the new dog and your current one.

    I'm from Ireland. Iv two dogs. One rescued and one bought. We had great support from the rescue centre mixing our too and ensuring they got on well. I think it's great they do the home visits. It's what's best for the new doggy and your family after all. It may be inconvenient for you, but rescue dogs haven't usually had the best start in life so of course the service wants to ensure you and your family can provide it with a forever home.

    Good luck on your search.

    Try buy one that the mother is a family pet, I bought a Doberman puppy that way and she is the most placid animal iv ever known, she loves kids and trust other dogs completely.

    If you have kids and other animals it's probably better u know the dog.... just to be safe.

    U don't necessarily have to buy with papers that way too if it's going to be part of the family and that will keep the cost down and u can find out a lot more about the mammys traits.

    I love my girl we do lots of exercise together x we did a 10k today and she's snoring her head off... keeps me nice and fit too.

    Good luck with your new puppy xxx

    Ps u can just about see her on the bed with the little man and teddies lol she loves kids

    I don't care about papers, I do care about not supporting someone who just breeds her pet for (a lot of) money without making sure that she doesn't have genetic issues first by making sure that her hips (at least) are healthy. I don't want to pay $1500 for a dog who will start limping at 5 because the parents have hip dysplesia... At least with mixed breeds it's not that much of an issue as the lines are more varied (but again, I'd rescue one, not buy an overpriced one).
  • klkarlen
    klkarlen Posts: 4,366 Member
    Francl27 wrote: »
    So update, husband said yes for a Newfoundland, and I'm considering a Bernese Mountain Dog as well (they are a better fit, but the short life expectancy is a big con for me), so I contacted all the breeders (that do hip testing) I could find within a 7 hour radius, only got a couple replies from breeders who are planning to breed sometimes this year. I'm not in a huge rush obviously but it's still a bit of a downer to only find one breeder in the 'area' that 'might' actually work out.. and it's not like we live in the middle of nowhere either!

    I actually found a couple puppies on Petfinder that I would have applied to, but hubby doesn't want a very active breed, and I don't want a breed that has a history of chasing cats, so it's a bit tough... plus week ends are crazy anyway and we can't always drive 2 hours just to go fill in an application at some random pet store... so we wait...

    I'm still only looking at puppies because I'm honestly just nervous to introduce an adult dog to our dog (and cat, and kids), and puppies are just easier that way. I'm opening up to a female though because it might be easier with our adult male... just really don't want to deal with heats, which I suppose isn't a huge deal as we're planning to neuter anyway.

    Of course I could get a newf pup in 2 months from a breeder who contacted me right away about her puppies, but does no health testing on the parents at all... which I'm trying to avoid.

    Anyway, a bit frustrating, but I suppose I can enjoy the quiet life with my old dog and cat while I wait.

    The Bernese Mountain Dogs are lovely, and so even temperamented. I have several friends that have them, and they do agree on the short life span as being a downer.

  • ilfaith
    ilfaith Posts: 16,769 Member
    Just the other day I read this article about the difficulties of adopting pets from various rescue organizations...

    http://www.drandyroark.com/i-rejected-the-perfect-family-for-the-wrong-reason/
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    ilfaith wrote: »
    Just the other day I read this article about the difficulties of adopting pets from various rescue organizations...

    http://www.drandyroark.com/i-rejected-the-perfect-family-for-the-wrong-reason/

    Yeah... the puppy that caught my eye and I asked my husband about, they want me to send an application before I can even see her... that requires references etc. I don't really want the rescue to bother my friends just because I want to SEE a puppy to see if she would be a good fit. Bleh.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    edited March 2017
    Found a Bernese puppy... then turned it down because I just can't imagine having a dog for only 6-8 years. One of the hardest things I've done!

    Then I found the biggest newfoundland ever in a parking lot... and it kinda turned me off. So gorgeous, but I'm not sure I can deal with that coat/size either. Can't really imagine taking a monster like that hiking either.

    So back to looking at rescue puppies and hoping (I did apply for one, but she'd been on the site for a few days and her littermates were gone, so I'm not holding my breath). I don't really want a lab or pit mix so it limits options greatly... and unless I really fall in love with one, I'm trying to avoid black dogs too, as my dog has a bad history with them (mostly males though I think). Also prefer dogs that don't have a short coat, so we'll wait and see...
  • fitmom4lifemfp
    fitmom4lifemfp Posts: 1,575 Member
    edited March 2017
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Has anyone else noticed this? I'm all for rescuing, but frankly, I can understand why it's so much easier for people to just go to a pet store and buy a puppy sometimes...

    I've been looking around on Petfinder and for the puppies I'm interested in, I just don't live in the right county to adopt and they all prefer local people, or their application links are down, or the rescues want 3 home visits or something else equally ridiculous... It's getting really frustrating!

    My other (and probably only) option at this point is to get a puppy from a breeder... but there aren't many breeders for the breed I would be the most interested in (newfies) in the area, so I'm looking at driving probably at least 2-3 hours and spending 5x as much money (and I haven't even contacted any yet... so I have no idea what loops I'm going to have to go through to actually bring a puppy home either).

    Bleh! I'm not in a rush or anything (I have a 13yo dog who is very picky about the dogs he can tolerate, and a 16yo cat), and I REALLY don't want to support puppy mills (or random backyard breeders who are just in for the money), but sheesh, it's really frustrating and sometimes it seems like the only available option.

    What's everyone's experience in getting puppies? The only reason I'm not really considering adults is because I have children and I admit I would be a bit nervous with a dog I don't know anything about... at least I can train a puppy from scratch (but I admit that I find the puppy stage extremely stressful).

    My BF wanted a puppy, and we went to every shelter within 100 miles, at least 3 times. Nothing but pitt bulls. He ended up buying a lab pup from a backyard breeder. Just was not any other options nearby. And of course seeing the parents was a huge benefit.
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,871 Member
    edited March 2017
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Found a Bernese puppy... then turned it down because I just can't imagine having a dog for only 6-8 years. One of the hardest things I've done!

    Then I found the biggest newfoundland ever in a parking lot... and it kinda turned me off. So gorgeous, but I'm not sure I can deal with that coat/size either. Can't really imagine taking a monster like that hiking either.

    So back to looking at rescue puppies and hoping (I did apply for one, but she'd been on the site for a few days and her littermates were gone, so I'm not holding my breath). I don't really want a lab or pit mix so it limits options greatly... and unless I really fall in love with one, I'm trying to avoid black dogs too, as my dog has a bad history with them (mostly males though I think). Also prefer dogs that don't have a short coat, so we'll wait and see...

    You might look consider a golden retriever. Very family friendly, big but not HUGE, beautiful coat but not horribly grooming intensive, and they live 10 to 12, 15 at the outside, years. My golden mix is gorgeous and so sweet! He's 6 1/2 now. Hip dysplasia is a consideration if you're looking for a pure bred puppy.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    pinuplove wrote: »
    Francl27 wrote: »
    Found a Bernese puppy... then turned it down because I just can't imagine having a dog for only 6-8 years. One of the hardest things I've done!

    Then I found the biggest newfoundland ever in a parking lot... and it kinda turned me off. So gorgeous, but I'm not sure I can deal with that coat/size either. Can't really imagine taking a monster like that hiking either.

    So back to looking at rescue puppies and hoping (I did apply for one, but she'd been on the site for a few days and her littermates were gone, so I'm not holding my breath). I don't really want a lab or pit mix so it limits options greatly... and unless I really fall in love with one, I'm trying to avoid black dogs too, as my dog has a bad history with them (mostly males though I think). Also prefer dogs that don't have a short coat, so we'll wait and see...

    You might look consider a golden retriever. Very family friendly, big but not HUGE, beautiful coat but not horribly grooming intensive, and they live 10 to 12, 15 at the outside, years. My golden mix is gorgeous and so sweet! He's 6 1/2 now. Hip dysplasia is a consideration if you're looking for a pure bred puppy.

    We had a golden retriever and it's a possibility for sure... I'd just rather get a dog from rescue than a breeder, honestly, considering that it's just as much of a pain to find a good breeder, and then we'll have to go through the same application process anyway (and it will cost much more). And yeah, if going the purebred route, I want a dog that has parents tested for dysplasia, so it's a pain to find anyway...

    We'll see how I feel in the next few months I guess, if I haven't found anything by then. It's just frustrating!