“Why didnt you just go down to the shelter or local rescue to get a dog?? Theres lots there that need homes!!”
Well, the answer is kinda complicated. It starts out with: I have two cats who’ve never seen a dog before in their lives. For their sake we wanted a smaller dog to introduce them to things. BUT, we want a big dog. That means getting a puppy. Are there puppies at the shelters? Yes, but they’re almost always the first ones to find homes so we’re not really leaving them in the lurch. Add in being picky about the type of dog we wanted, and wanting to know as much as possible about the dog’s background and genetics and we decided we were better off finding a reputable breeder.
In the end, do I feel guilty for not taking home a dog from the shelter? Yes, but I’m also confident that we made the right decision for us under these circumstances.