Breeder Vs Rescue???

[Bytor]

I am curious to get some opinions about Breeders vs Rescue.
My wife and I have been researching Boxers for quite some time now and
we have decided that this is the right breed for our family and living situation.
We live in a house in Georgia, USA with our 2 girls ages 10 and 5 on 1.2 acres of wooded property.
My wife suggests we get our pet from a Boxer Rescue because it may be cheaper and we can help a dog that really needs a second chance, which I am very open to.
I suggested going to a reputable breeder regardless of the price in order to have some knowledge of the dog's family health history.

I'm thinking we can't lose either way, but I'd like to hear some opinions of those with actual experiences. If anyone has any advice, it will be greatly appreciated.

thank you in advance

[EAO76]

I vote for rescue! Especially if you have little kids. Puppies nip, scratch, chew & jump. It takes the whole family to be consistent & calm with teaching a pup good manners and sometimes little kids don’t have the patience. Kids, leave toys around (how is the pup supposed to learn not to chew in the midst of so much temptation?), and kids laugh, run, & squeal which eggs a puppy on. While people seem to LOVE the idea of bringing home a sweet tiny puppy that stage of puppyhood is very short lived. Also when you purchase a puppy you never know what you are going to get temperament-wise. Puppies take a long time to develop and mature before you see the true dog. However if you rescue an adult what you see is what you get. They have already grown into themselves.

Additionally when you rescue (from a reputable breed specific boxer rescue) you (usually) have a team of people who make an effort to get to know their dogs and get to know you (meet your family, your other pets, see where you live, ask questions about your lifestyle, etc) so that a proper match can be made. Furthermore if you rescue & it doesn’t work out most rescue organizations will take the dog back.

So in my opinion rescuing is a great alternative if you cannot afford a reputable breeder (or don’t want to wait).

[kayboxer]

We choose breeder because of the health issues. Granted, there is no guarantee when you get a pup that they will not come down with heart problems, hip displasia, cancer, etc. BUT if you purchase one from a breeder that does health testing the odds are much less that this will occur. With rescue, you have no idea a lot of times where the dog has come from, what health issues the parents had or have passed down. Not to say rescue isn't the thing to do, because I think it is wonderful. You just need to look at every issue before you decide.

[djheitz]

Why not get a rescue now and then a puppy when your girls are old enough to really help out in caring for one?

From a purely financial standpoint, a reputable rescue will have already spayed/neutered the dog and provided vaccinations, along with any other medical care needed. Another thing to keep in mind is that the volume of owner surrenders is way up due to the economy. There's a good chance the rescue will have medical records for dogs they have received directly from the prior owners.

[MKAD]

I have both a breeder & a rescue boxer. They both are perfect! Sam is my rescue and he loves to cuddle (much more than Sally- the breeder boxer). He is the protector but a complete sweetheart.
I got Sally @ 8 wks & got to go through the bonding experience with her. I rescued Sam when he was 8 mos and missed that puppy time with him. I wish I could have seen him as a puppy- even a photo.
Whichever you choose; I think your family will be happy with a boxer.
Good luck-
Mary

[Bytor]

thank you all
these answers are very helpful. All great answers and great bits of advice
I will consider all of them

thank you very much

[DiverDiva]

I have 2 rescues, one from a Bully breed rescue group and one from an all-breed shelter. At the time we adopted our two, the local Boxer rescue was on hiatus and the other one hadn't been formed yet.

Even though it might be more time consming to go through a rescue group, I think it is well worth it. Oscar was fostered for a month before I adopted him, and his foster Mom was able to give me a lot of information about him, having had him in her home for that time. Mali was in the shelter for a week or two, and the information that I was given about her, especially that another dog took away her bone and she did nothing, did not apply once she got home. I think she may have been too confused or frightened in the shelter to act like her true self. She is definitely a resource guarder. If I ever rescue again, I would try to go through a rescue group over a shelter.

That said, I wouldn't change either of my furkids. I just wish Mali the hot taMali wasn't such a b!!!!! sometimes.

[BxrMommieNAZ]

Honestly, both of my rescued Boxers have been MUCH easier than my Boxer from a reputable breeder. Having done rescue twice and reputable breeder once, we will be going with a breed specific reputable RESCUE from now on. Health issues in the long term have been FAR less with my rescues as well.

Personally I would vote rescue. Our first rescue we got 3 weeks before I gave birth to my son and they did GREAT together. Our second rescue we got when my son was 4 years old and same deal.

[BigDies]

When I got Diesel, my boyfriend and I were kind of in your situation. I knew I wanted a boxer and knew I didn't have the money to buy one from the kind of breeder that I should by from so instead of getting a BYB we looked around and found Diesel from some people who got him from the pound. He's a wonderful dog and the people who had him before us gave us some good information on him.

[Bytor]

I am starting to lean toward the rescue. I filled out an application and I am eagerly awaiting
contact. Plus, its always nice to please the wife once in a while. (win win)

Now, what is the process when adopting from a rescue?
I am curious to find out how many hoops I will have to jump through and how much time it might take to go through the process.