Searching for your next best friend? Great! Dogs are the best companions, and I’m so excited to hear that you want to bring a dog into your life. Whether you’re a first-time dog owner or a seasoned pet expert, the question of buying or adopting is one that every person should consider. But before you start searching for your newest pup, you should always keep this question in the back of your mind.
Today, I’ve covered the benefits and drawbacks of both, so you can make a more informed purchasing decision!
Buying: Benefits
You can control your dog’s breed: For those who are extremely sensitive to pet allergies, you might consider purchasing a hypoallergenic dog breed from an ethical breeder. Although there is no such thing as a 100% hypoallergenic dog, there are certain breeds that have more predictable, non-shedding coats. If you buy a dog, you can look for a more hypoallergenic breed.
You have more influence over your dog’s temperament: When you bring home a puppy that is only a few weeks old, you can begin to train them immediately. With buying, then, you get more control over your dog’s growth and development.
Buying: Drawbacks
Buying can be extremely expensive: Some dog owners want a pure-breed dog to enter in pet shows, or because they are looking for a very specific dog that fits their lifestyle needs. Buying a dog, however, could cost upwards of hundreds or thousands of dollars.
Buying can support puppy mills: Puppy mills are extremely inhumane businesses. Breeders will keep dogs locked up in filthy cages, forcing them to breed while exposing new pups to unhealthy, unvaccinated, and diseased conditions. These dogs are treated like livestock their entire lives, and as troubling as it sounds, puppy mill dogs often end up in your local pet store.
Buying, especially a puppy, can be a time-consuming process: Many shelter dogs understand basic obedience training. However, if you buy a dog from a breeder, then you’ll need to dedicate a significant amount of time and effort to housebreak and train your puppy.
Adopting: Benefits
Adoption is often considered the most “moral” way to purchase a dog: Each year, more than one million cats and dogs are euthanized in the US, simply because there are too many animals that enter a shelter, and too few resources to care for these animals. Thus, every time you adopt an animal instead of buying one from the store, you can save a loving animal and provide a warm, loving home for them to thrive.
Adoption can be more cost-effective: Animal shelters want it to make adoption as smooth as possible. That’s why when you adopt a pet, the animal shelter will often cover the cost of spaying/neutering, the dog’s first vaccinations, and even microchipping. Adopting an older dog can also help you save on training expenses.
Adoption helps other shelter animals: When you adopt a dog, you free up a space in the shelter, so they can take care of more animals!
Adopting: Drawbacks
You can’t always control your dog’s temperament: Many shelter dogs have a mysterious background. If a dog has been a stray for several years, you might not know the dog’s personality or behavioral tendencies. This can create some uncertainty around training your dog. However, it’s important to recognize that you can train a dog at any age, with enough effort and patience.
You don’t always know your dog’s medical history: While shelters do their best to provide you with as much information as possible about your dog, there might be some health conditions that you aren’t aware of. Shelters will never purposefully give you a dog with a debilitating health condition without informing you first. Still, this is something to consider, especially with the price of vet appointments, shots, and pet-related medications.
At the end of the day, I always recommend adopting over purchasing, simply because there are millions of loving, caring dogs just waiting for an owner. But as always, the ultimate decision is up to you. There’s not always a right or wrong answer; finding your furry friend is a personal decision, and you should always consider your own wants and needs when making the decision to adopt or buy.
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