Where do I get a good dog? How do you find a reputable rescue or breeder?
So often we help families with dogs with severe behavior problems like anxiety, aggression, and hyperarousal, and over and over again, we hear, “I did my research.” “I tried to find a reputable breeder or rescue.” “I just don’t know how this happened.” Our heart goes out to you, and we want to help.
We know you did your research. We know you didn’t want to support a disreputable breeder or rescue, but often it is difficult to determine whether a puppy or dog source is reputable. These days, you almost need an advanced degree in animal welfare and genetics to determine whether the source of your future companion is reputable or not. What is a prospective dog adopter to do?
Rescue or breeder, it’s more about the conditions in which your future dog was born, raised, and kept, together with its genetics that will determine whether they will be the right dog for you. However, good rescues and breeders have many things in common.
Puppies stay with their mom until at least eight weeks of age with no exceptions. If puppies are found in a rescue environment without their dam, they should at least stay together until eight weeks of age, and ideally should be kept with a stable adult dog who likes puppies to help them with their social development. Litters should not be split up for convenience of fosters prior to eight weeks. Contrary to popular belief, it is not all in how you raise them. A puppy who is not with its mother for at least eight weeks is starting life with a history of trauma. No matter how well you raise them after, they will likely suffer enduring loss and anxiety as a result of this trauma. Those puppies need homes too, though, so if you have a background in animal behavior or experience raising dogs with anxiety, please consider adopting these traumatized puppies!
Puppies have received age appropriate vaccines and have visited a veterinarian prior to adoption. We know that anyone can buy puppy vaccines at a big box store and administer them, but having a veterinarian examine a puppy to ensure good health is the bare minimum a rescue or breeder should shoot for to ensure your future companion leads a long, healthy life. Deworming alone does not ensure that puppies are parasite free, either. A fecal check is imperative for future puppies. However, some rescues and shelters do not have the budget or means to do fecal checks on every puppy, so you may have some wiggle room on this last item.
Puppies and dogs are kept or raised indoors, not in separate kennel buildings, no matter how luxurious or nice. In order to feel safe and comfortable in a family home, dogs and puppies should be exposed to the normal rhythms, sounds, and activity of a human household. For instance, if your dog has never been exposed to a doorbell announcing visitors, vacuum cleaner, central heat, or stairs, they may be fearful or concerned about these things. Obviously, we need homes for puppies who start life in county shelters, though, so if you have the heart and skill for raising a puppy with early exposure to stress, please do adopt a puppy from a shelter!
Breeders and rescues should be eager to have you visit multiple times, see where the dogs or puppies are living, and meet any related animals on the premises. If your breeder or rescue refuses to allow you to see where they are kept, meet their parents, or requires that you meet at a third party location, choose another source for your future companion.
Ideally, puppy raisers, whether they be breeders or rescues, should attempt some early socialization and neurological stimulation. This should include short exposures to new people who are careful with their handling, gentle adult dogs in the home, novel sounds and surfaces, and gentle handling and grooming. This does not mean exposure to dog parks, group play with dogs of unknown health origin, or being carried around by children who tug on ears and tails.
Finally, reputable breeders and rescues will always take a dog or puppy back if ultimately the dog does not turn out to be a good fit for your home. If the breeder or rescue or shelter you are interviewing does not have this policy, move along.
If you decide to purchase a dog from a breeder, please make sure that the following additional conditions are met before buying your puppy or dog:
You have extensive health clearances on both parents, and ideally grandparents and older generations. Reputable breeders obtain OFA (“Orthopedic Foundation For Animals”) clearances on their breeding pairs’ hips, elbows, eyes, and hearts at a very least. And also obtain genetic testing to rule out hereditary illnesses. Individual breeds may have additional testing that is appropriate for their breed, such as eye checks by a board certified ophthalmologist for collies. Genetic testing alone is insufficient to assure future health.
Your breeder is breeding for a specific purpose, and the dogs they are breeding are fulfilling that purpose. Sometimes well meaning people who love their dog or the hobby of breeding, will breed a litter just to have a relative of a beloved dog, without understanding the genetic basis for health and temperament. This can produce disastrous results. A reputable breeder is breeding to improve their breed through conformation (as demonstrated by championship dog show wins) or working ability (as demonstrated through dog sport or hunt titles, therapy dog certifications, working service animals, or other titles). Even if you intend your dog solely to live as a pet or companion animal, knowing that their mom and dad could meet new people and animals in the show ring, be handled by strangers, and function in large crowded environments can help ensure that your dog or puppy will be able to achieve these same standards for good health and happiness.
You may have noticed that this list does not mention pet stores or puppy brokers. That is because reputable breeders and rescues do not sell to pet stores. They know that having a puppy’s early social history spent behind glass or in publicly exposed cribs is not healthy for baby animals. Further, reputable breeders and rescues do not sell to brokers or puppy stores, as they want to ensure that they can screen potential adopters themselves. This is because they want to give the puppy or dog the BEST chance of moving from their care to a forever home.
At the end of the day, all dogs deserve a good home; and all good homes deserve a dog. So, if you are just beginning your journey to find a new dog, we would love to help connect you with a reputable rescue or breeder at no charge to you. Simply reach out through our website and let us know a little bit about what you are looking for. We’d be glad to help you find your future Pleasant Dog! <3 And if you have adopted a dog who has fear, anxiety, or health issues and you need help with their behavior, we’d love to help you help them become a more Pleasant Dog. We love you and your dogs. Pass it on.
