02/12/2026
The “hard truth” about Shelter dogs, Rescue dogs and Breeder dogs.
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Even though I used to breed German Shepherds
I am all for adopting dogs from shelters too.
😱 Shocking I know!
It’s owners preference. 💪🏻
It’s not up to us to judge somebody for wanting a purebred dog and some breeds are even bred purposefully mixed with another breed to improve on certain areas. And guess what. Buying a mixed bred from a breeder is okay too.
Adopting from shelters is absolutely fine just the same.
What’s not okay is to throw around the “adopt don’t shop” slogan and trying to force people to feel guilty.
That would be like me saying there are too many cars in the world. We should shut down manufacturers and everyone should buy used cars.
Or
There are way too many people in the world. Couples should stop having babies of their own and work to clear out the orphanage instead.
(I use this as an example because people like to humanize their dogs which is the worst disservice you could ever do to your dog.)
There is absolutely nothing wrong with purchasing from a breeder or adopting a puppy.
Some people want to start off with a puppy and know about the background with the dog.
What are the parents like?
What was the dog bred for?
What does the pedigree look like?
What health issues are in the dogs lines?
And so on.
You can’t always get that with a shelter pup.
I’ve adopted & rescued in the past.
I’ve also bought from breeders.
And just know that every adoption does NOT equal and mean rescue.
The word rescue gets thrown around waaaay too much. People use it I think because it’s a “feel good word”.
A rescue is personally saving a dog from a bad situation. Shelters are not ideal for dogs, but they are not bad situations.
A rescue is saving a dog from an abusive situation.
The fact that the dog was already rescued and placed into the shelter, means that you are still adopting.
We actually do a disservice to our dogs by putting that kind of label on them. Because then all we think about is that poor poor dog.
We keep that dog stuck in it’s miserable past because we see training as too painful for the dog. We feel the dog needs time to adjust and should be left alone.
When I start working with other dogs.. we have no bond. I cannot sit around and wait for a bond to be established.
Doing that is only another disservice to the dog. Training should start right away. It doesn’t have to be anything big.
Just start out with the basics.
Begin to establish boundaries and work on the walk and your Leadership.
Dogs absolutely THRIVE when they have a leader.
Often when owners ask me for help on training, I’ll ask:
“What kind of dog do you have and what are some of the issues?”
About 90% of the time without skipping a beat the response is:
“Oh s/he is a rescue!”
Pause....
🤔
Okay, well I still know nothing about the dog. Because rescue isn’t a breed. Rescue doesn’t pinpoint the exact problem you are having nor do I know anything about the dog.
Some shelter dogs and even rescues are still very easily trained and have little to no problems. While others have aggressive or fear issues, a lack of socializing or zero training of any kind.
We get so hooked on images that we see about shelters and rescues or “rescue” dogs that we ignore the facts. The most famous pulling at heart strings I can think of is Sarah McLachlan’s,
“In the arms of angel” commercial.
That commercial was created to tug at your heart and get you to donate.
Because of images like this, we consider all dogs in shelters are ones we rescue from horrid situations. Again, many shelters take very good care of their dogs. They have beds, toys, food, time outside and even get walked and one on one training and play time.
Someone is with these dogs all day long unlike many other house dogs who are left alone during the day for 6 or 8 hours or more a day!
Then the owners come home, settle in, eat dinner, have chores to catch up on, give the dog a little bit of time and then go to sleep for 6 hours or so.
Should these dogs be rescued from their situations? What’s the difference?
Does this make a house dog a rescue? 🤔
Of course not. Should these people be forced to surrender their dogs to a shelter? Of course not.
Even if it is an honest to goodness rescue, throw the label in the garbage. You have a dog. A rescue isn’t a breed.
Even an honest to goodness rescue doesn’t want to live locked in the past. They want to move forward and enjoy life.
In some situations and circumstances, it’s important for us to remember where the dog came from.
Sure. It can absolutely help with training.
But don’t let that define your dog!
Unlock and Unleash your SUPERDOG.
💕🐾💪🏻
Let’s also not forget the real reasons that shelters are over populated with dogs.
It’s not because of breeders, it is because of a lack of education that people have about dogs in general and about what breed they want. A large percentage of dog owners get a dog based upon looks. It’s off the charts cute!
Instead of getting a dog based upon their lifestyle and what they can handle. Dogs should be brought into homes based more upon practicality than looks. Is it practical to have a high drive dog when your family stays home and indoors all day? Is it practical to have a low drive dog with a high energy family?
Are the goals matched in practicality with what the dog is capable of?
You wouldn’t get a Chihuahua if what you really want is a high flying frisbee catching dog.
When owners struggle with their dogs, a shocking number of them take their dogs to the shelter or rehome them on Craigslist and try again with a new puppy and or breed rather than seeking out training. They hope those problems just disappear rather than having to put in any work. Instead the same problems arise or some new ones.
No matter what breed or where you acquire your dog from.. it all boils down to:
Education.
