This question is asked way too often. My answer is: "It all depends on what you are looking for." Adopting from a shelter or a breed rescue can be equally rewarding as buying from a responsible or reputable breeder but there are some major differences between the two that should be considered.

When you buy a puppy from a responsible or reputable breeder, your puppy is health tested and you get a health guarantee. If your puppy develops a genetic disease or illness within the first few years of his life, the breeder will be there to help you giving you invaluable information on how to properly take care of your puppy and provide financial support by covering your veterinarian bills. When you adopt a dog from a shelter, you do not get this kind of support. If your adopted dog got seriously sick, you would have to cover the expenses yourself and would have a very few people around you who could offer you advice based on their expertise.

Puppies from responsible purebred breeders are also bred for temperament and when buying a puppy of specific breed, you already know what you are getting and what to expect from this dog breed. If you are looking for a dog with specific traits or a working dog, then a purebred dog would be your choice. Adopting a mixed-breed dog or puppy from a shelter usually means that you do not know their temperament very well ahead of time which can lead to problems when it comes to training and socializing your dog. I say adopting a mixed-breed dog since most dogs in shelters are mixed-breed dogs. The percentage of dogs in shelters that are purebred is 25% according to the HSUS 2008 estimate. However, this does not mean that you cannot find purebred dogs or puppies in shelters. It just means that you may have a harder time finding one at your local shelter. If you really want to adopt a specific breed of dog and your local shelter does not have one, then you can also look in shelters outside your area code.

If you are looking for a puppy, then a shelter may not be the best place for you. Why is this? Puppies are cute when they are small so parents will buy them for their kids to play with. After a while, they may not have the time to properly take care of the dog once it matures and grows to be an adult. A dog that matures without being properly trained and socialized in his early stages of life can develop some serious behavioral problems. What some of them decide to do is to give the dog for adoption or try rehoming the dog as they feel that they cannot provide adequate attention to the dog. As a result, there are more adult dogs in shelters than puppies and you may have a harder time finding a puppy that you like.

Dogs in shelters in some cases come with behavioral problems. When you are getting an adult dog from a shelter, many times he will come with some previous history of problems and will require extra care and attention in order to successfully adapt to your family and the surroundings. This is not a problem if you are the type of person who is patient and is willing to devote their time to help this dog.

If you are on a budget and just want a dog to keep you company that you will love and care deeply about, then adopting from a shelter is a great idea. You will pay only for the vaccinations and health testing done on the dog/puppy, so your total cost for adopting a dog/puppy from a shelter will be in the range of $100-$200. This is a lot less expensive than buying a purebred puppy from a responsible breeder who may charge for their puppies anywhere from $700 to $5,000. The other expenses that include providing food, proper health care, and maintenance for your dog will be the same regardless of whether you adopt from a shelter or buy from a breeder.

As you can see, adopting from a shelter and buying from a responsible breeder both have their advantages. Adopting from a shelter means that you are helping save a dog that has been mistreated and this brings satisfaction to many people. You can also give a donation to your local shelter and help them be able to take better care of the dogs and also find all of them good homes. Buying a puppy from a breeder, on the other hand, gives you more choice when choosing your companion or working dog. Whatever you decide to do, do not let anyone tell you that you made the wrong decision. As long as you are a responsible owner and your dog gives you unconditional love and friendship, it does not matter from where your dog came, nor how much you paid for him.