Adopting and Buying Guide For Puppies and Dogs
Welcome to the most important part of this web site- a comprehensive guide to buying or adopting any type of dog! There is some essential information here and also some great links. Please take a few minutes to read it all!
This puppy's life was spared when we pulled her pregnant mother from death row in another state, at the 11th hour. At the time, we didn't know the dog we rescued was pregnant... but when the puppies were born a few weeks later, we were delighted that we had saved eight lives- mama and seven unborn pups.
If you have decided to add a new dog to your family and are looking for guidance and ideas, you have come to the right place. Our writers collectively have over 100 years experience in dog rescue and adoption and would like nothing better than to help you find the right pet, or if you choose to buy, help guide you towards the best options. Read it all, or please scroll down until you find the category you are looking for.
ADOPTING AN ADULT RESCUE DOG
Sometimes we hear people say that adopting a dog from a shelter means you are getting someone else's problem. People seem to believe that if they raise a puppy they can "mold" it and make sure they are going to have a great animal. In our experience, unless this person is a real expert at raising and training dogs, their success depends on genetics and chance.
Those of use involved in rescue know that it is usually far easier to find a nice adult rescue dog and take it to obedience classes to smooth out the rough edges, than it is to properly raise a puppy from scratch. Shelter dogs are often great "catches". There are so many reasons why people surrender dogs to shelters: moving, kids lost interest, allergies, not enough time, divorce, eviction, grew larger than they expected, etc. None of this means there is anything seriously wrong with the dog- more often, it is the onwers who had problems, not the dog! Their loss is your gain! The dog is just an innocent victim, ready and willing to make a great pet for the right person. Most of the time, people report that once adopted, rescue dogs seem almost pathetically grateful, bond rapidly and deeply to a new owner, and are highly trainable. Your shelter worker or rescue associate can help you select the right dog for your family and lifestyle. For example, the Monmouth County SPCA employs its own certified dog behavior expert to evaluate dogs prior to adoption. And try not to get discouraged by what seems like a negative experience with one rescue or shelter. There are as many different types of rescue workers as there are types of people. Keep going... you will not regret it when you look into your perfect dog's eyes a couple of years from now!
IF YOU REALLY WANT A PUPPY
If you have the time and are willing to make the commitment, it can be really fun to raise and train and play with an adorable puppy, to watch it grow and discover the world. Many people want their children and puppy to grow up together. Sometimes this works out great. But some parents underestimate what it takes to raise a puppy while tending to children (and whether you like to face this or not, the children are not going to be much help with the puppy)and these puppies and young dogs end up in shelters. Please give this serious thought. Nearly everyone underestimates how much time, attention and exercise a puppy needs. Never get a puppy just becuause your kids are begging for one and promising to take care of it. Ask any person working at the intake counter at an animal shelter how this backfires most of the time. You had better want the puppy yourself and be willing to be the primary care taker. Period.
FINDING A MIXED BREED PUPPY
In recent years, finding a mixed breed puppy to adopt in New Jersey could be a challenge. New Jersey is a progressive and prosperous state where a lot of people spay and neuter their pets. Also, the prevalence of leash laws means less dogs roaming free, and mating. However, this is not the case in some other parts of the country. In some states, thousands of puppies are still destroyed every year (some of these states still use the barbaric gas chamber to destroy surplus animals). And this is where supply and demand comes into play in animal rescue. Shelters and rescues from the Northeast have started importing some of these death row puppies from other states, knowing that happy homes are waiting for them in our area. Nowadays if you adopt a puppy in New Jersey, chances are it came from Tennessee, Georgia, Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, etc. The fact that some parts of the country are reaching out to others for adoptable puppies may be a good sign in terms of population control. But perhaps this new abundance of out-of-state pups in our area makes it harder for our native adult dogs to find homes? Please consider adult dogs as well. You can find a mind-boggling assortment of dogs for adoption at Petfinder.com
BUYING A PUREBRED PUPPY
One of the goals of our organization is to encourage people to open their hearts to an orphaned dog rather than buying. However we understand that people may have strong personal reasons for wanting a dog of a certain breed.
The one thing we cannot emphasize enough- and all shelters and rescue groups and most veterinarians agree on this- DO NOT BE TEMPTED TO BUY FROM A PET STORE OR SO CALLED "BREEDER OUTLET" AND USE THE INTERNET WITH CAUTION
No doubt you have heard warnings about buying a puppy from a pet store. But not enough people heed these warnings and the pet store industry is still thriving. Why would someone buy from a pet store after all of the negative publicity? Puppies in pet stores come from cruel, filthy, factory-like operations known as "puppy mills" - usually located in midwestern states or Pennsylvania. The puppy mill industry has been exposed on network programs such as 60 Minutes and Dateline and written about repeatedly in respected publications such as the New York Times and exposed and shamed by every major animal welfare organization in the United States.
Many pet store/puppy mill puppies are genetically inferior and have health problems which may not be apparent when they are babies. But the pet store offers a money-back guarantee! Of course they do, but not out of the goodness of their heart or confidence in their product- it is required by law! In New Jersey there is a puppy Lemon Law (NJ Statute 56:8-93). Just as if you were buying a car. But it's one thing to return a car to a dealer... another to trade in an adorable creature with big brown eyes that you have fallen in love with for days, weeks or even months, because it is defective. No, chances are you are in up to your neck for thousands in vet bills. Do you really want to put yourself in that position? And even if your pet store puppy turns out to be perfectly fine, PLEASE think about the industry you have supported by buying this dog. Your dog's mother and father are stuck back at the puppy mill. They are locked in small cages for life. They will never know a soft bed to lie on, never walk on grass, get a pat on the head or a playful moment. Many can barely walk because they have never been outside a cage. It is a brutal life. When they get past the breeding age, many are shot- yes, with a gun. So, you have already purchased your puppy and you love her and are happy that you saved her. Fine. But please, think of the dogs back at the puppy mill, do not make this kind of purchase again, and try to discourage others from doing so. It can be your way of showing love for your dog and all her family members who have not been so fortunate! Give your business to a responsible breeder, please!
This brings us to the business of buying a dog through the internet. How do you tell the difference between a reponsible breeder and a puppy mill masquerading as a responsbible breeder? Yes, folks, the puppy mills are now all over the internet as well! They lead you to believe they are breeders handling just one breed, and decorate their web sites with dog families romping through fields of flowers... and they offer to ship to you. In reality, they are just the same old puppy mills. Never buy from someone who offers to ship a puppy without learning anything about you. Responsible breeders don't act this way. Don't be fooled by the offer of AKC papers. AKC papers are almost ridiculously easy to get, and offer no guarantee of quality or health. Do not buy from any breeder who does not let you come to look at the puppies, see where they were raised, and meet the mother dog.
HOW DO YOU FIND A REPUTABLE BREEDER?
The Humane Society of the United States, one of our nation's largest animal welfare organizations, has a great Puppy Buyer's Guide and information about puppy mills at Stop Puppy Mills. You can also go to The AKC Web Site and look for the Breeder Referral Contact for your preferred breed. They will be able to refer you to a responsible breeder in your region (be prepared to perhaps do some driving- it's worth it). And here's some good and perhaps unexpected news: buying from a responsible breeder is almost always LESS expensive than buying from a pet store. Hard to believe, but absolutely true. Visiting a dog show or contacting breed clubs may also be a good way to find a breeder.
ADOPTING A PUREBRED ADULT
If you have your heart set on a certain breed, but are willing to open your home to an adult dog... welcome to the world of breed rescue. These are organizations that specialize in a chosen breed of dog. There are thousands of breed-specific rescues in the United States. Use Google; type in the name of your breed and the word rescue. Many breed rescues deal in entire regions, so you might not want to include the name of a state in your search. Availability of dogs will vary according to the breed. Don't expect to find as many Maltese for adoption as Rottweilers. Smaller breeds are harder to come by. If you are looking for a toy or rare breed, be prepared to fill out a lengthy application, go through a strict screening process and to wait. The rescues with highly sought after breeds can afford to be picky and take their time... they are, and they do. You will have an easier time finding a beagle or a German Shepherd than a yorkie. It's just a fact of life. Please note that some breeders do rescue, so breeders may be a good source of rescue dogs... and vice versa. Tell a breed rescue person that if you can'f find the right rescue dog you are interested in buying, and they may be able to point you in the right direction. Also do not forget to do general searches of your breed on Petfinder.com to see if anything turns up in a shelter or an all-breed rescue.
A WORD ABOUT PIT BULL MIXES
We encourage people not to automatically shy away from a shelter or rescue dog or puppy because it "has pit bull in it". There are plenty of these in NJ desperately in need of good homes, and the vast majority of them make marvelous pets. Here at PAN we have placed over 100 pit mix puppies and adults and they tend to be delightful dogs- nice size, few grooming needs, very friendly with people, highly trainable, bright, fun and good with kids. Did you know that in temperament tests conducted by the ATTS (American Temperament Testing Society) Pit Bulls scored slightly higher than Golden Retrievers? While usually fond of people, some pits and pit mixes can be unpredictable with other animals. Some are fine. They need to be evaluated on a case by case basis. Seek the assistance of an expert when testing these dogs with other animals. For more info on the breed check out the excellent web site BadRap.org.