Dogs have been a human companion for at least 20,000 years. Probably, they were the first tame animals. With time, their popularity as a pet has only increased. As a result, now, dogs have become one the most popular choice as pets, and this is true all across the globe, which is one of the reasons, we have more than a hundred dog breeds. Hence, finding the perfect dog that suits your family and lifestyle has become a challenging task.

On top of that, choosing whether to adopt a dog from a shelter or from a breeder is another tough job. So if you have decided to own a dog breed. It is of the utmost importance for you to know the pros and cons of both the adopting channels. Thus, we have bought you a detailed analysis of both the methods.

Dive in and learn which among adopting from a shelter vs. Pure Bred from a Breeder will be best for you.

Obtaining a puppy from a Breeder

If you are looking to own a puppy, buying it from a pure breeder might be the best thing to do as breeders can tell you a lot about the parents of the puppy you want to buy. However, that’s not the only advantage of getting a puppy from breeders. Here are some other benefits:

Pros

1. You will get to know about the parent of the pup you are buying, so you will have an idea about what your puppy will look like as an adult.
2. A pup from a breeder means you will exactly know what you are getting in terms of lineage.
3. You can mold your puppy as it grows.
4. A pup from a good breeder will already come properly socialized and may even have some basic training.
5. Reputed dog breeders provide genetic health testing. Thus, the chances of your puppy developing inherited diseases are less.
6. Most dog breeders promise a stable temperament. That said, it doesn’t guarantee that your pup will not grow into a nut. However, it improves the chances that it will become a perfect adult.
7. Lastly, breeders become critical if you are planning to prepare your dog for competition.

Nevertheless, owning puppies have several disadvantages too. Below are some of them.

Cons

1. Acquiring a puppy will mean a lot of work. In fact, you have to treat them like a human baby. So be prepared for some potty training. Moreover, they will have to be fed multiple times per day and taken out at all hours.
2. Generally, a puppy from a breeder is a blank slate; you will be responsible for all its training.
3. Dogs from breeders are usually more costly than dogs from shelters.
4. Lastly, finding a remarkable breeder is no child’s play as most of them care about quantity, not quality.

These were some of the advantages and disadvantages of obtaining a dog breed from dog breeders. Now, let’s talk about acquiring dogs from shelters.

Adopting a breed from a Shelter

Adopting a dog from a shelter is another common way of owning a dog. Plus, just like getting a dog from breeders has its pros and cons, this way also has them. Here are a few of them.

Pros

1. Getting a dog breed from the shelter will result in the betterment of the lives of at least two dogs; the life of the dog that you are adopting and the life of the dog that needs that space in the shelter.
2. Usually, dog shelters pay special attention to vaccinations. Most shelter dogs are vaccinated, so you won’t have to spend on vaccination until you adopt a puppy. Besides vaccinations, shelters also neuter all of their dogs, here also you will save some money.
3. In addition to vaccinations and neuter, shelters will also give you a coupon for decreased or free vet visits, at least for the first time.
4. Generally, dogs from shelters have previously lived in homes, so they are already potty trained. Moreover, some will even have more advanced training.
5. The most notable benefit of getting a dog from shelters is they will take the canine back if it’s doesn’t suit your lifestyle.
6. Adult dogs are usually even-tempered, which might not be the case with puppies.
7. Shelters are known for temperament evaluation policy about their dogs. Hence, employees at the shelter home can give your proper advice about the dog that will be good for your family.
8. Dogs from shelters are less prone to hereditary illness.

Enough about the advantages, here are a few drawbacks of buying a shelter dog.

Cons

1. Many shelter dogs can have an inferior past. They can have emotional scars from their history due to the abuse in their past. As a result, sensitive dogs may need some extra push to come out of their shell.
2. It might be the case that you will not know the exact breed of the dog that you are planning to buy from a shelter.

Final Words

Both adopting a dog from a shelter and getting a pure breed from a breeder has their advantages as well as their disadvantages, which cancels each other out. For instance, getting a puppy from a breeder will mean you will get the opportunity to nurture the pup. On the other hand, buying a pup from a shelter means the dog is already trained. All-in-all, it all depends on the owners in the end whether they want to own an already trained puppy or they want to mold them.

Keep visiting Purely4Paws for similar informational pieces about dogs and other pets.