Agreed 100%. There's nothing magical about pure bred dogs that makes them behaviorally superior, and furthermore there's a world of breed-specific health issues that come with pure bred dogs, not to mention the difficulty of making sure you're not inadvertently supporting a puppy mill. Any rescue worth their salt will let you do a trial anyways, so if you find out you've got a serial killer on your hands it's not like you're stuck.

Dad's a vet and regularly says he's very thankful for the work purebreds provide. If everyone had mutts, there would be a lot less need for vets.

You're both correct.

It's not purebred vs rescued mutt. It's the age of the dog and whether or not it was mistreated and developed problems that new owners are unlikely to know how to fix.

Young rescues are usually fine.

As you noted, a good rescue agency will do their homework before placing dogs. Not all rescues are good.

And of course, all dogs should be put through a puppy skills course of some sort, even if they're not puppies. Most pet stores and many boarding facilities run classes. They're as much for the owner as the animal.

I've owned three dogs as an adult, the first two from breeders, the 3rd from a rescue. The rescue has had more behavioral issues than the two I raised as puppies. All the behavioral issues are directly linkable to his previous owner (a puppy mill, where he was kept crated most of the day). It's been a TON of work to get him to a point where he's mostly well-adjusted (and I knew going in this would be true). If he had been my first dog, he likely would have been my last as well.

> Not all rescues are good.

Yes. Any one can call themselves a rescue. And rescues can have a wide variety of beliefs and procedures.

I don't know how to say this without sounding like a jerk, but it's not the tone it's intended in: Getting a dog should not be an emotional decision.

This goes double when it comes to larger or more powerful breeds like ASTs, Dobermans, boxers, etc. A Pomeranian that's bitey is regrettable, a Rottweiler that's bitey is dangerous. Getting a shelter pet is a lot like buying a used car in that you're signing up for a lot of unknowns.

Also, unless you live in a metro area, you're probably limited in your choice of shelters. There is nothing, absolutely nothing, wrong with a reputable pet store (read: one not supplied by puppy mills) or breeder if you're the slightest bit uncomfortable with the shelter or their selection. This also means you're more likely to get a breed that fits your lifestyle and living situation.

No offense taken at all and I think this is all great advice. The actual decision to get a dog should be deliberate and thought out. I just hope that people will at least consider shelters / rescues and not rule them out immediately because of what my parent comment said.

> This meme of not getting rescue dogs is so harmful and needs to stop.

I said nothing against rescue dogs, just that it is very, very unwise to adopt one as your first dog with no dog experience prior to it.

> Good adoption agencies will foster the dogs for a while and let you know if the dog actually has behavioral issues.

That's the first thing, how does one find out about the quality of the adoption agency? Plus fostering seems to be a US thing, haven't heard of this in Germany.

> and think about how he was almost put to death in a kill shelter

That's the second problem. Kill shelters are a horrible concept, in Germany this is prohibited by animal welfare laws.

It is not a meme. Rescue dogs often have issues. While not all, probably >50% in my personal ~10 dog sample size. At 50% it is worth a warning to new dog owners and shouldn't be outright dismissed.

Rescue dogs are usually surrendered because the owner didn't train them. So even excluding any emotional issues, the dog has to be broken of bad habits. A new puppy won't soil where it sleeps, so house training is easy. But a dog that's been locked up most of it's life will, and extra effort in training is needed... not the best for a new dog owner.

in LA, i had a good experience adopting my dog last year through the NKLA adoption center (https://nkla.org/) which is organized by https://bestfriends.org/, a national rescue organization.

they told me as much as they could about her from the 10 days they’d had her (for spaying, vaccines, and microchipping) after rescuing her from the county shelter (who found her wandering the streets).

her main behavioral issue was anxiety, probably partially due to prior abuse (she’s cautious around bigger men), which manifested mainly as nervous diarrhea for the first two months, along with panting and self-scratching/gnawing. it took some work to get her to trust me so she could self-regulate her anxiety and calm down at home.

but she’s a bundle of joy, eager to please, very playful & friendly (with dogs & people), and so attuned to me, that i feel immensely lucky to have found her. i wouldn’t trade her for the world!