Where should we get our new dog?

[aja8888]

I agree. One of my brothers adopted a greyhound that his daughter fell in love with while volunteering at a greyhound rescue shelter. That was among the nicest dogs I've known. Shy and gentle, I never heard her bark in the 10 years they had her. Once she got to familiar with you she'd loved to just quietly hang around you but would stay out of you way. If you were sitting reading and watching TV she would come over and just lay down next to your leg and doze off. Great dog.

Much different than our Rough Coat Jack Russell Terrier who expects me to lay next to him and be quiet while he watches TV.

 

[finnski1]

Well I think it is very honorable to do the rescue route.
We might do it next time but we have been extremely attached to collies and a very good breeder and friend. We look all the time on the collie rescue league of New England.

 

[candrew]

Whatever you do, get a real dog....a Belgian Shepherd.

+1

Our last was a Belgian Malinois that we rescued from the shelter when she was 7 months old. Ginger was an amazing dog and she passed away too soon for us at 13 years of age.

 

[timo2]

I know that the OP prefers a small dog, but I'll give a pitch for greyhounds as great pets. Contrary to popular perception, they are low energy dogs who sleep a lot, rarely bark and have a very gentle nature. With the tracks closing in Florida over the next year or so, many will need homes. There are agencies that place the dogs with a volunteer who gets to know the dog before it is adopted, so their personalities are clear at adoption and the agencies will take back the dog and re-home it if it doesn't work out. Our greyhound was an alpha female and food aggressive with other dogs so she got bounced from a home that already had two greyhounds. She is our only dog and has been a fantastic pet - no separation anxiety, no housebreaking problems, no chewing and no chronic health problems.

+1 we are on our 3rd and 4th greyhounds. Note that these are adult greyhounds which is a plus for older adults that adopt. Do not get a greyhound puppy.


edit: greyhounds are on the list for good apartment dogs. https://www.rover.com/blog/best-dogs-for-apartments/

 

[MRG]

Nemo, Maltese are real dogs)

We've had two Maltese, they're great little dogs.

Our first was the dog of a lifetime, a gift from the dog heavens. I was hurt badly one year and spent months on the floor; the only place I could lay. I was to the point I didn't care if I lived or not. Pain is evil.

That little dog curled up next to me and wouldn't leave my side. He stayed with me when DW made many trips to get drugs my doc prescribed. He stayed with me, no matter how much I moved or pounded the floor. I know he was afraid, but he never left my side.

A few years later we took the trip of his lifetime. I watched as he enjoyed being the center of attention. At one rest stop we met the Swedish Girls Volleyball Team, this little guy hammed it up and got all the attention. I enjoyed being his wingman..

Our current Maltese could never live up to the first, however he is a great dog! Many times he's laid on DW's legs for hours when she was ill. He's much like his predecessor.

A great breed for the right person. They don't hunt birds, rabbits or raccoons.

 

[Red Badger]

We adopted a Pekingese. Since his arrival ~10 years ago, I have been one of his junior staff members.

Not a real dog either. When my DS met him years ago, she rightly labeled him as a "fake dog." Behaves like a cat. Only interested if in his interest. Call him and he just stares. But, if HE wants attention, the whining and fidgeting are nonstop.

But yeah, rescue, adopt, or re-home.

 

[Teacher Terry]

MRG, when I am sick the dogs don’t leave my side. Maltese make awesome snuggle bunnies and really worry about their people. Right now we have 3 and my son’s big dog. 2 of them are quite old. Ours love to travel also and get all the attention from strangers. Glad you enjoy them too.

 

[CyclingInvestor]

I have had over a dozen dogs as an adult, all rescues of one sort or another. All were great, mostly mid-size (border collies) to large (leonbergers, tibetian mastiff).

Speaking of wildlife, in the past couple weeks I have seen a coyote, 2 skunks, and a raccoon on my morning walks in the 90714 region (Long Beach / Lakewood). The coyote was within 15' of me, showing neither fear nor aggression, just trotting along.

 

[Scuba]

Definitely rescue, breed-specific if you care about a purebred. DH disagrees because our current rescue has some personality quirks that he thinks wouldn’t be an issue in a purebred. I’m not so sure about that, and furthermore I feel that there are so many rescues out there that need good homes, I’d rather go that route.

 

[mamadogmamacat]

Lots of good advice and strong opinions on here, so here is mine:

1) always a rescue, as they are truly grateful in my experience, and until no more dogs are killed for lack of homes, I could not be comfortable with purchasing from a breeder, however reputable at least some of them truly are

2) one risk if a purebred is a requirement for you, is that even the breed specific rescues sometimes fudge a bit on how truly "purebred" their dogs are. Now if one can avoid falling in love with the first dog you see (my weakness usually) one can just keep looking until you find the dog that is what you want

3) petfinder.com is a great way to start as most animals on there include photos and sometimes a direct contact to the foster

 

[Sunset]

Just a word of warning to those with fenced yards. . . my friend let his Doberman out in the back yard (fenced with 5-6 foot block fence). 2 coyotes jumped the fence and killed him. . . . It still makes me sad to think of it.

We had a female coyote bring her pups to our place under the porch. She could hop the 4 foot fence in a single bound easy as pie.

She had our neighbors dog in her mouth one morning, when our neighbor had let the dog out for a pee, and went inside for a few minutes, a scream from the neighbor and the pet was dropped.

We encouraged mommy coyote to leave by leaving the fence gate open and playing the radio 24hrs per day on the back porch.

The coyote pups were very cute.

 

[skipro33]

We had a female dog that brought us 4 coyote pups into my greenhouse. She decided she'd make a better mother I guess, and was trying to nest with them when I came in and found them. A call to wildlife rescue and they came picked them up.

 

[gayl]

I am getting a dog from GS1s Boyfriend going to law school in Boston. turns out he can't keep the dog anymore. His apartment is only rated for small dogs and this dog is not small. He was supposed to be a Maltese, I think hes a labradoodle more in the line of the golden Labrador than any other breed. he still a puppy at 35 pounds. So where do I get a dog? Obviously from one of the kids

 

[fasteddie911]

We got a dog from a breeder. We looked at rescues and didn't find one that would fit us (size, temperament, etc.). There are certainly some strong opinions about rescues or anti-breeders, but do whatever works for you. All I know is that our dog is an amazing, loving and important part of our family and that's all that matters in the end. We see him play with other bred and rescue dogs and they often all get along fine and they seem happy and carefree. I can't say I've noticed vets, shelter workers, etc. preferring bred vs rescue dogs, not that I've really looked, but they're human like any of us and have their own preferences.

 

[beppie58]

My dog Tula was actually a re homed dog, the family could no longer keep her so I took her.
My English Setter Abby who was 19 or 20 had to be put down, and I thought about not getting another dog. After about a week I realized my house was so empty without a pup. So this guy at work told me about this dog and as luck would have it she became mine.
It's my belief our dogs that when they pass send us another dog to help mend our broken heart because they know our hearts have so much more love to give.
I vote you go to a shelter and get a dog that needs a home and more importantly your care and love.

 

[KrissK]

Our current dog came to us as a puppy from SPCA. She is much healthier, smarter, and generally more well-behaved than our previous purebreds.

 

[imnontrad]

I vote for a Senior rescue dog. Contact your local Senior center and see if they know of an organizations that helps Seniors who must give up their dog because they are moving to assisted living (or the owner has passed away). There are also organizations who rescue puppy mill dogs, but these may require extra attention for a while as they get used to being in a home.
I like Yorkies, but they tend to live more than 15 years. So getting a puppy would not be fair to the dog since I don't know what my living situation will be in 15-20 years. But I think I could commit to a dog that is already a "Senior".

 

[troutnut1]

“Rescue” can have multiple meanings. There are shelters in the Los Angeles area that post certain dogs as “rescue only”. For them this would mean the dog has issues and can only be adopted by qualified rescue organizations capable of dealing with the problem. Other times I use “rescue” as being any dog I saved from a shelter. With decent training most shelter dogs can make great pets. Make sure you adopt a dog and breed with your same level of energy as your family. High drive breeds aren’t usually suitable for seniors, although there are exceptions in every breed.

If I were going to adopt another I might volunteer as a dog walker or a foster parent at my local shelter to get first hand experience with adoptable animals. Most shelters have a trial period where either you or the shelter can change their mind.

I would go for a shelter dog every time over a purebred.

 

[Ger0n1mo]

I also vote for a rescue dog. There is no shortage and certainly cheaper than a breeder. And, you have the opportunity to improve the life of an at-risk animal. One thing that was very evident where I live, pit bulls / pit bull mixes are overwhelmingly what are available at urban shelters. Collie and hound mixes are more prevalent at rural shelters - in case you are leaning toward a certain breed. I am with Nemo, I insisted to my DW that I could only be seen with a "respectable" dog and we got a beautiful terrier / hound mix (DW's choice). We just lost her in early November. A wonderful companion with a great personality.

 

[WWDog]

You get your dog from your kids! Where else would you get a dog?

 

[Teacher Terry]

Exactly our 4th dog was my son’s and I had to drive 1k miles to get a big dog although we are small dog people.

 

[Anthonyin2022]

+1 to rescue dogs, especially if you can devote a little more time than normal to a pet! It is so worth it for you and to save a dog from a horrible existence!

We got our Ahsoka from a local IL shelter and she has been the best dog I've ever known. All we knew about her is that she was a stray from TN. She had been abused, as there were staples in her hind legs and she winced when you tried to pet her head. Very sad and calm dog, but crate trained, potty trained, knew virtually every basic command, etc. After a few months, she started to feel more comfortable with us and show us her personality.....My guess is that she was originally with a great owner, but something happened and she ended up with some horrible people before ending up in the shelter.

It is true (at least for me) when they say that the dog rescued the owner as much as vice versa! She is my constant companion and is just wonderful in every way!

 

[WestwardBound]

I believe deeply in finding your companions at a shelter or rescue society.

Hard to say what type is best but I will comment on ours.

We adopted a retired greyhound. They are very sweet dogs that are very easy. They don’t need a ton of exercise, just some walks or maybe a space to run a bit. They are known as 40 mph couch potatoes as they love to nap.

They are purebred but are real working dogs so generally healthy though they can have some issue with cancer later in life.

Good luck finding a friend.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

Greyhounds are nice dogs, although when the tracks were operating in my state the retired dogs could face a learning curve with housebreaking. That may have changed since dog racing went into decline.

A friend loves his Italian greyhounds (they were the favorite breed of Prussia's Frederick the Great.) His DW participates in an active rescue organization for the breed. https://www.midwestigrescue.com/adoption/available-igs/

 

[travelover]

Greyhounds are nice dogs, although when the tracks were operating in my state the retired dogs could face a learning curve with housebreaking. That may have changed since dog racing went into decline...........

Most greyhounds are placed through an adoption organization and the dogs are placed with a foster who makes sure that they are housebroken, know how to navigate stairs, understand windows and mirrors, etc. Additionally, the foster learns if they are cat safe, have separation anxiety or other personality quirks. That way an adopter knows what they are getting into with the adoption. Our greyhound, for example, turned out not to be rabbit safe.