Quote:
Originally Posted by mandygurl88 
I always thought that AKC even guaranteed the health because when we adopted our black lab as a kid she was for 2 years, but that was just the breeder. When I went puppy hunting the last 2 months I realized it meant nothing more than more money :-( It's a shame puppies cost $1000 upwards with that paper attached with no guarantee. More people should rescue and just go to their local shelters. I found Toby that way and he's purebred, a little older so I could judge his health and temperament plus he was housebroken which was huge for me. A lot of times they won't place their purebreds online so it's a joy to find out :-)
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I totally agree that rescuing a mixed or purebred is a wonderful idea. There are shelters out there with many pets that families have had give up for various reasons. There are also private rescues that have many animals that need homes.
When you want a specific breed for a specific reason it is best to find a real profession breeder and bypass the pet stores, puppy mills and backyard breeders. Why support people who basically ruin truly beautiful breeds? Put them out of business! I gladly pay a truly good, experienced breeder $1200 to $1500 for a pet quality puppy. If the breeder has spent years creating a healthy, genetically sound line of purebreds that have great personalities and have been properly socialized then it is money well spent. Giving any money to the others is a waste and supports the degeneration of the breed.
Rescue and adoption are wonderful ways of getting a new family member and I highly recommend it to people who are open to doing so.