My DP says he doesn't want a rescue dog as pedigrees are "better". Are they?

[PedigreeDogs]

I have been discussing getting a dog with DP. We had dogs as pets when growing up in our families, but we haven't had a dog of our own that lives with us yet. DP has said he only likes pedigrees because they are less likely to have behavioural issues than rescue dogs (or dogs that have been abandoned by previous owners). He also is quite selective about the breeds he likes. I am curious what people's thoughts are about buying a pedigree dog from a breeder compared to getting a non-pedigree rescue dog.

You can get a “pedigree” dog in a rescue. But my understanding is that quite a few pedigree dog breeds are predisposed to health issues and that mixed breed dogs are healthier.

As for behavioural issues the rescue centre should be aware of these and identify a dog suitable for your family.

Get him to watch Paul O’Grady For the Love of Dogs he might change his mind about what adopting a rescue means.

If you want a dog and you are not fussy about breeds then don't fight him on this. Just get a dog you BOTH want.

No they're not " better" and he's buying a living breathing sentient being. Not a new car. Not all rescue dogs have problems either. Such a ridiculous myth.

Maybe show him the price of one, easily £1000 that might sway him x

You can absolutely get a pedigree from rescue if that’s what you want. So many (irresponsible idiots) sorry, people, bought dogs during lockdown with no real thought about what they would do with them after……and now they have all been dumped in massively over crowded and over stretched shelters. Frankly, a dog is a dog….whether it’s from a breeder or not. I’ve been adopting dogs for 20 years and have loads. My rescue dogs bring me nothing but joy and in the main, the mixed breed ones have been very healthy. Conversely, the few pedigree dogs that we have bought have all died younger than they should have. Rescue dogs aren’t “broken” or bad, they have been let down by people. And, bringing one into your life and watching he or she realise that actually, people CAN be kind, and they are safe, is one of the best feelings ever.

I wouldn't say pedigrees or dogs from eg a breeder are better or worse, I would however say that dogs that come from rescue have a slightly bigger chance of having issues of some sort and will need more work due to the fact they ended up in a rescue as opposed to only having been in a caring environment (which of course non rescue dogs might have benign). We spent two, nearly three years searching for a rescue and never got there, any dogs that were family dogs were gone straight away and they only ever had breeds such as lurchers, terriers and Rottweilers. We ended up with a dog of a friend of a friend. I'll be honest too, while I think people should rescue as much as possible, I think society now forces it on people and it puts dogs into the homes of people who can't give them what they need in terms of attention, experience and help.

No, of course they aren't better.

Pedigree dogs are often over-bred and prone to chronic health issues. Their popularity is down to pure snobbery.

But a fool and his money are soon parted. Let him waste his £1,000 and then pay increased vets bills if he must.

Rescue dogs can be lovely, my friend has one and he is the calmest and most lovely creature. Being a rescue doesn't mean that it will definitely have problems. Of course, sometimes rescue dogs also do have traumatic backgrounds and can have issues.

I can see where he's coming from but I think he should be open to at least looking around a shelter with you before making a decision - you might see a dog you both fall in love with!

And on the flip side, pedigree dogs can have health issues. Make sure you look those up before committing and ideally don't go for something like those flat-nosed dogs that have been over-bred to not be able to breathe properly!

Rescue dogs are often in rescue through no fault of their own eg their owner dying . I am on my fifth rescue and all have been wonderful . No dog is better than another , pedigree or mixed breed . I have had both and the pedigrees have had more medical needs .

I also think rescue shelters are overrun with dogs surrendered after the pandemic and now the cost of living crisis and I'd far rather give a dog a second chance that line the pockets even more of breeders .

There's an attitude that rescues are "second hand" and "damaged goods" rather than shiny and new from a breeder among some people. Its a poor attitude from a potential dog owner tbh. Dogs end up in rescues for all sorts of reasons, and particularly now simply not being able to afford to keep them or misjudging by getting one during lockdown is a reason why rescue centres are so full now.

We got a puppy from a breeder when I was in my late teens, and all the training and behaviour was still bloody hard work. Your DP is naive if he thinks it'll be a walk in the park (pardon the pun) compared to a rescue, and you'll have sunk £1k+ for your trouble!

The choice isn’t between a French bulldog with all its health problems or a rescue dog! Buying a pedigree from a good breeder doesn’t mean it’ll die early and rehoming a random crossbreed doesn’t mean you’re guaranteed a healthy dog. Rescues come with a whole host of baggage. If your DH wants a pedigree and you aren’t arsed then buy a pedigree, just make sure you do your homework properly about the breeder, how to avoid puppy farms etc

@Sparklfairy excellent post. I especially agree with the poor attitude bit. I get vibes your husband shouldn't get a dog with that attitude OP!

Pedigrees are inbred. I had a pedigree cat and she had endless problems. My street mog on the other hand is healthy and robust.

He’s wrong.

Get a rescue dog and a divorce.

You can get pedigree pets from a rescue, and non-pedigree pets from breeders. I have a pedigree and a mixed breed, both of which I have had from a puppy. The pedigree has numerous health issues (although not the kind that can be screened for) and now has anxiety. Mixed breed is lovely, calm and visits the vet once per year for her vaccinations. My mum had a rescue dog that was a pedigree with full gun dog training. I think there’s two separate questions, what breed/s you are looking at and whether you want a puppy. There are also breed specific rescues.

Your DP has a shitty disgusting attitude

Despite what MN would have you believe, not all pedigrees have health issues and not all rescues are nice, healthy robust cross-breeds with no behavioural issues.

There's nothing wrong with a pedigree or a rescue as long as you do your research and are prepared to put the work in.

There are no gaurantee's with any dog, whether a pedigree puppy, a mixed pedigree like a 'poo' or a rescue adult crossbreed or pedigree. I know of three people who didn't like the idea of a rescue, all bought pedigree puppies, one had to be rehomed and the other two PTS, due to behavioural issues. All different breeds and none of the ones that are currently super popular.
Which breeds does your DH like ? What are the characteristics that he particularly likes ? Is he being honest with himself about whether he could offer those breeds the right home ? Do they need a lot of exercise for instance ?

We rehomed an absolutely lovely 6 month old springer spaniel from a rescue. He has been rehomed because there was a profoundly autistic child in the home who had become distressed by how energetic he was. It was a £300 adoption fee and he is the most wonderful dog with no behavioural issues at all.

Rescues come with a whole host of baggage

Not all rescues by a long shot !

Pedigrees are usually better at what they’re intended to do, but unless he’s needing a dog for a specific purpose that’s pretty irrelevant.

Behavioural issues is a bit of a mixed bag really, well bred dogs from good breeders should be fairly free of them, but then good rescues will properly assess the dog and match them to the right owner so shouldn’t be giving first time owners project Dog’s.

But some rescues aren’t as great at that and there are thousands of shitty breeders... so...

It may actually be easier getting a pedigree than a rescue. A lot of breeders simply want the money. A decent rescue will check that the dog is right for you. Whichever way you go you can't be 100% certain, just make sure that the breeder or rescue is reputable and the dog is healthy and suitable for your household.

I have a rescue and i can absolutely see the benefit to getting a well bred puppy from confident, happy parents and raising it yourself. My dog is a bag of nerves in certain situations due to early trauma. She's a great dog, she's not reactive and she's perfect with my children but it's taken months for her to settle in and training is still ongoing to get her to be comfortable to even go on a walk. Next time I'll buy a properly researched, health tested puppy from good parents to give myself the best chance of a confident puppy i can take anywhere.

Crossbreds and mongrels are, on average, physically healthier than pedigrees. A well-bred and well brought up puppy is less likely to have behavioural issues than a rescue who has been shuffled around and not given adequate training (no, not all rescues, but a lot of them).

So do you want the work of a puppy? Because they take up a lot of time and patience. A rescue dog might (or might not) come with extensive training requirements.

Then you need to consider what type of dog will fit in with your life style. Within breed type (such a terriers or retrievers) a lot of behaviours will be shared by many of the breeds, so if you just want a generic terrier, a crossbred from rescue might suit you just as well as a pedigree Westie. But if you like the look and colour of a Vizsla (and can cope with the energy and the training needs) you might find your only option is to buy a puppy.

Would going to a breed-specific rescue be a compromise that you could both consider?

Your husband doesn't sound very well educated on this subject. Mongrels or cross breeds are well known to be healthier than pedigree dogs, which often come with health issues due to years of in or poor breeding. As far as temperament, well that can go either way and depends on such a huge number of variable factors.

We have Dobermans, always have and always will, and we've had both pedigree and rescue, but I have to admit that our pedigree pups, carefully chosen from good breeders, always had far more health and temperament problems than our rescue Dobes. We also currently have a rescue mongrel who in years hasn't had to go to the vet once, while the Dobes are in general far more delicate.