10/10/2021
Here's the thing, whether your intent is to adopt a dog to save one of the thousands of lives housed in shelters or purchase from a reputable breeder because you want a specific dog for a specific reason, at the end of the day, IT'S YOUR CHOICE! Yours and yours alone. As long as you are going to be a responsible owner and care for the dog, NOBODY has the right to guilt you into making the choice that THEY would make. I've worked and trained many purebred dogs and I have trained and even adopted "mutts" from the pound. Hell, I just adopted a Palauan puppy from the local shelter here to be my demo dog. I had NO clue what the genetic makeup of this dog was, nor the history of it before I adopted her, but I can tell you she is already the best obedience trained and cared for dog on the island. $$$ on it. Would I go shelter to get my next working dog? I most definitely would... not. I would go to one of the many reputable breeders I know to purchase a dog that I know has an extremely high probability of being able to perform the tasks I'd need it to perform. But that's just me. My choice. Not saying that there aren't any success stories of shelter dogs that have become working dogs, but the probability is very low. Know the risks, pros, and cons of both choices and decide for yourself. Then, after that, find a reputable trainer. 😉
