Please tell me I am doing the right thing getting my new cavvy baby as opposed to a puppy from rescue....I love our new baby but feeling really guilty!

You are doing the right thing!  Relax and enjoy!

Maxine

As long as you've gone to a breeder who works hard to improve the breed, does all the health tests necessary then yes you've done the right thing :d

Please don't feel guilty! You are getting a puppy from a background that you can know something about. You will be able to get information regarding any health tests that the parents have been done, and any problems that may occur (hope nothing there though ;) ) A puppy from a rescue could have any number of health problems before you start. You may never know the full history behind it. I'm not trying to bring rescues down in any way, but you did want to be reassured :D

Thanks, yes she is a very good breeder whom I trust with regards to health etc!

I just had an attack of conscience as I feel sad that there are so many puppies in rescues! :(

Perhaps when my children are all grown up we will be able to help a rescue dog :)

I totally understand what you mean about feeling guilty. I have felt the same way for buying a pedigree puppy when there are needy dogs in rescues, but we really weren't at a good stage to take on a rescue for lots of reasons. (hope one day we will be able to) But I'm sure you have done the right thing and hope you get loads of pleasure from your new puppy.

You have to go with what feels right for you :) We have two rescues, one came to us at 10 weeks and the second, two years later, came to us at 5 months old. Our older rescue pup  hadn't been socialised at all and has been, and still is, very hard work :) whereas the younger pup did not have so much socialisation ground to make up and has been far easier to train ( breed does come into it as well ).

I have decided that my next dog will definitely be a pedigree pup from a very well researched breeder :)

I got a pedigree dog from rescue a few years ago and much as I love him to bits, he has been extremely hard work and in some areas of his behaviour he always will be.  I've no regrets really as he was desperate for a home and he does try to be good, but if I was thinking again about getting a dog from scratch I would sway towards a puppy.  Same breed, but I'd probably go for the pup :)

CG

If it was a rescue Cavvy then we would have gone with that but to bring in a dog that we don't know what breed it is would always be a worry for us with the children and our exisiting dog. I know we are doing the right thing for us it just feels a bit selfish, but as I said when the kids are all grown up (they are only toddlers now!) then perhaps I can open our home to lots of waifs and strays! ;)

To be honest it is the breeders and past owners of the dogs in rescue that should feel guilty.  Taking on someone else's mistakes/baggage/problems is not for everyone.

Agree totally

Know exactly how you feel, we did that too.  We rationalize that our breed, Lab, is extremely popular thus leading to unhealthy, poorly bred specimens and we want as healthy a pup as we can get, notwithstanding that nothing in life is guaranteed.  Plus, the breeder knows what we want to do with our pup, he will not be a couch potato, and we need a temperament we can handle.  And to help confirm that we did do the right thing I look to our neighbours' lovely black Lab girl who has bad back legs and yet they want her to run with them while they train for ironman competitions!  We have the same Vet and he cringes to think of the running that dog is doing.  Not to mention the unknown behavioural problems you can have in a rescue.  You can still feel sad for them, poor things.  Take a big bag of dog food to your nearest rescue centre and you might feel better.  Don't go in though.

Just to add not all rescue have behavioural problems and it is often change of circumstances that leads to the dog needing another home :)

Absolutely agree, Lucy, but (not aimed at you personally) I also have a real issue with people who try to guilt trip people into getting a dog from a rescue, saying that it's irresponsible to go to a breeder when there are dogs in rescues.

The irresponsible breeders will not be the ones to stop breeding, and I don't see why we should all be consigned to having the less healthy and less typical dogs that abound in rescues in the future. Responsible breeding should be encouraged, not discouraged - it's the others we need to find a way to stop.

M.

No I agree as out of 5 Labs I have had only one was a rescue and an oldie at that that in the end just didn't work out so had be go to another home in the end ! The next one will be from a very reputable breeder.

I agree that sometime people do ram it down people throats which is not on but it doesn't harm highlighting that alot of rescues are healthly well trained dogs :)

I may at some stage in the next few years get a rescue but at the moment it is not the right time which should always be a factor when ever anybody is considering getting a rescue rather than have the heart strings pulled at !

I think that everyone has reassured us that we are doing the right thing for us at this time, like I said in years to come our circumstances may change (I hate that expression!) and we may be able to accomodate different dogs but I think we are being sensible when sticking to one breed!

I would pop down to our local rescue but I know they have pups in and you all know what a sucker I am for a sob story (not belittling what they have been through!)

:)

but I think we are being sensible when sticking to one breed

CKCS do pop up in rescue fairly regularly, though they are not normally really young ones.

Just to add not all rescue have behavioural problems and it is often change of circumstances that leads to the dog needing another home

Very true... not all rescue dogs have behavioural or medical problems! And don't forget... every single rescue dog started out as a NON-Rescue dog too!

   By Brainless Date 11.01.08 16:08 GMT
To be honest it is the breeders and past owners of the dogs in rescue that should feel guilty.  Taking on someone else's mistakes/baggage/problems is not for everyone.

have to take issue with your comment!
not every dog in rescue is there because there previous owner doesnt care!
i know of several dogs in rescue because of their owners illness and a couple are terminal!
please dont run everyone down that puts their dog into rescue its a better option than turfing them onto the street!

To be fair to Brainless (and of all the members on here she is probably the least likely to cause offence to anyone - wittingly or not ;) ) dogs going through rescue from *responsible" breeders are a rare event as a responsible breeder will take back their stock at any age throughout it's lifetime should the previous owner have to give the dog up - whether for health, family, domestic reasons et al :)  Of course not every owner feels the need to keep the original breeder appraised of changed circumstances (or even address :( )

Yes but where are the breeders of those peoples dogs.  It is rare that both the owner and the breeder are unable to take on the responsibility, rescue should be there for that, not to mop u for puppy farmers, because they won't take responsibility for the dogs they breed.

I felt and sometimes still do now the same when I got my ACS puppy last year, though I had good reason. (Our other three dogs are rescue dogs).

What I did is to donate the same amount I paid for Jesse to various dog rescue organisations, so rescue dogs didn't lose out alltogether. Maybe something for you to consider too?

Vera

Yes Vera just supporting rescues is just as good as adopting :)

I'm not quite sure my oh would be very impressed if I told him we were now paying out double to ease my conscience :D

I am a regular donater of food and time to our local shelter though :)

It doesn't all have to be in one go... I still have a couple of hundred pounds to go now a year after getting Jesse.

But if you are regularly donating food/money/time anyway, then you are doing your bit to help rescue organisations anyway! And maybe one day, you will find a dog in rescue that pulls your heart strings enough to adopt him/her.

Vera

Yes Vera just supporting rescues is just as good as adopting 

I wouldn't say just as good, but it certainly helps. :-)

I think it is as if it wasn't for the supporters of many smaller rescues many wouldn't be able to exist as alot of work the rescues have to do is fund raising as the adoption fees they get only just about cover their costs in many cases extra fund raising bridges the gaps :)

I know first hand that the thing our rescue needs the most is peoples time :)

You know Angels the first responsibility you have is that to your children. That is why you ARE doing the correct thing.
KAREN (the greeneyed one) :-)