I re-read my post and realised it didn't come out as it was suppose to and didn't proof read it I was rushing out the door.
I think people who feel guilt are those who see it as they could get a dog from a rescue shelter with no where to go and some on death row.
As the ones from responsible breeders will have homes to go to.
It is not about the person buying from the resp breeder, it is about how some people feel they could give a dog from a rescue a home just as easily as the resp breeders dog. The dogs are already there and need some where to go .Hope that makes sense.
Is what I meant to write and will try and edit it, otherwise I could end up getting a lot of what the..... responses
I understand people want well bred dogs, as long as those people understand others are am happy with shelter dogs. And we all reserve the right to change our mind to what we want and how it suits us. Say I wanted to show then I would be looking for a show quality dog, I won't be looking at rescues.
Unless any of us fit in the category of irresponsible breeder none of us are responsible for the dogs in shelters, some just prefer to get their dogs from there.

I agree Em, never thought any different, everyone has a dog that suits their life, but there is a view on here by a few , that try to make those who choose a breeder over rescue feel guilty for doing so, you dont see that view coming from the other way round.

Also agree , you can change your mind at some point in life, (again what suits you at the time) for now , only a pup bred from a reputable breeder is for me....what lies in the future , who knows, one day I will give a home to an golden oldie in need, but not for a good while yet.

I just had to edit my above post again as it wasn't sounding very cohesive and all over the shop my excuse is I kept getting interupted by OH
That is what dog ownership is all about it has to suit the individual, there is no blanket reason in dog ownership, some are just different that what I choose, as long as the dogs are not dumped at a shelter, and the new home looked at to try to ensure it would be the dogs forever home (as much as anyone can). I think most people on here agree on what owners are deemed as bad and I don't think getting a dog from a resp breeder is bad at all.
It can't be a case of save all the rescues as then their would be no breeds.
And as much as it is a case of only buy from resp breeders, the dogs are already sitting in rescues.

Wow, there's 13 pages on this thread so won't read them all but I am guessing the discussion is about "designer dogs" and buying purebreed or crossbreed dogs??
I have two crossbreeds, both terriers.
I love them to bits but am the first to admit I wasn't educated on the puppy mill business when I bought my first dog (from a petshop ).
She is now nearly 13.
The second one is nearly 8 months old and a rescue from a remote town in Western Australia....
I think the "designer dog trouble" started when "someone" started the "trend".
The thing is, these dogs were all once called "mongrels" but I reckon someone came up with an "oodle" name for a joke and then the rest of the world followed suit
You will always have crossbreed, because there is always going to be some irresponsible (or dumb/ignorant) owner who let "Suzie" the Silky escape and then Suzie met "Max" the Maltese and they had a bit of fun and then Suzie gave birth a little while later to some crossbreed pups.
Soooo, in the "olden" days , they would be sold for next to nothing but no, not nowadays, because we can actually give them a "proper" name like ummmm Siltese or Malsilk or something and charge uneducated people an arm and a leg

In a perfect world, we all buy purebreds from registered breeders (is that really always a guarantee for succes though?? I know of registered bird breeders that are still scumbags but that's a different story )
or get a crossbreed from a rescue/shelter.
No puppy mills, no backyard breeders etc.
But, once again, you will always have accidental litters, and those pups still need a good home
But I still feel that petshops are the number 1 cause of impulse buying and that our Aussie government should have banned the sale of puppies and kittens in petshops ages ago!

From what I've read here, it seems that most people are very responsible when they think about getting a dog, be it from a breeder or a rescue. Peoples' circumstances are very often unique & the lifestyle they can offer a dog, their experience in dealing with behavioural problems etc etc can vary widely. But there are some misconceptions & possibly prejudices, that could be put to rest.

Many people say they want a puppy for a variety of reasons from, "I don't want or can't deal with the emotional baggage that may come with an adult rescue dog" to "I want a puppy so I can mould it to my lifestyle" to " I want a particular breed" to "puppies are just soooo cute!".

There are rescue dogs without emotional baggage, believe it or not! But I know behavioural problems are not always apparent in the rescue centre, & can sometimes only come to light after several days/weeks in a home situation ~ so there's always a risk, but if a potential rehomer gets to know the dog first, speaks to the person caring for the dog on a day to day basis, then they'll have a better idea of what they're letting themselves in for. But given the numbers of rescue dogs that are successfully rehomed each year, there must be a pretty good chance of finding the right dog for you, provided you are prepared to wait.

I appreciate that raising a dog from a puppy can help to ensure that the puppy grows up fit & well & develops into the lovely pet that everyone wants. But this is not always the case as very many people know!! It is not a foolproof way of getting a problem-free adult dog, especially for first time dog owners. Sometimes, if you get an adult rescue dog, it is a case of "better the devil you know" especially if you get one that is past the "teenage tantrum" stage & post-adolescence. For some people, the fact that a dog barks at the doorbell, or can't be left on its own for too long, or chases cats, or pulls on a lead, or hates GSDs etc etc, isn't really a problem, so they are happy to rehome a dog with certain issues, provided everything else is ok.

If someone wants a particular breed, then perhaps the reasons for wanting that breed are relevant ~ maybe it is a type of dog that is on their wishlist, rather than a specific breed, or perhaps what they have read about that breed is inaccurate, or perhaps they're taken by the look of the dog, & haven't researched temperament, or they happen to know a lovely dog of that breed & want one the same! But even if these factors aren't relevant, they could try the breed rescue rather than necessarily getting a puppy.

And if they're only reason for getting a puppy is because "it's soooo cute", then perhaps they shouldn't be getting a dog at all!

I'm very much in favour of promoting rescue dogs as a first option for those that just want a family pet, or feel they can give an unwanted dog the care & attention that it needs. But I do appreciate that this is not for everyone ~ so as long as people go to responsible breeders & not the BYB, then so what?

Not Everyone is perfect or are you????????

Err - I dont think so, perhaps some of them do but definitely not all. I have seen some absolutely smashing looking dogs come into rescue from show kennels / breeders - we live in a "throw away" society - when the whim takes some people it costs them not a thought to cast the dog or older pup or even pup in some cases - out like an old handbag - no emotion attached to it at all. You can get someone who will go out and spend £££s on a pup and then a few weeks, months, years down the line, it does not matter a fig, out goes the pup/dog ..........

On the subject of folk only wanting to take on "rescue" dogs from shelters etc - I support taking on rescue dogs - heck I am involved in it myself!!

However what about puppies that are mismarked, not the right colour, bad mouths etc to name but a few faults. They still need homes and yes these puppies can occur in any litter. A good resonsible breeder will try and find caring loving homes for them too. In fact a good responsible breeder will "run them on" until such time as a good home becomes available

So, this may be one reason why folk dont always go to rescue - to the majority of the public it matters not a jot if their dog [pedigree or otherwise] is going to become a top show dog, all they want is a loving companion to live with

Our two white Boxers came from a show breeder. Their mother is a Ir + Eng Champion and their father a Eng Champion from a very well known kennel [who incidently on their website shows their white pups proudly along with the coloureds] - so yes, we bought ours from a breeder but they still needed a home, as do all pups irrespective of of where they came from, breeder or rescue.

Our eldest girl came from rescue - she was a "victim" of puppies being bred and sold for Christmas - just after Christmas she was put into the Pound obviously not a good ethical breeder..... However their loss was our gain

then those show kennels and breeders should have taken them back - if they did not then they cannot be classed as ethical and responsible - I breed - all my pups are microchipped and traceable back to me as the breeder ( and also to their owners ) - they have their pedigrees endorsed so that they cannot be bred from ( or at least any pups cannot be KC registered ) and I try as hard as I can to keep in touch with all my puppy buyers to help with ay problems - in my 22 years of breeding I've taken back 2 dogs both because of marriage splits - one I rehomed to an experienced family and the other stayed here with me as he was 10 years old and I figured he's been through enough.

if a pup does NOT have this written into his contract then puppy buyers should walk away - its your pups safety net and I firmly believe the only way that we will begin to solve the rescue crisis in this country

The trouble is the owner has to inform the breeder that the dog is no longer wanted... you cant blame a breeder if the owner does not inform them they need to re home the dog.

Endorsements are good , but they dont stop people breeding from said pups, micro chipping may be the way forward, but I certainly would not class a breeder who does not micro chip their pups , as bad, if they ticked all the other boxes when finding home for their pups.