Dogs for Beginners | Part 3 – Buy from a Breeder or Animal Shelter?

After the first two parts of the "Dogs for Beginners" blog series focused on self-reflection and choosing the right dog breed , we want to provide you with more information about buying a dog in Part 3. The most common options are buying from an animal shelter or breeder. Before we take a closer look and compare the two options, we'll give you a brief overview of the topic.

1. Animal shelters and breeders briefly explained

animal shelters

Animal shelters are facilities that take in, care for, and rehome homeless, surrendered, or confiscated animals. Their image is often characterized by compassion and responsibility, as they care for the welfare of animals in need. They promote animal welfare, education, and adoption, and contribute to raising public awareness of animal needs.

Main tasks:

• Animal welfare and care: reception, care and medical treatment of animals.
• Placement: Search for responsible new homes for the animals.
• Education: Providing information about species-appropriate husbandry, animal welfare and responsible animal husbandry.
• Cooperation with authorities: Cooperation with animal welfare authorities and carrying out inspections.

Breeders

Breeders are individuals or institutions that deliberately breed animals to promote specific breeds and traits. Their image can vary depending on the practice: reputable breeders stand for responsible breeding, health, and good socialization of the animals, while shady breeders often evoke negative associations, for example, through mass breeding or neglect of animal welfare standards.

Main tasks:

• Healthy breeding: Selection of breeding animals with healthy genetic makeup and positive temperament development.
• Socialization: Early imprinting and socialization of puppies to get them used to life in human households.
• Advice: Supporting future dog owners with information about the breed, care and training.
• Follow-up: Accompanying the new owners and, if necessary, taking back animals that can no longer be kept.

2. Animal shelters and breeders in comparison

Origin of the dog:

• Animal shelter: Dogs in animal shelters often come from a variety of backgrounds—they may have been surrendered, abandoned, or confiscated. Many dogs are waiting there for a new home, regardless of age, breed, or health condition.
• Breeders: A dog from a breeder usually comes from controlled breeding lines. Breeders place great importance on the lineage and health of their dogs. Puppies are often raised in special conditions and are socialized from birth.

Cost:

• Animal shelter: Dogs from animal shelters are usually cheaper, as you usually only pay a protection fee. This covers the costs of vaccinations, neutering, and medical care.
• Breeders: A dog from a reputable breeder is more expensive to purchase. The price reflects the breeding effort, health testing of the parents, care of the puppies, and compliance with breeding standards.

Health:

• Animal shelter: The health history of shelter dogs is not always known. However, most shelters offer medical exams, vaccinations, and neutering before rehoming the dogs.
• Breeders: Reputable breeders strive to breed only healthy dogs. They often conduct genetic testing to prevent hereditary diseases and inform buyers about potential breed-specific health risks.

Age of the dog:

• Animal shelter: At animal shelters, you'll find dogs of all ages, from puppies to seniors. Many adult dogs are already housebroken and trained, which can be an advantage for some buyers.
• Breeders: Breeders usually sell puppies, so you have influence on the dog's upbringing and characterization right from the start.

Character and behavior:

• Animal shelter: The personality of a shelter dog is often already well-developed, especially in older dogs. Shelter staff can usually tell you a lot about the dog's temperament and needs, making the selection process easier.
• Breeders: Puppies from breeders are still developing their personalities, so you have more influence over their upbringing and socialization. The breeder can provide clues about the puppy's future character based on their parents.

Animal welfare and ethics:

• Animal shelter: Purchasing a dog from an animal shelter helps give a dog in need a new home. It supports animal welfare and relieves the burden on animal shelters.
• Breeders: A dog from a responsible breeder supports controlled and healthy breeding practices. However, you should be careful not to fall into the hands of so-called "breeders" who breed dogs without regard for their welfare.

3. Other options for buying a dog

Of course, there are other options for buying a dog:

• Private sales: Private individuals offer their dogs on platforms like tutti or Facebook Marketplace. However, caution is advised here to avoid dubious sellers.
• Animal welfare organizations: Many nonprofit animal welfare organizations rehome dogs from distressed situations or poor housing conditions. These organizations often also conduct pre-home inspections.
• Dogs from abroad: There are organizations that rescue dogs from other countries and offer them for adoption, often from countries with serious animal welfare problems.

It is important that you conduct thorough research before purchasing a dog and ensure that the provider acts responsibly and has the animal's welfare at heart.

Conclusion:

The decision whether to buy a dog from a shelter, a breeder, or other options (as described in point 3) depends on your personal preferences, the desired age of the dog, the breed, and your ethical beliefs. Both options can lead to a happy and healthy dog—it depends on what you're looking for and how much time and resources you're willing to invest.

Tradidog motto: Animal shelters and breeders are both fine, but avoid dubious companies!

Click here to continue to part 4!