Ditto for me. I've had both purebreds - always from a breeder - and a reputable one that we know or friends know. And we've had rescue dogs that are just as loved. But, you have to meet your needs - have a pet that suits you in size and temperament.
Absolutely. The reason your hearts go out to so many pups in the mall pet stores - frequently from some mill. Puckster, our English Springer, came from a breeder that is a friend of a friend (acquaintance of ours). DH wasn't sure - until he saw the puppies - and we were amazed (I'd already been). The canine family interacted like a human family - even dad was in the mix playing with the little ones. The breeder refers to this pairing as a "love match" . They've had one more litter, and now had the bitch spayed
- she was hit by some very bad driver who veered into them on a walk - turning the car and forgetting about lanes! Puckster's mom was seriously injured, but is doing well now - we found out from our mutual vet. Anyhow - on the breeder point - we agreed not to breed our boy until we put him through a set of certification tests - cardiac, eye, and hip x-rays - to ensure that he's a healthy fellow. And if that doesn't work out, then we'll rescue a companion for him (honestly, he's about the best dog I've ever had
- and we'd love to have his offspring).
Yup - we're pretty much in agreement. It was unfortunate that Lucille's message got kind of twisted. I think I'll go hug the dog!
ellice