Breeder or Rescue?

[goldiecr]

We recently lost our sweet boy, Reggie, the day after Christmas. Our house is so lonely and quiet without the presence of our sweet boy here so we are looking to get another boxer (even though I swore I wouldn't b/c of their health problems!). I'm determined to get a boxer from a rescue but my husband wants to get a puppy from a breeder. It just breaks my heart that there are so many out there that need good homes. My husband thinks from a breeder we can see the parents and see if they have any health problems that could be passed along, and we wouldn't be able to do that with a rescue. I got Reggie from a breeder and he passed away at 5 1/2 from heart problems. I'm really leaning towards a rescue.....any suggestions??

 

[Draymia]

Getting a puppy from a breeder that Health Tests is important, but to be honest there are no guarantees. I Health Test all of my dogs, but I have had a few things pop up, that should not have. When dealing with living critters and DNA, anything can happen.

That said, why don't you look into a Rescue. There are so many dogs that are so deserving of a great home. Be sure to go with a Rescue Organization that is knowledgeable.

I don't think you will be sorry.

 

[Boxer_21]

First of all, I'm so sorry about your loss. I'm sure it's been a difficult process for you and your hubby.

I've been giving this a LOT of thought lately myself. Don't get me wrong, I would LOVE to just keep my current boys forever and not have to worry about getting another someday, but I know the day will come when I will be in your shoes looking for another dog to add to my family. I don't need material things in my life... I need animals... My oldest boy who will be 9 in March was just diagnosed with ARVC. My other boy has been in great health, but after Riley's scare I really learned how precious every day really is with them.

I'm torn for the same exact reasons you and your hubby are torn. I want so badly to rescue and give a homeless dog a good home, but at the same time there are so many unknowns. We probably won't know of their history / bloodlines so we wouldn't know if they're more likely to get cancer or heart related problems. Also, we won't know how they are with small kids and/or other pets (in some cases). Whereas with a puppy you would have all of these answers.

I guess you just have to weigh the pros and cons of both. Would giving a homeless animal in need a second chance of having a happy and loving forever home outweigh the money you could potentially end up paying should complications arise?

On the flip side, you could always spend a lot of money up front for a quality puppy from a breeder where you know the history and bloodlines and then end up having to pay to fix a broken leg or a torn ACL, etc. There's also still NO guarantee that this said puppy couldn't still end up getting cancer or developing heart problems much like a human who gets cancer when there's no history in the family.

It's just such a difficult thing to decide on. There's no right or wrong, it's about what feels right to you. I guess you and your hubby will just need to sit down together and really talk this out. Who knows, maybe you could meet in the middle. Adopt a younger boxer now and then add a puppy to the mix a little later or vice versa. Good luck with your decision.

 

[Caney Creek]

I personally think that a rescue dog would be awesome. There are SO many boxers in shelters and rescues that need homes, especially right now with the way the economy is. I find myself browsing petfinder.com all the time (bad habit of mine :o) and I see SO many boxers, puppies included.

True that with a reputable breeder you would get to meet your puppy's dam (most likely you would not meet the sire) and you would get some extra peace of mind knowing that both parents were health tested for heart and other problems. That's with a *reputable* breeder though not JUST a breeder. But even with a reputable breeder there is no 100% guarantee that there won't be health problems -- just better odds. However there is nothing saying that a rescued dog cannot be 100% healthy either.

Look around and see what you find. Do your homework on what you should look for in a breeder (health testing, showing, etc.) and locate a few good breeders that will be expecting puppies in the upcoming year. Also put in applications with a few reputable rescues near you. Check petfinder.com frequently since dogs come and go all the time (especially in high-volume shelters) and the rescues can't get to all of them.

 

[x19er]

We've done half and half :D We've had 2 boxers as puppies from breeders and 2 as rescues. My first choice would always be for a rescue simply because they are desperately needing a home & another chance in life, puppies from breeders will no doubt find homes no problem. As already mentioned yes you can see all the right paperwork & ask all the right questions but that does not guarantee your puppy a long & healthy life. Our 2 puppies had a variety of health issues and our 2 rescues have been much healthier so there's just no telling sometimes.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Oh and if you get an adult rescue you avoid all the middle of the night toilet breaks, a puppy whizzing round wide awake when you want to be sleeping etc etc

 

[djheitz]

Personally, I'd go with rescue. There are literally hundreds of boxers across the US waiting for a spot to open up in recue so they can be saved. We are constantly being asked to transport dogs up from the south, too. It's gotten to the point we can't take in boxer mixes because there are so many pure breds that need our help.

As far as 'knowing' what you are getting with a breeder pup, that might be true in that you know the medical history of the parents and their temperment, but as was already stated, there are no guarantees. If you deal with a reputable rescue, they will have already tested the dog with other dogs, cats and children. The dog will have been in a foster home for a period of time, which really allows the rescue to get to know the dog's personality ans assess any behavioral issues. I have three boxers. Two were raised in our home from puppyhood, the other was rescued at age 4. He is by far the best behaved of the three

 

[srennie]

I will never again buy a puppy!! We've had 2 rescues and 1 puppy. Our first rescue was the healthiest of the 3 and lived to be 14 years old before a brain tumor took him from us. Our 2nd was purchased from a reputable breeder because we had an 8 month old baby and wanted them to grow up together and I 'thought' it would be safer to bring home a baby rather than an adult dog with an unknown history. This puppy was the UN-healthiest of the 3 having his first cancerous tumor before he was 1y/o. We met the momma and I think 2 of the grandparents who were quite old....but our pup died at 9y/o from a brain tumor. Our current rescue is now 6 and other than some allergies she's a happy, healthy girl. When we got her I was doing daycare for my friend's newborn and 2y/o. This is when I realized my rationale for getting a puppy was horribly flawed. It took just a few weeks for me to see that she was great with kids both big and small.

I think we tend to think that with getting a puppy we can 'mold' them into the dog we want. To some extent this might be true but there are also personality issues that arrise as a pup becomes mature. With a rescue you know exactly what you are getting, personality wise. With a good rescue the dogs have been tested around other dogs, cats and children and you will get a full behavior evaluation. With a puppy, you have no idea what they will grow up to be like. We prefer a lower energy boxer like our first one was. Our puppy ended up being a 'springy' one. Our current rescue we were able to hand pick her temperment which is lower energy. At the rescue they walked some out who were bouncing like kangaroos and we asked them to take them right back in as we know that is not the energy level that would work for us.

Not to mention, when you rescue a dog you are literally saving a life....2 lives in fact. The life of the dog you rescue and open a space to save the life of the dog that will now have a place to go until it can find it's forever home. Another BIG perk for me is that they come spayed/neutered. I'm a nervous wreck for surgeries so one less that I have to deal with is a HUGE plus for me!

 

[Cami]

Having just gone through this decision I will share my thoughts.
Cami came from a BYB. I wasn't aware at the time and learned a lot along the way.
I am involved with rescue and could have had a Boxer in my home in a matter of hours after losing her if I had made that decision.
Cami was "sick" her entire life with one ailment or another starting with the day we brought her home as a nearly 9 week old puppy. A few of her issues were life threatening and in the end her heart took her from us.
To be honest when we lost her I was TIRED of sickness. Exhausted from medication schedules, vet visits, conversations with specialists, etc...
That is the ONLY thing that fueled my decision in the end. It was a selfish decision I know but I had to be honest with myself and realize my capabilities. I went on the search for a responsible breeder.

My thinking was I would be elated to have just one YEAR of health and satisfied if that would happen with a new pup. Of course I would secretly hope for a longer stretch of time with health! I figured I needed that for my sanity.

Hubby and I went back and forth for a couple of months. We felt like hypocrites for not going the rescue route but were aware of our emotional state enough to be honest with the circumstances we had lived for nearly 7 years. Cami's issues were all consuming and beyond expensive.

Raine was at the cardiologists office two days after bringing her home. It mattered but it didn't matter if you read between the lines. She was ours and her health was our responsibility. I realized that day, sitting in the waiting room waiting on tests results that I would have done the same for a rescue.

With Raine we knew when her parents were going to be bred. I knew when her mom went into labor and when a c-section was underway. I saw pictures of her the day she was born. I met her when she was 5 weeks old. I was in love with her before she was born. Even after all that I know that I would have loved a rescue just as much as I love her.

In the end we know we made the right decision for us and for her.

There are NO guarantees with a responsible breeder but the risk is less if you locate one that does everything right. Raine has issues that may or may not ever affect her. The only difference is that we know. I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing. Still processing that info.

Whatever you and hubby decide will be the right decision for your family.

You can talk about it till the cows come home but in the end with no guarantee of a healthy pup (breeder) or rescue of any age you will love them and they will return that love in Boxer fashion. lovicon

 

[goldiecr]

Thank you all for your information. I found a boxer from a rescue that I really like but this weekend he is meeting with his potentially new family. Selfishly, I hope it doesn't work out with that family so we can get him! I know we will get the boxer that we are meant to have. It's been a difficult few weeks after losing Reggie but I'm ready for another boxer to bring some wonderful boxer love back into our house!!

 

[Tuff Love]

my husband and i are in the same boat. we said goodbye to our Tuff the same day as you; same age even. he had been suffering a 4 month battle with generalized GME (a form of meningitis with a poor prognosis). my heart broke every day he got worse and saying goodbye was the hardest thing i've ever had to do in my life, bar none.

while my husband seems to have come to terms with the empty house, i on the other hand have been losing my mind over the void left behind. we fought for the last couple of years over the idea of getting another boxer... puppy or rescue. like susi's girl cami,our boy suffered a myriad of ailments over his short life and my husband was dead set on giving up on the breed. me- i've always being a boxer lover and fell head over heels after our experience with tuff. i knew in my heart that every second i had with Tuff outweighed the negatives and the expenses his ailments brought on. after we lost him, my mind hadn't swayed. in secret, i looked up a local boxer club and inquired about pups... more just to humor myself then anything. i certainly wouldn't bring home a pup without consulting dh. turns out they are expecting a litter next week. i mentioned it casually to him 2 weeks ago and he just gave that tell-tale "are you kidding me?" grunt. last weekend however, he admitted to me that he understood how i felt and if it was going to make me happy, we could get another boxer. his only stipulation was that we got one from a reputable breeder this time around. i was ECSTATIC. i am going to give the boxer club a call this evening to inquire about the club, their practices, and their expected litter. while i would love to adopt, this was hubby and i meeting half way for now. we plan to buy a house later this year, and if everything goes smooth and i can get my husband on board, i hope to adopt a second boxer after we buy the house. then again, if things fall through with this breeder, then who knows? perhaps it could be sooner