[MindieRose]

Originally Posted by QuickSilver

I definitely think it's worth checking out a shelter. Sadly, with this economy, it is a "buyers market' when it comes to shelter dogs. Over the past two months, I've seen some incredible dogs come through, including heartbreakingly adorable rottie pups, boxer pups, and the most gorgeous, intelligent chocolate lab / pit mix puppy you can imagine. Of course, the dogs are always great, but many more people are surrendering puppies and pure breds than last year.

If I were to get a large dog, I would look into a shelter, but I could not get an adult dog, it would have to be a puppy, and they would have to know the exact breeds if it were a mix. I have 6 kids under 11, and you just never know the history. Not that puppies cannot grow up and do something unpredictable, but I can understand why someone might be inclined to go through a breeder as opposed to a shelter if they have children.