Best site for finding a dog?

John Howard said:

Man! I really liked that beagle/bassett mix Noel you listed, but the shelter is insane. You got to go through a month of interviews and then they actually choose a dog they want to give you. That's a bunch of bull. I am a grandfather, not a teenager. I have earned respect, and I will not put with that kind of disrespect.

Thanks, but if that is how all these shelters act, I want no part of them. They can keep their dogs.

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Some shelters are extreme, most aren't.

Most shelters want to know who is in the home, any other pets you have, what happened to past pets, if you have a fenced yard (and if not how you plan to exercise the dog), and a vet phone number for a reference - I've never had a shelter actually call, they usually just want to know you have a vet to take the pet to. All reasonable things. Some require a home check, which I'm also fine with.

Then there are pounds that let you take the dog as long as you have the cash.

Personally, I don't like the over the top shelters but I DO like them to have a questionnaire and criteria to adopt. That shows they not only care about where their dogs end up, but it often indicates they know the dogs a bit better and whether or not that individual dog would be a good fit in your family.

...so go somewhere else.

Dogs aren't blank slates and not every dog will be a good fit. This rescue sounds like they're just trying to make a good match. It doesn't really seem outlandish to me.

It's ultimately up to you. There are plenty of shelters that will let you take any dog home. Lots of breeders too. But, not guarantee. You'd be taking a major gamble: you could easily obtain the perfect family dog or you could also get a dog with any number of problems. Are you able to deal with that?

You mention that you have multiple grandchildren...I'm a little surprised you're not enticed by the idea of a rescue pairing you with a dog that has experience with children and will fit into your home. It may seem like they're trying to make you jump through hoops, but to me it looks like they're just trying to do right by the dog.

I know a cat rescue in my area owned by a woman who claims to be a "car psychic" and will "spiritually speak" to the cat to see if the cat "likes" the potential adopter before adopting cats out. THAT seems crazy to me. Asking for references, applications, even home visits don't. People lie. All the time. I don't blame them for wanting to protect their dogs.

Right off the bat, I'd say you are totally wrong about this forum. I've been a member of a few forums and this one is by far the most responsible when it comes to helping people find dogs. There's no breeder hate, as long as a good breeder is able to be found. The answers you received were well on par and had you and your family been more willing to take them to heed, you may have had a different story.

I would say that rescue dogs are "riskier" than dogs that are bred by reputable breeders (individuals that invest significantly in their animals). They're not really any riskier than your run of the mill "hobby" breeder, because frankly many of the dogs in shelters CAME from those breeders.

Then you have to consider that 9/10 reputable breeders are going to vet you just as thoroughly as a rescue, so you'd really be in the same boat anyway.

I really don't have too much to contribute as I really don't think we'll ever see eye to eye. I do think some rescues can be over the top; however I don't have a problem with a rescue suggesting dogs that might be a better fit than the dog I'm interested in. If I don't agree, I can move on. But as the general public is rather uneducated about dogs, they don't have any real reason to believe that I know any better, and anyway, they know that particular dog more than I would as I wouldn't have had any experience with that dog. They're just trying to find good, forever homes - nothing at all wrong with that. There is too much unnecessary turnover when it comes to dogs.

I think your question is a little arbitrary because what is intrinsically motivating for me won't be intrinsically motivating to you. One of our family friends breeds chickens - bearded Brahmas in particular. They're a breed of his own created (well, the beard anyway) and he values his chickens very highly. I have several purchased from him and I have to agree: of all the chickens I've ever had these are some of the kindest, hardiest, best layers, etc. They're just awesome birds - even the roosters!

But, I don't breed or show chickens. It doesn't interest me, so even though I love my chickens dearly I guess I'm not intrinsically motivated to spend time with them in the same way I am with my dogs or even dogs in general. I am passionate about rescue dogs, more so since I brought home my own difficult, reactive rescue. He is a true example of the need for rescues to KNOW their dogs and to make good home matches. He is the kind of dog that would have ended up back in a pound had he not made it to our home - some of his issues I think you'd find too extreme. He's also a true example of the importance of responsible dog ownership and the need for GOOD breeders (he was from a hoarder/mill).

Anyway, hopefully that dog is able to find a decent home and you eventually find a dog that fits your requirements.