AIBU to shop not adopt?

People seem to skip over the fact that if puppies weren’t bought they’d end up in shelters anyway. Just skip that and buy direct surely. I thought shelters were crammed, why would people want more puppies to end up there?

we also got our puppy at 12 weeks and she is a dream! We had a holiday booked before the mother of pups was even pregnant but we had been on the breeders waitlist and we told her upfront once we figured out the due dates. She held on the pup for some extra weeks for us and she is the most lovely good natured thing. I guess she was still learning things from her mum and socialising with her sister who was still there when we collected.

if a pup is with the breeder and breeder’s family they are still being socialised - just not by you!

Not at all. We gave up with rescue cats in the end. While I understand their diligence there was always some issue preventing us from adopting (kids/road/garden), so we now provide a perfectly suitable and loving home for 3 happy shopped cats.

Just on the 12 weeks thing:
Maybe it's an area thing, but the responsible breed specific breeders in our area all let puppies go at 10 weeks not 8. Our breeder, whose ideas lean slightly more towards a rural/old school side of raising pups in some aspects, won't release earlier than 10 weeks - in a nutshell they think it's better for exposure to new things, getting used to handling, socialisation, training, house training (but this is because they do a lot of things with the puppies before they release them to expose them gently to new things as they consider it part of their job as a breeder)

Agreed.

We have a rescue with mild behavioural issues.
We love her but if i had my time over...

Rescues can be great but they are a hoolpa jmup and a half to get and can come woth big issues/challenges

The OP has chickens and rabbits as well. If the greyhound wasn't reactive to these, it would have been pts or rescued as a puppy.
Is it worth the stress for all concerned? That includes the chickens. The dog may fail and have to be sent back.
OP, given your situation a puppy would be better, it depends on your set up. It is going to take involved training. At least with a puppy/young dog if you have to intervene, there is less chance of the dog turning on you.

I shopped because the rescues wouldn’t allow me to adopt. I am 100% wfh, nice house with a garden in a quiet area, owned this particular breed of dog for 35 years - but because I had a 4yo it was just a point blank no.

They said a 4yo can’t live safely with a dog under any circumstances. I said that’s funny because (until the dog died) he’s lived with a dog every day of his life! But they all kept saying the same thing, so I went “Fuck off you can’t tell me I can’t have a dog” and I bought one.

It isn’t necessarily a red flag at all, it’s just that it sometimes is.

It’s rare for the best dog for any given bitch from a genetic and conformational point of view to be the one the owner happens to have, but if the breeder has brought in a dog from a specific line to improve then there isn’t a problem at all.

I used my own dog on one of my own bitches but I imported her and drove all the way to the Alps to get her. The importation was organised to bring in a bloodline that was new and was compatible with my dog.

That mating was only done once, my other litters (very few and I kept most of what I bred) were all to outside studs.

Another thing to remember about rescues is that they are, by definition, bred by the sort of breeders you want to avoid or they wouldn’t be in rescue. I’ve had rehomed dogs myself and I run a small rescue service now, but I would always advocate having a well bred dog from a responsible breeder first.

If we don’t support good breeders who health test, breed for quality and take back dogs if they need help then there soon will only be back yard breeders and puppy farms left.

Edited to say - there is nothing wrong with having a puppy at 12 weeks, 8 weeks is the absolute legal minimum and I wouldn’t let mine go until 9 or 10 weeks.

I did the same with my youngest cat. After six months of being ignored by every rescue within 100 miles (seriously) I bought a kitten. Over a year later I still feel guilty and still feel angry at the rescues who wouldn't let a cat go to a great home.

Next time I will still exhaust adoption options first.

To answer your question - very unusual for a reputable breeder to own the sire/stud as well as the bitch, usually the male is sourced, after research and tests.

The sire/stud is usually chosen based on particular qualities, not just conveniently 'there'.

It would indicate they likely breed them together several times, a puppy farm type situation.

We did this. I think it will be fine.

If more people bought dogs suitable for their needs, instead of picking for looks, fashion, or because they want ‘non shedding’ to fit in with their insta homes then maybe less dogs would be in rescue in the first place.

I work alongside rescue and see so many dogs living unfulfilled in unsuitable homes because people didn’t do their research. For example buying high energy working breeds with young families and busy work schedules or breeds that may look cute but are plagued with health problems they can’t afford.

The rescues are strict because people return dogs like disposable items the second things get hard. I also would never place an unknown dog with kids, IMO it’s never worth the risk.

I fully support people researching and buying from a breeder for a better fit. I have had rescues all my life but having a dog that suits me is so much easier.

We picked up our puppy at 12 weeks or so because we'd had a big, unalterable trip booked for ages before the pup was even born (he was an accident but with good genes). He was fine at 12 weeks. I might be mis remembering but didn't it used to be the norm?

I'm a dog boarder, I've fostered hundreds and have had many rescues. I don't think there's a wrong or right when it comes to everyone, it's individual!

In your situation I see two choices:

1. cat-friendly greyhound (they do exist)
2. puppy

I'd always go for an adult dog to avoid the puppy years, personally, puppies are such hard work. And greys are fabulous pets.

We have a wonderful rescue Lurcher ( who would be totally unsuitable for you, OP with other pets) but just saying, for those with no other pets around, they are absolutely lovely dogs and very easy to deal with, in general, we've found.

We have always rescued cats, but during the last lockdown when I lost my last cat (with one still here), not one rescue returned our constant calls and emails.

Now I was reading the little local magazine that came through the door last night for our area and theres an advert in it for the local cat rescue. 2 lovely older cats, I prefer older cats, are sitting there but guess what, they cant go to homes where there are already pets or children. We have our cat of course.

So theres no hope of adopting most of the time. So many restrictions in place.

Also I know that from the RSPCA they want to see the last vaccinations of your current pet but we dont get ours vaccinated.

I shopped not rescued but I've got a severely autistic son so I needed to make sure he was safe.
I needed a puppy that would grow up and not be startled by his unpredictable noises or his sudden movements.
He sometimes makes strangers jump when he does this and so I couldn't trust that even the most gentle dog wouldn't be afraid or startled 🤷‍♀️.
Our pup has been amazing around him and I'd do it again without hesitation.

Back yard breeder

@Floralnomad what is BYB? All I can think of is ‘bang your brother’

I looked to adopt a rescue dog. DD had finally passed the age of 10 which meant we were able to get one. The fences were high enough and all that jazz.
The rescue place then said they would not place a rescue dog into a home with another dog over the age of 10, they want them to enjoy peace in their old age.
At that point I gave up and got a puppy.
I could have given a dog a good home!