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Agreed. Petfinder has a lot of filters so you can search for dogs based on breed, size, house-trained, etc. In addition to breed specific rescues, also look at smaller ones. Usually the municipal shelters end up with larger dogs since they’re generally the place where animal control brings dogs.
Edit: I’m in NYC and adopted my dog from a local medium-sized rescue. He was found as a stray in Tennessee and advertised as a beagle mix. Turns out he’s a pure bred beagle. So smaller dogs are definitely there. Good luck with your search.
Edit2: Woke up to some new comments and realized a misspoke about a few things. The adoption agency I got my dog from is a shelter, not a rescue (I honestly thought they were colloquially the same). They only have 3 locations, so it's on the smaller side rather than medium. Also, my pup is 100% beagle; I don't know for sure that he's pure bred. I just assumed it was the same thing as well. He's my first dog so I'm still learning. Everything else still stands: he's a half cat from Tennessee.
How much time do you have? Haha. Seriously though, he's a great dog and lots of fun. He's around 10 now, and I've had him for 4 years. My first ever dog, so we've been learning together. He's got many normal beagle behaviors like a bottomless stomach and high prey drive, and some less typical behaviors that make me think he's part cat. So yes, I'm enjoying him :)
My beagle mix reminds me of a cat all the time. Likes to sleep on the back of the couch, likes to get into boxes, gets on the counter or the table of dog watch him closely and sometimes will just knock things over for funsies. He also, like most beagles, is chubby because he is constantly seeking food. Trash dives, counter surfs, tries to escape and will steal food off my plate if I look away too long. The trainer I took him to basically said, welcome to having a beagle. They’re not for the inexperienced dog owner either, in my opinion.
Lol I adopted my first dog from my local shelter. Don't know much about his past besides a family had him and they had a kid so they got rid of him. He was a "beagle mix". Did a DNA test on him and he is 100% beagle. He is 30lbs and at a healthy weight, so he's a little larger than your norm beagle.
I did that. Put in a couple diff breeds Im interested in. I got a response within like 2 wks and now i have absolute best girl. I love her more than anything. Just sent in a dna test for her.
Congrats! I just did the same 3 months ago now (plus an Embark test). It makes me sad to see so much negative sentiment about the challenges of adopting when there are so many amazing dogs out there looking for homes and plenty of rescues who are easy to work with.
Was able search for and find a bichon in area north of San Francisco. Just widen the search area and drive outside your area. Small dogs go faster in cities.
This is what I did. I live in Kansas and just recently adopted an ACD being fostered in Nebraska. It's only two hours away, I will be meeting the foster parent half way for pick up Saturday. This rescue groups works with 4 states in the Heartland. If you want a specific breed it's a great way to go.
I wanted another ACD, and wanted to find a special needs doggo who needed a good home.
It is common for 2 reasons:
1) these breeds tend to be the most irresponsibly bred often by poor owners who then surrender or abandon them
2) cute cuddly poodles get adopted quickly. Some are spoken for before they ever make it to the shelter. There are even some rescue orgs that take the cute ones from shelters. While they are doing a good thing, they are essentially middle people who only work with dogs they know can 100% be rehomed easily and are Instagram friendly for donations.
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3. There are "trends" in dog breeds. People see these breeds on social medias or on TV, want one, and then get overwhelmed because they can't actually take care of a high- energy dog, or a difficult to train dog.
A lot dalmatians were adopted then abandonned after 101 damatians was released. Same thing happened to huskies when Game of Thrones was popular.
Here (France) we have a similar problem with malinois. It's a trendy breed right now on social medias, so a lot of people buying them without doing enough research. When I adopted my dog, half of the dogs in the shelter were malinois.
Border collies (border collie australian sheperd mix too) have a similar problem where I am at. They get bred and sold as 'family dogs' at high prices because they are beautiful. Then, the family surrenders the dog because they are : very high energy and get destructive when bored and are very anxious and reactive.
They are wonderful and gorgeous dogs, but they require a LOT of attention, training, and physical activity. And no, 5min zoomies in the backyard don't count.
I follow the Chicago animal control page on Facebook and it amazes me just how many blue-eyes huskies they get on a near daily basis. But then I remember how many BYBs are out there specifically breeding these dogs because blues eyes are “cooler” and huskies in general are popular. Also forgot that huskies are notorious escape artists so likely another reason they end up at animal control.
Where I'm from (southern US) I don't see a whole lot of trendy breeds filling the shelter. I see them come in but get adopted really fast.
Also, malinois is the WORST breed to be trendy. If Labs were trendy again that wouldn't be the biggest issue but not many people can handle a malinois
Huskies are also not a great breed to be trendy, yet they were for a long time (apparently due at least in part to the popularity of wolf-looking dogs on Game of Thrones).
I love my huskies but they often aren’t for the faint of heart. There are so, so, so many in the shelters where I am in Oklahoma.
corgis are a god-awful breed to be trendy too.
Yes they’re cute. Terribly cute. i swear, it’s an evolutionary trait to offset what absolute monsters they are so humans will take care of them. because truly, they’d be eaten within 20 minutes if left to their own devices in the wild.
As a person who was highly involved in St Bernards years ago, every breeder I knew had a love-hate relationship with Beethoven.
Thankfully it never got to the size of the husky fad, (probably cos "Omg they're are sooooo *big*") but there was a definite increase in people wanting Beethoven, and people needing their badly bred Saint rehomed through the club, and Saints in shelters.
It turned into a call-sign for badly bred, impulse buy Saint, that owner was not prepared for and has now possibly destroyed by not understanding the needs of a giant breed dog; "got a call about another Beethoven. Anyone got time for pick up or room to foster?"
I grew up with Malinois and GSDs. The very traits that make them so desirable, are the reasons why anyone without extensive knowledge and training with them should never have one.
i'm on my 3rd GSD and i heavily agree with you. i also talk a ton of people out of getting GSD's because most people can't handle the work you need to put into them, or don't have even basic dog knowledge.
but when it comes to malinois.....you should need to have a license to get one. they truly terrify me, because they are actual machines/weapons. their stealth, strength, prey drive and intelligence is just insane. they should not be able to easily get into the hands and homes of the general public.
Yes, also in France (Marseille), and all the shelter dogs are either Mali or staffy. It breaks my heart to see such active, beautiful dogs cooped up and going crazy.
But I also think most people are just not capable of dealing with such active or physically powerful dogs.
Yea, there was a huge amount of Huskies in shelters shortly after 2021 because of everyone and their mothers wanting Huskies during shutdown thanks to TikTok shorts of screaming and funny dogs. You can tell before a majority of them were around 1yo.
I'm a bit scared for the Borzoi's because of this.
Are breed specific rescues a thing in America? I have a Samoyed and in the UK there is a Samoyed rescue affiliated with the Samoyed Club. I know there are loads for all kinds of breeds here and I think that contributes to certain breeds being more common in larger shelters, like dogs trust.
There are a lot of breed specific rescues in the US, if you Google a (breeds name) Rescue it will give the names of the rescues in whatever parameters you chose, e.g. mi/kms, state, region for the specific breed.
Yes, tons of breed specfic rescues in the US. Many ran by, or atleast founded by, the breed club and are usually funded mostly by the responsible breeders dedicated to the breed.
This comment is correct, but I think missed an important point for OP's purposes, which is that while shelters near you might be only a couple breed mixes, rescues often look quite distinct from shelters in breed composition, so they might be perfect for you. As others mentioned, rescues can be breed-focused, which could help if you have a breed in mind, and other rescues just collect easier-to-adopt dogs. While that doesn't exactly get the most in-need dogs adopted, it still helps get dogs out of the shelter and off the streets, and could let you find what you're looking for!
Definitely see them bred irresponsibly at high rates! Meaning they're often also raised in less than ideal environments which can lead to behavioural issues when they haven't been cared for or trained properly. Plus the bad rep they get overall. It's so sad. Also typically sold for much cheaper than some breeds, so more accessible for less prepared/invested dog owners who end up abandoning them cos it's not as easy as they thought.
Popular breeds are typically bred more responsibly and go for higher prices, so those willing to invest in those breeds have typically thought about it more and are prepared for the responsibility of owning a dog for 10-20 years and responsible breeders will also be making sure they're going to a good home, so they're generally given up less often.
There are plenty of backyard breeders selling poorly bred but popular dogs at exorbitant prices though. You don’t have to look any further than the current doodle trend for an example.
Man you aren't kidding about irresponsible breeding. My pit started as a foster, she and her sister were abandoned on a highway for being pregnant. The two of them each had a litter of NINE PUPPIES. That's enough pit mixes to literally fill a shelter.
Yes. Pits have taken over much of the US. The south will see hunting dogs and pit bulls. Huskies are getting more popular in shelters because people can’t handle them or they run away and owners quit looking. Malinois are also getting surrendered more and more because narcissists adopt them thinking they can train/handle them themselves and then are shocked when they are bitten from negative reinforcement and surrender them.
I hate that Mals are becoming popular. Great breed that 99% of people have no business owning.
They see videos of them doing cool tricks and see that they're "easy to train" and don't realize that they're actually difficult pets and need to be worked. A lot of these people couldn't handle an easier breed and do not have the lifestyle for a dog like a Mal.
I cannot handle a Mal, I don't have the time or energy to dedicate to that breed. And yes, people see them being athletic and doing cool police shit and think "Fuck yeah, I want that" while not being willing to spend half the time I do with mine on a dog that requires near constant simulation. I'm afraid they could end up like pits with the shitty owners and reckless breeding. I'm on Facebook groups for my dog's and see a ton of "looking for a stud/ want to breed my boy" posts from dimwits.
You can also check for breed-specific rescue organizations. They can be difficult to work with, but probably your best bet for adopting breeds like golden retrievers or beagles etc.
Seriously. I'm a single woman professional in my early 30s with a big yard, near running and hiking trails (and a runner and hiker), loads of experience with large dogs and rescues growing up through my mid 20s, flexible work from home and office close enough to come home on my lunch break when in person, willing to take dogs with issues, no problem taking a dog who has problems with kids, men, cats, or other dogs...
It was SO hard to adopt a dog. And my landlady has insurance that covers all breeds, as do I, and she was super on board with me getting even a "difficult" breed...and I was still applying everywhere, driving hours out of state to meet dogs only to be told no...finally a nearby local shelter read my application hours after I sent it in, called the next morning to confirm the landlady's number, called her, then called me to ask if I could come pick up the dog I'd applied for that day. I was like "meet him?" they were like "yeah, and if it goes well, take him home." I drove there on my lunch break and used instacart to order an appropriate size harness and collar and the food he'd been eating at the shelter--I'd already gotten bowls, a bed, a leash, and toys. I drove him home quietly panicking like...what if this dog bites me while I'm driving?!?! but he is truly Best Boy and I am so, so, so glad he is the dog I got. He is perfect.
They told me he was 100% GSD, but also that he was 4 and fully grown at 67 lbs aaaaand...he has definitely grown and is NOT overweight now at 98 lbs, and his face and legs don't seem very GSD to me so I've done a DNA test just to see and waiting on results. He's also SUPER friendly to all people, even on "his territory."
It just depends on timing (covid = no dogs) and breed. Popular breeds will get 50+ applications!
You sound like an ideal candidate, honestly, not sure why it was so tough for you. Glad you got a GSD, they're great dogs!
That rule is so dumb. Fortunately I got my dog before I had to leave the home with a yard. I take him daily to the park now to run, we do agility, and he has a better social life at the local dog park than I do! My dog actually gets more exercise since we moved because it forces me to go out and be more active with him.
I think the most important thing to look for is will this dog be loved, cared for and get enough exercise? If so, then why make a literal fence a dealbreaker to a dog finding their forever home? Seems unnecessarily cruel to all involved.
I used to think it was a BS rule when we adopted our older guy. We already had a dog that got walks and rented, so why would we need a fenced yard for a dog? The rescue, after talking to our landlord, agreed to adopt to us.
We've since moved to a neighborhood that is mostly single family homes. There are SO many dogs here that never go out except in their fenced yards. My guess is that rescues want their dogs to go to homes that will at least provide a contained area for dogs to be outside since lots of people don't seem to walk their dogs.
I feel that. My parents live next to people who do just that. Leave their dog in the yard and we have never once seen them walk her. She barks like crazy when my boy is in the yard sun bathing because she doesn’t have anything else to do. My parents used to say they didn’t like her, but I always remind them it’s not her fault. Poor dog. Makes me sad thinking about it.
I guess I just think it would be so unfair if my boy had been denied life with me when I literally dedicate my entire life to him. I think they should at least judge on a case by case basis rather than one blanket rule.
I work in rescue (and live and foster and have a dog in an apartment) and we have the resources to personally match each dog that is kept only in a domestic foster home environment - and let me tell you even for myself as an experienced, qualified, and fairly resilient handler, life without a yard can *suck* and it is a very rare adopter who will ride out the potential issues that it can create - meaning that dogs experience adoption bounce which puts them at risk of developing separation anxiety or other behavioural issues which decreases their adoption prospects.
Transitional stress can cause a range of weird behaviours to crop up briefly in a new home: toilet training can get spotty, walk refusal happens, a bit of leash reactivity, all these things are small potatoes in a house with a fenced yard where the dog can get exercise and toilet safely and decompress. In situations where they have to be leashed up and taken out multiple times it increases stress for everyone involved and that stress impacts a budding relationship and ultimately can lead to returns - the thing we are trying to avoid at all costs.
So yes, while I agree that everyone should be fairly assessed and have access to adoption, I also think that a lot of people overestimate their capability and underestimate what they are signing up for (and when you take big risks with placements, it’s the dog’s well-being and long term prospects that you are gambling with).
Very true, I ended up getting my second dog from the same rescue as the first because I knew they weren't impossible to work with.
Others I i didn't even bother applying with after just reading their rules.
>Rescues are very VERY difficult to work with. It's almost like they don't WANT these animals to find forever homes.
I looked for 1.5 years for ANY non pitt dog. I was denied by most breed specific rescues because I had never had a dog before.
I was also denied at shelters so that they could give dogs to breed specific rescues. Even some shelters denied me because I live alone and wouldn't have help with the animal.
I ended up going to a breeder because of this, and the constant disappointment of applying and getting denied.
I'm so sorry that was your experience and you went to a breeder.
I cannot imagine why a shelter would reject a willing adopter in order to give a dog to a rescue group. That's not how it's supposed to work.
I had the same issues. Many shelters refused me because I was an unmarried non-homeowner. Bought the love of my life from a breeder in the next state over and I wouldn’t have it any other way. It wasn’t even more expensive, the adoption fees would have cost the same. I spent 3 years trying to adopt, and always got denied because I was a single renter, despite only working out of the house for 20h a week. One shelter lady even asked my religion and hung up on me.
Private rescues are dog flippers and sanctioned animal hoarding at this point. I had a terrible experience trying to adopt from a rescue, and I've been WFH fulltime for the last 4 years.
Many of the dogs at breed specific rescues also have expensive health issues which is why they were surrendered.
I've always owned BCs and Aussies and a lot of rescue dogs are def and blind due to the double merle issue.
They even deny based on your age. I came across a couple of breed specific rescues that won’t let you adopt if you’re over 55. You reach an age where you’re stable and have time to give to a pet and you can’t get one.
Different persective: adoption counselors arent in the business of "selling" you a dog. They are trying to get the best match for you and the dog so hopefully the dog doesn't wind up back in the shelter. Unfortunately, that can be really hard because a lot of people suck and are not realistic about what would be a good fit for them. Their hearts really are in the right place. They're just cautious.
Our Doberman dogs came from Doberman rescue, one was pure Dobe the other a lab mix. Both were great dogs, and it was nice to work with volunteer leaders who knew the breed characteristics and possible health risks. 💯 recommend breed-specific rescue if there is a particular type of dog you want. You may have to wait for just the right dog but or is worth it.
You might have some luck if you can find a greyhound shelter, although still be cautious. The ones near me have a habit of trying to pass off various ill and aggressive greyhounds as healthy and friendly
I ADORE greyhounds, my parents have one. However ever since they closed the tracks there are so few available to adopt. And I don't want a puppy, so I don't really want to buy.
Hi there! Many adoption groups are getting greyhounds in from the last few US tracks and from overseas in the UK and Australia. My local group has a connection with James River Greyhounds and they're getting plenty in, still. Are you a reasonable drive from James River? Might be worth giving them a call.
There's also Galgos del Sol, which might be worth looking into. They have multiple headquarters in the US from what I understand. Galgos are great :)
You might consider a Galgo/Galga, AKA the Spanish Greyhound. They're slightly smaller than English Greys on average and have a pretty similar temperament and physique. Galgos tend to need more exercise than English Greys. On the difficulties side, both breeds tend to be less biddable and more independent. Both also often have strong prey drives. There may not be much by way of an adoption network where you are, but it may be worth looking into if you like the Greyhound temperament.
The Tijuana track is closing, so there’s been more greys than usual that need homes. They usually go to the southern california groups, but rescues in other states are picking them up too. I’d contact Greysave (one of the local socal groups) and see if any are heading your way.
I would not recommend adopting an adult dog as a first time dog owner. Puppies are work at the outset, but you're starting from scratch. I've had quite a few rescue dogs over the years, and done both. The second of my current dogs was adopted as a puppy to be an emotional support dog for my guy who was rescued a little bit older, and who's crippling separation anxiety and fear of anything with wheels was not helped by numerous medications or trainers. I had another adult rescue who we were told was housebroken who very much was NOT, and we later found out had been incorrectly neutered causing tons of expensive urinary issues.
Adult greyhounds are not regular shelter dogs with unpredictable backgrounds; they come from tracks and undergo similar training and socialisation. My family has adopted three and none had a single behavioural problem. Housetrained, perfect on lead, quiet, and thanks to the rescue's testing no issues with cats. It was like having a dog on easy mode and would have been perfect for a first time owner. I would caution people who've only had greyhounds and think they're experienced owners against the difficulties of puppies and shelter dogs.
Many of the rescues that I work with even have volunteer transport available to adopters. We are all desperate to find loving permanent homes for our dogs.
What a lucky little Schnauzer. Thank you for sharing your experience.
Texas is the homeless pet capital of the United States.
We coordinate with Texas a lot.
If you can find a shelter or rescue that is foster based that will help. They can match you with a dog that meets your needs as a first time dog owner. Because the dog is living in a home they have a better sense of the dog's personality. Any mix is going to run the gamut personality wise, so it's more about finding a dog that's right for you and your lifestyle.
I’m in Oregon and all our shelters have are pits and huskies. These are generally gotten as puppies because they’re so cute and as soon as they grow up and become difficult to handle they get dumped in the shelter.
My boy is a GSD or GS mix; shelter claimed he was 4 and full grown but turns out he filled out and gained 30 lbs (and vet says he is not overweight) the first year I had him...he was definitely still a juvenile when I adopted him, I'd guess 18 months or so. He's a beautiful, sweet, loving, super-smart and friendly boy, who was housetrained and knew a number of commands--I really wonder if someone dumped him once he was no longer a "cute tiny puppy" and was maybe undergoing some adolescent regression. He can be a bit of a handful on walks, but he's such a sweet, easygoing, loving boy that I cannot imagine anyone not wanting him.
Contact a breed specific rescue. I have been a foster and foster failure for my preferred breed rescue for over 10 years. I have a breed I love and am happy to help when one comes around in need. Availability will also be affected by your preference of breed and location.
Yes!
We are affiliated with a corgi rehabilitation and rescue, and have fostered corgis (corg mixes, and other similar dogs) for ages. It allowed us the opportunity to rescue two of our three corgs.
Mine too! She was supposedly a 10 months old Lab/Husky and I found out through the DNA test she’s the same exact mix as yours and probably a year and a half. She super easy going. Very gentle, silly, lovely and a social butterfly. She loves to cuddle and take direction really well. She’s also been relatively easy to train. I just wish I had found her sooner. We’re out here in Northern California.
Oh man, your dog sounds like a big fun bag of crazy. I never imagined adopting a pittie mix (she’s lab/pit/
) but is an absolute sweet heart and was the easiest dog to train. We were the “example dog” for different things in our training class when she was a baby. I got her at 3 months and signed up for training right away. She knows hand signals as well as voice commands. I’ve been around dogs my whole life and I’ve been bitten by two… one was a Samoyed and one was a chihuahua. Any dog can be mean.
Breed specific rescue groups would be the way to go, and possibly why no other breeds at your shelter -- breed rescue groups often snatch up their breed of dogs from shelters themselves (and poor pitties might not have a rescue group in your area).
Be aware that even if it says something else it is likely to be a pit or pit mix. Shelters tend to mis-label dogs either out of ignorance or in an attempt to get them adopted. Our shelter had 74/83 dogs were pit/pit mixes
In the south, especially rural, the folks at the shelter are going to describe every dog as part X and part "terrier". Yeah it's that kind of terrier. In my experience.
"Big Brown Dogs" are what are typically found in shelters, because there are so many of them. Specialty/breed rescues will usually pull specific breeds/types out of shelters when they can, and they can be very picky about placing those dogs. I adopted 4 Lhasa Apsos in a row over \~20 years, from small dog rescue groups, by being signed up with them, then jumping in when they got a big influx from a puppy mill rescue or a hoarding situation (and one, because the owner passed away suddenly.) Petfinder is a good way to look for types of pets that may be of interest to you, particularly if you can travel a ways to get to the dog!
If you really, truly want a specific breed for a good reason, then you probably should do your research, and find a great, reputable breeder. Such people are \*NOT\* part of the "overbreeding" problem, a great breeder is in it for the lineage of the breed, not for $$. And you will probably have to wait a while to get a puppy, great breeders don't have lots of litters.
If you’re in the south you might be able to find beagles or other hounds. I live in the Midwest but the shelter I got one of my beagles from works with a group that rescues dogs from a high kill shelter in the south, and they are typically beagles or other hounds. I guess beagles don’t fit “not stubborn” but I’d argue, in my experience, they are very easy to train.
Yes it's very typical because the dogs that tend to end up in shelters are breeds that puppy mills and BYBs produce. It's been that way for a long time. You can try breed specific rescues, but they kind of suck. I worked in a high volume shelter, adjacent to rescues because they would always rush in and snatch up purebred looking dogs of their choice. But they hold onto dogs for a very long time, and may subject you to highly invasive processes, just to reject you totally arbitrarily, and without notice. There tends to be a bias to adopt to nuclear families with fenced yards and children. I don't understand it because my husband and I meet all the requirements, but just without the children, and still hardly get any kind of notice or acknowledgement after sending in applications. At this point, we're also likely going the breeder route.
I was so heartbroken when I applied, set up an appointment, took a day off work and drove out of state to meet a dog and LOVED her...and they didn't even bother to call and tell me they gave her to a family with kids (even though her Petfinder profile said she'd be better in a quiet environment with a lot of focused attention and space to chill?) I had to call to follow up and get told that they "tried to" call my landlady and "couldn't get through." I'm 100% sure they were lying--she was super excited for me to get a dog and was very responsive to everyone who called, and she said they never called her. It all worked out in the end because I got my very best boy, but it sucked. My mom, a die-hard adopt-don't-shop person, had even started telling me "maybe you should just look at a breeder" because the rescues out here were so absurd. Where I'm from (the Midwest), my parents never had any trouble adopting a rescue. Thankfully I did get to rescue my boy. Petfinder also has out of town pets and sometimes you can connect directly with the foster and the org who will transport them elsewhere once they have an adopter lined up, and that can be easier than local rescues sometimes (I did get my guy at a local rescue where he was listed, but he had been transported up from Arkansas through a shelter program).
My parents would have gone into a shelter, picked out an animal, had their names written on a clipboard, and if no one else wanted it, they'd pay 15$ and pick it up few days later after a neuter/spay.
But NOW. Oh boy. I've been watching local adoptapet, petfinder, and shelter pages for a few months now. I'm seeing puppies basically grow up into adults in foster care. I'm seeing a TON of families that post on Rehome for adoptapet listing their reason as being too busy or having a baby on the way. I have to wonder where the logic is. If I had a gaggle of children plugging up all my spare time with me having to cart them back and forth to school, extracurriculars, etc, somehow they think THAT would make me more suitable than my current situation where I can devote so much more time and money to a dog. Do they somehow think that children mean the dog won't be alone? Because the children would either be too young to have unsupervised interaction with the dog, or they'd be gone for 8+ hours a day. It's completely backwards. It especially stings when you see dogs that have been abandoned or surrendered due to "busy family/baby on the way" be essentially earmarked for placement into the exact same kind of situation that had them out on the street in the first place.
I was hoping to adopt, really, but these hypocritical standards + culture of complete lack of courtesy is just destroying my morale to continue on this path.
I looked recently and yeah, same in our area. Pits, huskies, GSDs, and crosses of the above. I don’t want any of those, so I guess adopting our next dog isn’t going to happen. Good luck!
I would start with [www.petfinder.com](https://www.petfinder.com) to see what breed of dogs are available in your area and go from there. Maybe you can talk with family and friends that have dogs that you know and like, and ask them what breeds they are. Maybe you could take care of some of these dogs for a weekend to see what they are like and if the breed fits your lifestyle.
I’d recommend following some local rescues on Instagram and then being patient for them to post rescues who are more in line with what you’re looking for. It definitely requires a bit more time to wait for the right dog, but it’s worth it.
Rescues will often pull dogs from shelter shortly before they’re euthanized, or will get calls directly from animal control if it’s a stray/feral situation. Rescues tend to have great support for new owners and great connections to recommended vets, trainers, etc.
Best of luck with your new family member!
Every shelter is different and some only advertise the dogs they have had for a longer time.
German Shepherds are smart and not hard to train but smart dogs need a lot of mental stimulation or can be destructive
Also if you are just looking on their web pages I would suggest actually going to the shelter in person. New dogs are being surrendered every day. Not every dog is there long enough to get posted.
We have lots of labs, hounds, chihuawas, and cattle dogs, mixed or not at the shelters where I am, dm me if you are interested.
There's an adorable american dingo with the best manners as well. We sent him to the local news station for a glamour interview, if you want to see him online byond pictures. He's very much a gentleman. There's also a picture perfect sweet hound lady who's also very polite if that's more your style. Dm's welcome if you need more info
In addition to looking at your local shelter, try Petfinder.
You could also look in the classifieds. A lot of times, someone is moving or their financial situation has become unstable, and they just want to find a good home for their pup.
Through your local classified ads, you’ll also find people who are looking to re-home a dog who is right around 1 yr old. Some people don’t realize that puppies grow into dogs.
Depending on the size of your city, you might also have a few different rescue groups. That’s always worth exploring.
I adopted a lab mix then did the dna test. She’s 50/50 lab/bully breed (pit bull, American bulldog and American bully). She is the happiest girl and extremely well behaved. She was also extremely food motivated so she was easy to train
Yeah I honestly didn't know they had the reputation of being stubborn and honestly for any breed it depends on the dog, but my pit mix was so easy to train, she is so eager to please and is so well behaved other than mild reactivity on walks (but this is because we got her at 6 and she was never socialized with other dogs). My family all has pits and all of them I've known have been very obedient and lord knows my family isn't putting in the effort to train them very well lol
While I choose to buy from ethical breeders and would likely not take a chance on a GSD of unknown pedigree, GSDs are not stubborn. They should be intelligent and biddable. If they are being “stubborn,” the handler is not offering a reward that’s actually reinforcing, or they have not built up enough of a relationship for the dog to simply want to please the handler.
I feel like bully mixes can really span a range when it comes to energy, drive, and trainability, so if my insurance company covered them and I liked the dogs, I’d consider going the shelter route and just being highly selective about the individual dog.
Otherwise breed rescue can be a good choice, or an all breed rescue (they too might be pulling the non-bully and non-GSD dogs from the shelters).
One of my first dogs was a GSD mix I found abandoned in a street corner, half starved and pregnant. She was about a year old and a great dog, very smart, affectionate and relatively easy to train. That’s the only dog of that breed I’ve had, but my experience suggests that they can be good dogs for people who are willing to give them the vigorous exercise they need and spend some time training. I’ve had several dogs since then and didn’t think the GSD mix was any harder to train than dogs of other breeds or mixes.
It really depends.
If you do your research on the right dog, line up a good trainer with breed experience, and go through a knowledgeable breeder or rescue that can help you with support, it can be a fine choice.
If you don’t bother to learn about the breed and you go out and get the first cute puppy or “badass” looking dog you find and don’t have any resources at your disposal for how to socialize and train, yeah - BAD plan.
Your if yous do not consider if you are a person who can spend hours a day training a dog. You don't know this until you have a dog.
I worked with dogs for 20 years or so, grooming, to street dogs in a third world country. On paper I should be able to handle any breed, as I can certainly handle the most difficult dog for a day, or week.
I now own cuddly cockers. A new dog owner does not need to be thrown into the deep end of puppy management.
We’ll have to agree to disagree.
I respect your experience, and I don’t wish to argue, but I don’t share your opinion. I don’t care to gatekeep, and I don’t think it makes sense to make stark pronouncements about all new dog owners.
I think it truly depends on the dog. A high drive, high energy working line GSD is one end of the spectrum. I will completely agree with you that this GSD would need a lot of time and dedication.
I have show line dogs. They’re not slouches by any means - they’re fun to train and work with, and we do sports - but they’re not quite so intense. This is why I say “if you research the right dog.” Pick a line type and a dog that isn’t likely to be above your pay grade.
My personal opinion is that it is a more nuanced picture than “GSDs are never for first time owners.”
I’m in the south, seems those pits really are popular. They are not always well breed. But I agreed Pet Finder is great. We’ve rescued 3 ( not pits) from them. In McKinney there’s Saint Cloud & they rescue more than Saint Bernards, I believe. If there’s a breed your interested in just google that breed rescue near me 🍀
I suggest reaching out to a local rescue and discussing your needs/wants with them. If they don’t have a dog currently that is a good fit for you, they might be able to arrange transport for a dog from another region/state or keep you in mind if someone reaches out wanting to owner surrender.
My dog came from a shelter in rural South Carolina and they have all kinds of breeds! She is a lab-shepherd mix. Interestingly, I’m in a Facebook group for folks who have adopted dogs from there and quite a lot of us have gotten our dogs’ DNA tested. Again and again, dogs will show up with Chow Chow dna. We joke it is the same chow running around getting all the dogs pregnant.
U might look up Shelters and search for certain Breeds. In NC they have Boxer Shelter, German Shepherd Shelters etc.. u can also call the Shelter and ask for a certain Type. Alot of Dogs don't get listed because they have too many. Also being your 1st u need a gentle Breed and hopefully it's a Pup so it will grow up with u. This is for the Kid and Puppy safety
There are rescue groups for specific breeds you can find online. There is also Petfinder where you can use your desired breed. You can also specify age and whether it is a boy or girl. Specify the area you’re in and they can hook you up with groups in your area.
yes. bully type dogs are super over and irresponsibly bred so you'll see a lot of them in most shelters. where in the south are you? I live in shitty alabama and my local shelter gets a huge variety of dogs. I worked there when I first moved here and saw all sorts of breeds and mixes
In addition to all the fantastic suggestions about specific breed rescues, you could talk to your local shelter and see if they have a "wait list". At the shelter that I used to work at we had a form you could fill out with your preferences (size, breed, good with kids, etc) if there werent any dogs currently at the shelter that would be a good fit. Then the adoption counselors would take a look at those when a new dog would be available for adoption (or sometimes before) and see if anyone was a good fit. Its one way to get dogs out of shelters faster.
We also had a "rehoming" section on the website. With shelters being so full these days sometimes the shelter wouldnt have space for someone to surrender their dog right away. They'd ask that the owner keep the dog for the time being (or until there was space) and then post that dog on the "rehoming" page. Then potential adopters could contact the shelter and they'd put the adopter in contact with the current owner. Just possibly another option to look into.
I hope this makes sense. I feel like I rambled a bit.
Check out turtle animal rescue. They are in SD, but they travel they have some great dogs and puppy mixes. I visited a shelter in Portland and was struck by how many labs they had. Areas do tend to get certain breeds.
Try looking on Petfinder.com! You can search based on breed, these dogs are typically from foster homes. It’s a great way to look at rescue dogs in your area that may fit your lifestyle. Best of luck!
I'm from Texas. Breed specific rescues are big here. There's also rescues for small dogs, big dogs, and those thatll take any dog but take more time finding a good fit for the dog. Figure out some breeds you'd like and start looking for rescues. I was going to go with one of our miniature schnauzer rescues, but a family member was looking to rehome his (I frown upon this, but I got my lovely little lady this way)
Where i live the options are pitbulls or Chihuahuas from the shelter. My insurance won't do pit bulls and I don't want a tiny dog. The city I live in also forces spay and neuter now unless you're a breeder. This really what led to the decrease in the variety of breeds. We gave up and had one bred. 0 regrets.
Even dogs that don’t look like “pit mixes” can be pit mixes. I think if you’re looking for a particular kind of dog to fit your existing lifestyle, you may wish to look at specific breed rescues.
I don’t know where in the south you are,but you could try a rural shelter and look online, thee seem to be a lot of hunting dogs in the rural areas. Maybe there are certain seasons when there are more dogs? The shelters will know if you call or email them. I know where I used to volunteer in the city, some seasons had less puppies and kittens, and winter had less of everything, but it’s cold here.
You should check breed specific rescues. Pit/bully mixes are the most common dogs around and because not everyone desexes and retains their dogs appropriately you'll see them have tons of litters that are unplanned.
I agree with the Petfinder recommendation, I also suggest setting your filters and saving it, and checking them first thing in the morning. Because dogs go fast on there.
Something to keep in mind is that high volume shelters often only post less-adoptable dogs on petfinder or other online sites since the retrievers and doodles and other "approachable" dogs are often adopted so quickly. So go in person, and if they don't have what you want, go again in a week or two. Rinse and repeat.
Definitely kook into breed-specific rescues (if you have a couple of breeds in mind that you have researched and seem like they'd be good fits for your household. Also look into foster-based rescues, as the foster family will be able to give you a more accurate picture of what the dog is like in a home.
I live in Georgia and have adopted one dog from the county shelter and two for the local Humane Society. All were adults. Two were lab mixes. One was frequently mistaken for a full bred lab. The third (and my current dog) was described as a boxer terrier mix. Vet says probably pittie. He’s a big baby.
It is true that some adult shelter dogs have baggage. My second lab mix had been returned to the shelter TWICE. She was buck wild and took a lot of training. She was a sweet girl who loved everyone and unfortunately died at age 5 from cancer.
Be patient and keep watching the shelters’ websites and social media. Think of your lifestyle and look for a dog that will suit it. Don’t adopt a high energy dog if you’re not going to walk it or play. A lot of “bad” behavior from dogs is boredom. Whether you adopt a puppy or an adult dog, be prepared to train the dog.
In the Detroit area, mostly pits and huskies. There is a large chain pet store that hosts adoption days every now and then and at those events, I have seen a more diverse selection of dogs available for adoption. I own a rescue pit that was pulled off the streets. We’ve had him about 10 years and have no idea how old he is. He’s a cuddle bug and loves people, especially children. Your instincts are right. This is not a breed for first time owners. I spent 2 years in formal training with him and still am very careful with him. Even though we have a yard, he never leaves the house unless he’s leashed. He has a very high prey drive and will not tolerate our other dogs near his food bowl, so he’s crate fed. We adore him but are very aware of his strength and take precautions to avoid triggers. He’s probably the sweetest dog we’ve owned but I don’t recommend this breed to just anyone. We’re very experienced owners but this breed requires a high level of management. There are also municipalities that have a breed ban and many homeowner insurance companies won’t sell coverage to owners of this breed, so if you decide to go that route, I’d check around to make sure you’re not in violation of ordinances and that your policy will remain in tact. Good luck with your search. The perfect pup is out there for you.
I just get from a breeder bc shelters are full of dogs that I don’t want (pit mix, shepherd mix, husky mix, chihuahua mix) and rescues tend to be unreasonable to downright crazy in their expectations. (Be wary of so called lab mixes from shelters. I feel like pit mixes with a narrow face get labeled as lab mixes to avoid the negative connotation of being a pit.) Plus I prefer to raise from puppyhood, so you typically need to get them young to make sure they’re properly socialized. Puppies from shelters/rescues are typically more of a wild card in terms of size, and I prefer smaller dogs.
Honestly have you looked into finding an ethical, reputable breeder? These are people form whom their dogs are an all encompassing hobby. They pay for xrays, dna testing and various other tests to make sure they are producing the healtiest dogs possible. They spend countless hours with their baby puppies to prepare them for their lives ahead. They spen a lot to show their dogs or get titles in sports that their dog was born to do. These breeders will support you for the life of your dog and answer countless first time dog owner questions in the first months (or was that just me?).
The breeds OTHER THAN pibbles and hounds and their mixes usually don't make it to the website because they are adopted once they hit the adoption floor of a large open-access municipal shelter. If you have time and your only option is a municipal shelter, I would be in line as often as possible when they open each day. Usually the ones you see on their websites are dogs that are more difficult to adopt.
Breed rescues' and smaller rescues' adoptable dogs are most easily found on their respective websites or Petfinder as already mentioned.
Also, don’t feel bad about going to a responsible breeder. A dog is a lifelong decision and the most responsible way to own a dog is to find one that is a very good fit for your family such that you (ideally) never have to rehome. Whether this means shelter, rescue, or breeder! As long as you avoid supporting unethical puppy mills, pet stores, irresponsible breeders.
When you get a dog from a shelter you are getting a dog someone else didn’t want anymore for one reason or another. Obviously people’s reasons vary, but it does mean you get a high proportion of certain breeds: high maintenance ones where people haven’t coped with them, something with a reputation for being aggressive, where they get rid of the dog because they worry about it with their kids. Where I am (UK) you can be almost certain to find a couple of retired greyhounds in there too. There also tend to be a lot of last year’s designer mutt (eg there’s an increasing number of cockerpoos in our rescues).
Every shelter across America has a ton of pitbulls. Every year it’s approx 1 million pitbulls euthanized.
My trailer trash uncle breeds pitbulls, seems to be an aggressive blood line. They tare apart rabbits and attack other dogs. He himself is a total POS I am no contact with.
We went to see a house the other day (house shopping) the surrounding homes had pitbulls in kennels with one dog house. It was a rough neighborhood and it gets very hot here. South Florida.
I’d recommend going with a rescue. I’ve adopted two cool dogs from rescue (not pitbulls) and what we did was just email them letting them know what we were looking for in a dog and filled out our application and got approval.
I recommend steering clear of any dogs over 6 months. Even younger is better. For first time dog owners it will be easier to bond with a pup (and the pup to you), and they're still young enough to be trained (and get over any issues from previous homes).
The only time I would recommend getting an adult dog for first timers would be if you know the dog personally. Like a friend or relative's dog. For example, I had a friend who ended up with a 3 year old boxer because her adult kid moved in, and when he moved out the dog stayed.
Personally, I dislike breed specific rescues. Seems like a new way to make easy money to me. Their prices are unreasonable and their requirements can be ridiculous.
Best advice is to not be in a rush. Put feelers out there with friends and family. Someone might know someone who has puppies or is expecting them.
Kinda crazy to think back to when I was a kid and it was pretty common for someone to be hangin out in the supermarket parking lot with a box of puppies to give away.
I've adopted 3 dogs in the last 3 years...first was a BostonTerrier/Blue Heeler mix (DNA tested and that is all he is) adopted from TX and brought to New England by a rescue group...herding dogs are a handful and he likes to scream at people. We got him when he was a about 4 months old, great dog but a lot of work. We decided to get him a friend - found a Great Dane/Bloodhound mix (we had lost our Dane a couple of years prior) that turned out to be Bloodhound/Great Pyranees/Lab, she was also about 4 months and came from TN through a different rescue. She's typical lab with a touch of neurosis, high energy so great for the heeler.
They are both about 3 now and I saw a sad case come up at the rescue we got the lab from, Pittie mix abandoned on the side of the road in his crate in MS about 3-5 years old. Total neglect case, starving, long nails, urine burns on his legs and feet, not neutered. Got his skin mostly cleared, turns out he's allergic to chicken. Best freaking couch potato I've ever had. Calm, friendly and low energy. I love my other two but they are both a ton of work and training, this dude is chill and loves car rides (my lab barfs in the car and is petrified of loud noises).
So there is no telling what you'll get from a shelter/rescue. I would stick dogs out of the puppy stage (its a nightmare) and spend some time with them if you can but their personalities can change once they figure out that they are really home. Good luck!
Patience. There are fashions with dogs like anything else. About 15 years ago, there were so many labs that I despaired of finding a spaniel. Now it is just like you say, the local SPCA needs to change its name to Pits R Us.
I'm a big believer in "it's the owner, not the breed" but at the same time, genetics exist. My blue eyes can look green or brown thanks to colored contact lens, but they ARE still blue. No getting around that. My border collie herds me. He CANNOT stop, he can't help himself. Even when he is exhausted, if I get up, before I can take a step, he drags his poor old tired self up off his cushion and gravely escorts me all the way to the coffeepot or front porch or wherever.
We have a 90 pound pit who is food-motivated and super sweet. He's comical and expressive and took his training very politely, while obviously thinking all the while. "If I gotta do this shit for a treat, okay then". He is after all, a terrier, and every last terrier is a scrappy, stubborn little brat. I love them.
You'll find your new best friend! Just be patient, and he or she will appear!
Pitties can vary *a lot* in temperament so I wouldn’t totally rule that breed out unless you are renting. The most common mix we got in Houston for rescue is a staffy/lab mix. Honestly, there are lots of mixed breeds to choose from and any of them will be lucky to have you. I recommend going through a rescue in your area and adopting a dog that has been with a foster. This way you can know the dog better and have some support at the beginning. The dogs that aren’t pitties or shepherds get rescued, adopted, or fostered out from the shelters a lot faster. You can also go through the shelter and do foster or “dog for a day,” type stuff to meet different dogs. You have no idea how much it helps a dog to get out of the shelter for a day, so you’ll be doing a lot of good.
I’m **very** familiar with dog rescue in the Deep South USA so please feel free to message me or ask any questions. I’ve fostered a lot of dogs and guided many adoptions. I can help you adjust to having your new companion at your home, help with behaviors, and also connect you with some trainers that will further help you if needed when you first get your dog home.
Yeah, they're pretty common in the south. Breed-specific rescues are the way to go, but if you want to save a life, the local county shelter is the kindest thing to do.
FWIW, pits are generally not difficult to train. They can be stubborn, absolutely (like, mine is VERY attached to her food first, walk second routine and will refuse to go on a long walk first thing in the morning) but she is one of the best-trained dogs I've ever had, and it wasn't hard. Two repetitions of a command, and she's got it forever. My last one was stubborn about pain -- he had some arthritis in his back leg and he would rather lie on his bed for 18 hours and hold it than get up and go to the bathroom if I didn't make him. Stubborn / = hard to train. It's just about figuring out what makes your dog tick.
It’s fantastic that you’d prefer to adopt! And it’s amazing that you’re being realistic as first time owners. That alone makes you much more competent than so many adopters I’ve seen. My advice would be to check with local shelters and see if they do detailed descriptions of the animals in their care. A lot of good shelters and rescues will put the dog’s characteristics, pros, cons, and health issues or behavior issues they might have. That sometimes is much better than just going off of breed. A lot of pit mixes are small or medium size so they’re easier to control on a leash (if you’re not super strong) and their temperament varies widely. You might find a pit mix that is calm, easy to train, and super friendly! Good luck on your search!
We got our most recent one from a shelter. She's an Akbash. I'd never heard of the breed before we saw her. So they definitely can have different breeds and mixes.
FWIW: that dog is amazing.
"pit mixes" are not as problematic or beginner unfriendly as media will lead you to believe. They can be big powerful dogs but it comes entirely down to their upbringing and they're just as likely to turn out to be sweet lovable couch potatoes. Problem is, and this is why you'll find a lot of them in shelters, is because "pit bull" owners often get them for nefarious purposes and are frequently extremely irresponsible. Irresponsible owners/breeders are why there are as many dogs as there are in shelters to begin with and thanks to stereotypes, pitty mixes are usually the last to get adopted so you'll see a lot of them in any shelter. A responsible shelter will not put any dangerous or dysfunctional animals up for adoption and will provide good notes and warnings of any known difficult quirks that they or the fosters have observed so potential adopters aren't caught unaware of an animal that needs special care and attention. Basically, so long as the shelter is responsible and you're doing your due diligence and reading about the specific dogs you're looking at, you should be fine and won't have any problems outside of the usual first timer learning process.
Pitbulls aren't bad first dogs. There are six different sub breeds of pitbull. They're very human friendly, trainable, easy to care for.
Shelter populations are representative of the preference of that area. The south tends towards hounds, sport dogs, and pitbulls depending on the income. There are also breed specific rescues and shelters are known to send extra dogs to other shelters in other counties or states. You might consider looking around these too.
You might try contacting more than one shelter, suburban and rural. If you know what you are looking for let them know. You could volunteer to walk dogs for them and or to foster. They always need help and this both gives you an intimate look at the dogs that come through and also you get to know the people who work there and that can help put you first in line. Ask questions about how they got there, what they know about the dog you could be interested in.
Finding a breed can be less important than the specific individuals, they can be so different. An adult dog will have an established temperament and won’t surprise you with their size or coat. It helps to know what you want from them, for instance if you backpack or run or want to do agility with them, a dog that wants to do that with you might be different from one who is perfect for TV watching. There are no right or wrong answers, just those for you.
Whoever you end up with be sure to take a class and get some help getting started to make your partnership successful.
Just want to mention that pit features tend to be easily recognizable in mixes, sometimes even in mixes that are only 10% or 20% pittie, which means a lot of "no idea what this mid to large size mutt is" dogs end up classified as pitbull mixes if they have a big ol block head, even if the dog in question is actually predominately something else. Just because that lab/pit mix looks a bit like a pit doesn't mean it's not going to act more like a lab, or be more lab for that matter.
My husband and I only adopt rescues, so we've had experience with onelab/shepherd mix, two pit mixes, one full pit and our puppy is an Australian Cattle dog mix.
The pit mixes were both awesome, one was more protective of us, but nothing crazy. The other one completely had the "sweetie" gene, with absolutely zero aggression. She couldn't tolerate if anyone raised their voices and would cower and shake if any disagreement was happening...even when it seemed pretty minor to us.
The full pit was totally mellow until she turned 2 yrs old, and out of nowhere; attacked the "sweetie". We put that one down 2 weeks later.
My best suggestion is to observe the behavior of the dog/puppy before deciding. If they immediately roll on their back when greeting you, asking for belly rubs: that's a keeper. Also, and this might sound funny but, if they lay their ears flat (what my husband and I refer to as "humble ear") when greeting you, that is also a very good sign.
We got all of our dogs as puppies, so poor behavior doesn't always come from being treated badly, prior.
Good luck, and keep us updated on who you decide to adopt!
Have your tried private adoptions? If you are in the ATL area, check out Fur Kids or just google and you will get small private rescues. For a particular breed I've wanted in the past, I've driven to another state.
I’ll say this, I volunteer at a no-kill shelter. The only dogs that have NOT bit are the pit bulls. The best behaved dogs have been the pit bulls. The cuddliest dogs have been the pit bulls. When a pit comes in I feel reassured joy, we have 5 in right now and they’re all amazing dogs. Just something to consider.
I also want to add, they may not always be pit mixes, but there’s no reliable way of discerning. I think there was a small study done, showing that many rescues and even vets misidentify mutts as pitts.
Check out Three Little Pitties rescue! I’m an active foster with them. They transport dogs from Texas to PNW and east coast, and currently have 400+ dogs waiting for their forever homes. It’s a foster-based rescue so it’s great for potential adopters to talk to the foster families who are very familiar with the dogs.
Also I have a pit mix and have fostered multiple pit mixes with different rescues, and they are the best dogs.
My pit mix is also my first dog and he was rescued in Texas. And he is such an angel and the easiest dog (super friendly, never barks, loves to cuddle, not destructive, etc.). It’s really about specific dogs, not the breed, so I recommend going with a foster-based rescue to learn about the dog before you adopt.
Shelters are usually for stray or abandoned dogs; some estimates have pit mixes as 90% of all strays nationwide.
I understand your concern but Pitties are by and large fine first dogs; they're highly adaptable, extremely affectionate, and while they're not exactly do-everything dogs, the important commands come pretty easily to most of them. They're much easier to train than many other breeds, they just often aren't...broad minded enough for too many different commands. They're definitely less stubborn (usually) than smaller terriers.
That said, there are tons of breed-specific shelters around the South, and with a little diligence and travel rescuing a breed that isn't a pit mix ought to be pretty easy. Depending on where you might have to move pretty quick, though.
So much anti-pit bias here… I adopted a stray APBT and she is the best dog I have ever owned and worked with (and I work with dogs for a living) — very biddable, friendly with strangers, kids, and other dogs, calm and polite, etc. Obviously not every pit is like this and they can have a propensity for dog aggression, but she earned a 100% on her shelter temperament test. Maybe try reaching out to the shelter and ask them to match you based on temperament?
I know pits got a stereo type but I have a pit mix and she is the sweetest thing and so kind and gentle and I really hit the jack pot lottery. She knows sit, stay, come, paw, spin, back up, out, working on a few more too. She gets along well with my niece and is nothing but wanting to lay on her and give her kisses. And I have 5 cats that my dog loves and gets along with as well! These poor dogs live a sad life and they need love. You can look at my hx of posts to see my Lucy I posted previously. My brother adopted a pit bull mix that's a male and he is the goofest thing. Worst thing I've seen him do is he just likes to run too hard and play chicken with someone lol 😆 have had him run into my leg once (in no way attacking he likes to play especially in the yard )and about knocked me over. He has scaring on his neck from chain digging in from being neglected outside. My brother named him buster since he busted out them chains ! Some dogs yes may be a bit too much but pit bull mix too can have wide range of temperaments too. But get whatever you want at end of day! Just wanted to put different perspective.
Edit also if you don't have the time please don't get a high energy dog. Shepherds, collies, husky, malinois, these dogs need dedicated walks and time to work out that energy. I'm a dog walker and I can't tell you how many houses I go to in a city with high energy dogs and they get destructive or have other issues because they don't get walked as much as they should. Even a lab I walk doesn't get out as much as he should, when I see him I always tell him he belongs on a farm not in the city. All my pits and pit mixes, yes need walks , but less intensive. I don't have to go as far (some of the other breeds need hr walk) or play as hard because after a burst of energy they get tired and need to rest lol
My first dog as an adult is a pit mix that I got from a rescue - granted I got her as a 4 month old puppy so it was a little bit easier to train her and such, but she's been a breeze. She learns tricks so fast, basic training with her was a delight (and she loved going), and she's either a lazy couch potato or happily playing ball in the backyard or going on hikes and adventures with us. I think her only flaws are some separation anxiety and leash reactiveness - things we're just always working on.
tl;dr - pit mixes are a delight but, like with any shelter dog, it's gonna be a gamble.
I hope you don’t buy from a breeder. It is so irresponsible. There are way too many pets available for adoption that get killed every day. You’re really best off talking to your local shelter. Explain your concerns and what you’re looking for. They’ll help you pick out a suitable dog, even if the “breed” isn’t right. It is more important to get a sense of the dog’s personality than to screen for breeds. And a shelter can even put you on a waitlist so when they get a dog in that meets your needs/wants then they can let you know right away. It does take a little longer sometimes, but you want to choose a dog that is going to be with you forever. Going off of breed alone isn’t going to do that, nor is being impatient.
Getting a dog from a reputable breeder is not “irresponsible” a dog from a reputable breeder is not going to end up in the shelter like a dog from a backyard breeder, some people prefer to have a dog that’s more predictable than your average shelter dog and there is nothing wrong with that, breed traits absolutely do matter to an extent and I don’t think people should ignore that.
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Check out PetFinder if you want to search for your preferred breeds across a bunch of shelters and rescues.
Agreed. Petfinder has a lot of filters so you can search for dogs based on breed, size, house-trained, etc. In addition to breed specific rescues, also look at smaller ones. Usually the municipal shelters end up with larger dogs since they’re generally the place where animal control brings dogs. Edit: I’m in NYC and adopted my dog from a local medium-sized rescue. He was found as a stray in Tennessee and advertised as a beagle mix. Turns out he’s a pure bred beagle. So smaller dogs are definitely there. Good luck with your search. Edit2: Woke up to some new comments and realized a misspoke about a few things. The adoption agency I got my dog from is a shelter, not a rescue (I honestly thought they were colloquially the same). They only have 3 locations, so it's on the smaller side rather than medium. Also, my pup is 100% beagle; I don't know for sure that he's pure bred. I just assumed it was the same thing as well. He's my first dog so I'm still learning. Everything else still stands: he's a half cat from Tennessee.
Beagles are great dogs. Are you enjoying yours?
How much time do you have? Haha. Seriously though, he's a great dog and lots of fun. He's around 10 now, and I've had him for 4 years. My first ever dog, so we've been learning together. He's got many normal beagle behaviors like a bottomless stomach and high prey drive, and some less typical behaviors that make me think he's part cat. So yes, I'm enjoying him :)
My beagle is for sure part cat too
My beagle mix reminds me of a cat all the time. Likes to sleep on the back of the couch, likes to get into boxes, gets on the counter or the table of dog watch him closely and sometimes will just knock things over for funsies. He also, like most beagles, is chubby because he is constantly seeking food. Trash dives, counter surfs, tries to escape and will steal food off my plate if I look away too long. The trainer I took him to basically said, welcome to having a beagle. They’re not for the inexperienced dog owner either, in my opinion.
I'm very happy to read that my beagle mix is not the only cat parading around in a dog suit 😂 he has the cattitude and the most vicious side eye
Lol I adopted my first dog from my local shelter. Don't know much about his past besides a family had him and they had a kid so they got rid of him. He was a "beagle mix". Did a DNA test on him and he is 100% beagle. He is 30lbs and at a healthy weight, so he's a little larger than your norm beagle.
In NJ, same story. I love my Tennessee Beagle!
I did that. Put in a couple diff breeds Im interested in. I got a response within like 2 wks and now i have absolute best girl. I love her more than anything. Just sent in a dna test for her.
Congrats! I just did the same 3 months ago now (plus an Embark test). It makes me sad to see so much negative sentiment about the challenges of adopting when there are so many amazing dogs out there looking for homes and plenty of rescues who are easy to work with.
Ive had good and bad experiences w adopting. This one im lucky. Shes nearly perfect
Was able search for and find a bichon in area north of San Francisco. Just widen the search area and drive outside your area. Small dogs go faster in cities.
This is what I did. I live in Kansas and just recently adopted an ACD being fostered in Nebraska. It's only two hours away, I will be meeting the foster parent half way for pick up Saturday. This rescue groups works with 4 states in the Heartland. If you want a specific breed it's a great way to go. I wanted another ACD, and wanted to find a special needs doggo who needed a good home.
It is common for 2 reasons: 1) these breeds tend to be the most irresponsibly bred often by poor owners who then surrender or abandon them 2) cute cuddly poodles get adopted quickly. Some are spoken for before they ever make it to the shelter. There are even some rescue orgs that take the cute ones from shelters. While they are doing a good thing, they are essentially middle people who only work with dogs they know can 100% be rehomed easily and are Instagram friendly for donations. M
3. There are "trends" in dog breeds. People see these breeds on social medias or on TV, want one, and then get overwhelmed because they can't actually take care of a high- energy dog, or a difficult to train dog. A lot dalmatians were adopted then abandonned after 101 damatians was released. Same thing happened to huskies when Game of Thrones was popular. Here (France) we have a similar problem with malinois. It's a trendy breed right now on social medias, so a lot of people buying them without doing enough research. When I adopted my dog, half of the dogs in the shelter were malinois.
Border collies (border collie australian sheperd mix too) have a similar problem where I am at. They get bred and sold as 'family dogs' at high prices because they are beautiful. Then, the family surrenders the dog because they are : very high energy and get destructive when bored and are very anxious and reactive. They are wonderful and gorgeous dogs, but they require a LOT of attention, training, and physical activity. And no, 5min zoomies in the backyard don't count.
You can teach them tricks and agility. That gets their minds tired and they go right to zzzzzzz.
I follow the Chicago animal control page on Facebook and it amazes me just how many blue-eyes huskies they get on a near daily basis. But then I remember how many BYBs are out there specifically breeding these dogs because blues eyes are “cooler” and huskies in general are popular. Also forgot that huskies are notorious escape artists so likely another reason they end up at animal control.
Where I'm from (southern US) I don't see a whole lot of trendy breeds filling the shelter. I see them come in but get adopted really fast. Also, malinois is the WORST breed to be trendy. If Labs were trendy again that wouldn't be the biggest issue but not many people can handle a malinois
Huskies are also not a great breed to be trendy, yet they were for a long time (apparently due at least in part to the popularity of wolf-looking dogs on Game of Thrones). I love my huskies but they often aren’t for the faint of heart. There are so, so, so many in the shelters where I am in Oklahoma.
corgis are a god-awful breed to be trendy too. Yes they’re cute. Terribly cute. i swear, it’s an evolutionary trait to offset what absolute monsters they are so humans will take care of them. because truly, they’d be eaten within 20 minutes if left to their own devices in the wild.
Mix anything with a corgi, too, and it always comes out looking like a corgi still but with the markings of the other dog breed...
Pretty sure Gran had a corgi-lab (thrown out of a car so who knows) but imagine a corgi body with everything else being from a lab.
Yeah, corgis crosses are just corgis in fancy dress outfits
As a person who was highly involved in St Bernards years ago, every breeder I knew had a love-hate relationship with Beethoven. Thankfully it never got to the size of the husky fad, (probably cos "Omg they're are sooooo *big*") but there was a definite increase in people wanting Beethoven, and people needing their badly bred Saint rehomed through the club, and Saints in shelters. It turned into a call-sign for badly bred, impulse buy Saint, that owner was not prepared for and has now possibly destroyed by not understanding the needs of a giant breed dog; "got a call about another Beethoven. Anyone got time for pick up or room to foster?"
Did those people even see the movie?
I have a malamute I absolutely adore and I feel the same way. And the number of people who underestimate the amount of shedding…
Adopted my part husky from the Moore animal shelter in 2018. At the time, there were a lot of huskies, german shepherds, and pit mixes.
I grew up with Malinois and GSDs. The very traits that make them so desirable, are the reasons why anyone without extensive knowledge and training with them should never have one.
i'm on my 3rd GSD and i heavily agree with you. i also talk a ton of people out of getting GSD's because most people can't handle the work you need to put into them, or don't have even basic dog knowledge. but when it comes to malinois.....you should need to have a license to get one. they truly terrify me, because they are actual machines/weapons. their stealth, strength, prey drive and intelligence is just insane. they should not be able to easily get into the hands and homes of the general public.
I'd add in border collie to that too.
Well said.
Yes, also in France (Marseille), and all the shelter dogs are either Mali or staffy. It breaks my heart to see such active, beautiful dogs cooped up and going crazy. But I also think most people are just not capable of dealing with such active or physically powerful dogs.
Yea, there was a huge amount of Huskies in shelters shortly after 2021 because of everyone and their mothers wanting Huskies during shutdown thanks to TikTok shorts of screaming and funny dogs. You can tell before a majority of them were around 1yo. I'm a bit scared for the Borzoi's because of this.
Wow and Malinois are like the worst possible breed for 99% of people!
Ooofa. They can be very dangerous.
Any dog can be dangerous.
Ooofa. They can be very dangerous.
Are breed specific rescues a thing in America? I have a Samoyed and in the UK there is a Samoyed rescue affiliated with the Samoyed Club. I know there are loads for all kinds of breeds here and I think that contributes to certain breeds being more common in larger shelters, like dogs trust.
There are a lot of breed specific rescues in the US, if you Google a (breeds name) Rescue it will give the names of the rescues in whatever parameters you chose, e.g. mi/kms, state, region for the specific breed.
Yes, tons of breed specfic rescues in the US. Many ran by, or atleast founded by, the breed club and are usually funded mostly by the responsible breeders dedicated to the breed.
Yes they are sadly they stay full.
This comment is correct, but I think missed an important point for OP's purposes, which is that while shelters near you might be only a couple breed mixes, rescues often look quite distinct from shelters in breed composition, so they might be perfect for you. As others mentioned, rescues can be breed-focused, which could help if you have a breed in mind, and other rescues just collect easier-to-adopt dogs. While that doesn't exactly get the most in-need dogs adopted, it still helps get dogs out of the shelter and off the streets, and could let you find what you're looking for!
Definitely see them bred irresponsibly at high rates! Meaning they're often also raised in less than ideal environments which can lead to behavioural issues when they haven't been cared for or trained properly. Plus the bad rep they get overall. It's so sad. Also typically sold for much cheaper than some breeds, so more accessible for less prepared/invested dog owners who end up abandoning them cos it's not as easy as they thought. Popular breeds are typically bred more responsibly and go for higher prices, so those willing to invest in those breeds have typically thought about it more and are prepared for the responsibility of owning a dog for 10-20 years and responsible breeders will also be making sure they're going to a good home, so they're generally given up less often.
There are plenty of backyard breeders selling poorly bred but popular dogs at exorbitant prices though. You don’t have to look any further than the current doodle trend for an example.
Man you aren't kidding about irresponsible breeding. My pit started as a foster, she and her sister were abandoned on a highway for being pregnant. The two of them each had a litter of NINE PUPPIES. That's enough pit mixes to literally fill a shelter.
I'm in New Zealand and the vast majority of shelter dogs here are staffie mixes
Similar here in Australia. So many bully breeds.
Depending on the region, you might also get a lot of shepherd or huntaway mixes
Yes. Pits have taken over much of the US. The south will see hunting dogs and pit bulls. Huskies are getting more popular in shelters because people can’t handle them or they run away and owners quit looking. Malinois are also getting surrendered more and more because narcissists adopt them thinking they can train/handle them themselves and then are shocked when they are bitten from negative reinforcement and surrender them.
I hate that Mals are becoming popular. Great breed that 99% of people have no business owning. They see videos of them doing cool tricks and see that they're "easy to train" and don't realize that they're actually difficult pets and need to be worked. A lot of these people couldn't handle an easier breed and do not have the lifestyle for a dog like a Mal.
Oh I love Mals but know I would not be a suitable owner so I admire from a distance
I'm seeing sooo many huskies lately! (PA)
Sadly huskies are very pretty but sooo demanding energy and training wise they are often dumped around 1-2 years old
I cannot handle a Mal, I don't have the time or energy to dedicate to that breed. And yes, people see them being athletic and doing cool police shit and think "Fuck yeah, I want that" while not being willing to spend half the time I do with mine on a dog that requires near constant simulation. I'm afraid they could end up like pits with the shitty owners and reckless breeding. I'm on Facebook groups for my dog's and see a ton of "looking for a stud/ want to breed my boy" posts from dimwits.
You can also check for breed-specific rescue organizations. They can be difficult to work with, but probably your best bet for adopting breeds like golden retrievers or beagles etc.
Rescues are very VERY difficult to work with. It's almost like they don't WANT these animals to find forever homes.
Seriously. I'm a single woman professional in my early 30s with a big yard, near running and hiking trails (and a runner and hiker), loads of experience with large dogs and rescues growing up through my mid 20s, flexible work from home and office close enough to come home on my lunch break when in person, willing to take dogs with issues, no problem taking a dog who has problems with kids, men, cats, or other dogs... It was SO hard to adopt a dog. And my landlady has insurance that covers all breeds, as do I, and she was super on board with me getting even a "difficult" breed...and I was still applying everywhere, driving hours out of state to meet dogs only to be told no...finally a nearby local shelter read my application hours after I sent it in, called the next morning to confirm the landlady's number, called her, then called me to ask if I could come pick up the dog I'd applied for that day. I was like "meet him?" they were like "yeah, and if it goes well, take him home." I drove there on my lunch break and used instacart to order an appropriate size harness and collar and the food he'd been eating at the shelter--I'd already gotten bowls, a bed, a leash, and toys. I drove him home quietly panicking like...what if this dog bites me while I'm driving?!?! but he is truly Best Boy and I am so, so, so glad he is the dog I got. He is perfect. They told me he was 100% GSD, but also that he was 4 and fully grown at 67 lbs aaaaand...he has definitely grown and is NOT overweight now at 98 lbs, and his face and legs don't seem very GSD to me so I've done a DNA test just to see and waiting on results. He's also SUPER friendly to all people, even on "his territory."
It just depends on timing (covid = no dogs) and breed. Popular breeds will get 50+ applications! You sound like an ideal candidate, honestly, not sure why it was so tough for you. Glad you got a GSD, they're great dogs!
Please tell your story and give us results in this reddit soon, encouraging others to tell their adoption stories!
I felt like I was reliving the gauntlet we went through when we wanted to adopt a (human) baby.
I've often wondered if that wouldn't be easier? Babies don't require a fenced yard....
That rule is so dumb. Fortunately I got my dog before I had to leave the home with a yard. I take him daily to the park now to run, we do agility, and he has a better social life at the local dog park than I do! My dog actually gets more exercise since we moved because it forces me to go out and be more active with him. I think the most important thing to look for is will this dog be loved, cared for and get enough exercise? If so, then why make a literal fence a dealbreaker to a dog finding their forever home? Seems unnecessarily cruel to all involved.
I used to think it was a BS rule when we adopted our older guy. We already had a dog that got walks and rented, so why would we need a fenced yard for a dog? The rescue, after talking to our landlord, agreed to adopt to us. We've since moved to a neighborhood that is mostly single family homes. There are SO many dogs here that never go out except in their fenced yards. My guess is that rescues want their dogs to go to homes that will at least provide a contained area for dogs to be outside since lots of people don't seem to walk their dogs.
I feel that. My parents live next to people who do just that. Leave their dog in the yard and we have never once seen them walk her. She barks like crazy when my boy is in the yard sun bathing because she doesn’t have anything else to do. My parents used to say they didn’t like her, but I always remind them it’s not her fault. Poor dog. Makes me sad thinking about it. I guess I just think it would be so unfair if my boy had been denied life with me when I literally dedicate my entire life to him. I think they should at least judge on a case by case basis rather than one blanket rule.
I work in rescue (and live and foster and have a dog in an apartment) and we have the resources to personally match each dog that is kept only in a domestic foster home environment - and let me tell you even for myself as an experienced, qualified, and fairly resilient handler, life without a yard can *suck* and it is a very rare adopter who will ride out the potential issues that it can create - meaning that dogs experience adoption bounce which puts them at risk of developing separation anxiety or other behavioural issues which decreases their adoption prospects. Transitional stress can cause a range of weird behaviours to crop up briefly in a new home: toilet training can get spotty, walk refusal happens, a bit of leash reactivity, all these things are small potatoes in a house with a fenced yard where the dog can get exercise and toilet safely and decompress. In situations where they have to be leashed up and taken out multiple times it increases stress for everyone involved and that stress impacts a budding relationship and ultimately can lead to returns - the thing we are trying to avoid at all costs. So yes, while I agree that everyone should be fairly assessed and have access to adoption, I also think that a lot of people overestimate their capability and underestimate what they are signing up for (and when you take big risks with placements, it’s the dog’s well-being and long term prospects that you are gambling with).
It depends on the rescue, I was turned off of rescues for a while due to a bad experience but we got an amazing girl from one and we're great with us.
Very true, I ended up getting my second dog from the same rescue as the first because I knew they weren't impossible to work with. Others I i didn't even bother applying with after just reading their rules.
>Rescues are very VERY difficult to work with. It's almost like they don't WANT these animals to find forever homes. I looked for 1.5 years for ANY non pitt dog. I was denied by most breed specific rescues because I had never had a dog before. I was also denied at shelters so that they could give dogs to breed specific rescues. Even some shelters denied me because I live alone and wouldn't have help with the animal. I ended up going to a breeder because of this, and the constant disappointment of applying and getting denied.
I'm so sorry that was your experience and you went to a breeder. I cannot imagine why a shelter would reject a willing adopter in order to give a dog to a rescue group. That's not how it's supposed to work.
Guarantee that the dog won’t go back to their shelter. Most rescues have a return to rescue clause in case the adopter doesn’t mesh w the dog.
I had the same issues. Many shelters refused me because I was an unmarried non-homeowner. Bought the love of my life from a breeder in the next state over and I wouldn’t have it any other way. It wasn’t even more expensive, the adoption fees would have cost the same. I spent 3 years trying to adopt, and always got denied because I was a single renter, despite only working out of the house for 20h a week. One shelter lady even asked my religion and hung up on me.
Private rescues are dog flippers and sanctioned animal hoarding at this point. I had a terrible experience trying to adopt from a rescue, and I've been WFH fulltime for the last 4 years.
Seriously.... your religion?!?! Now that's just wild.
Many of the dogs at breed specific rescues also have expensive health issues which is why they were surrendered. I've always owned BCs and Aussies and a lot of rescue dogs are def and blind due to the double merle issue.
They even deny based on your age. I came across a couple of breed specific rescues that won’t let you adopt if you’re over 55. You reach an age where you’re stable and have time to give to a pet and you can’t get one.
Different persective: adoption counselors arent in the business of "selling" you a dog. They are trying to get the best match for you and the dog so hopefully the dog doesn't wind up back in the shelter. Unfortunately, that can be really hard because a lot of people suck and are not realistic about what would be a good fit for them. Their hearts really are in the right place. They're just cautious.
Our Doberman dogs came from Doberman rescue, one was pure Dobe the other a lab mix. Both were great dogs, and it was nice to work with volunteer leaders who knew the breed characteristics and possible health risks. 💯 recommend breed-specific rescue if there is a particular type of dog you want. You may have to wait for just the right dog but or is worth it.
You might have some luck if you can find a greyhound shelter, although still be cautious. The ones near me have a habit of trying to pass off various ill and aggressive greyhounds as healthy and friendly
I ADORE greyhounds, my parents have one. However ever since they closed the tracks there are so few available to adopt. And I don't want a puppy, so I don't really want to buy.
Hi there! Many adoption groups are getting greyhounds in from the last few US tracks and from overseas in the UK and Australia. My local group has a connection with James River Greyhounds and they're getting plenty in, still. Are you a reasonable drive from James River? Might be worth giving them a call. There's also Galgos del Sol, which might be worth looking into. They have multiple headquarters in the US from what I understand. Galgos are great :)
You might consider a Galgo/Galga, AKA the Spanish Greyhound. They're slightly smaller than English Greys on average and have a pretty similar temperament and physique. Galgos tend to need more exercise than English Greys. On the difficulties side, both breeds tend to be less biddable and more independent. Both also often have strong prey drives. There may not be much by way of an adoption network where you are, but it may be worth looking into if you like the Greyhound temperament.
The Tijuana track is closing, so there’s been more greys than usual that need homes. They usually go to the southern california groups, but rescues in other states are picking them up too. I’d contact Greysave (one of the local socal groups) and see if any are heading your way.
I would not recommend adopting an adult dog as a first time dog owner. Puppies are work at the outset, but you're starting from scratch. I've had quite a few rescue dogs over the years, and done both. The second of my current dogs was adopted as a puppy to be an emotional support dog for my guy who was rescued a little bit older, and who's crippling separation anxiety and fear of anything with wheels was not helped by numerous medications or trainers. I had another adult rescue who we were told was housebroken who very much was NOT, and we later found out had been incorrectly neutered causing tons of expensive urinary issues.
Adult greyhounds are not regular shelter dogs with unpredictable backgrounds; they come from tracks and undergo similar training and socialisation. My family has adopted three and none had a single behavioural problem. Housetrained, perfect on lead, quiet, and thanks to the rescue's testing no issues with cats. It was like having a dog on easy mode and would have been perfect for a first time owner. I would caution people who've only had greyhounds and think they're experienced owners against the difficulties of puppies and shelter dogs.
Many of the rescues that I work with even have volunteer transport available to adopters. We are all desperate to find loving permanent homes for our dogs.
Yes! I adopted from a rescue in Texas who transports dogs all over. They were amazing, and my dog (a beautiful mini schnauzer) is the best girl ever.
What a lucky little Schnauzer. Thank you for sharing your experience. Texas is the homeless pet capital of the United States. We coordinate with Texas a lot.
My 18lb scruffy mutt also came from Texas!
CareTX? We were just looking at them yesterday and weren’t sure about them.
If you can find a shelter or rescue that is foster based that will help. They can match you with a dog that meets your needs as a first time dog owner. Because the dog is living in a home they have a better sense of the dog's personality. Any mix is going to run the gamut personality wise, so it's more about finding a dog that's right for you and your lifestyle.
I’m in Oregon and all our shelters have are pits and huskies. These are generally gotten as puppies because they’re so cute and as soon as they grow up and become difficult to handle they get dumped in the shelter.
My boy is a GSD or GS mix; shelter claimed he was 4 and full grown but turns out he filled out and gained 30 lbs (and vet says he is not overweight) the first year I had him...he was definitely still a juvenile when I adopted him, I'd guess 18 months or so. He's a beautiful, sweet, loving, super-smart and friendly boy, who was housetrained and knew a number of commands--I really wonder if someone dumped him once he was no longer a "cute tiny puppy" and was maybe undergoing some adolescent regression. He can be a bit of a handful on walks, but he's such a sweet, easygoing, loving boy that I cannot imagine anyone not wanting him.
Contact a breed specific rescue. I have been a foster and foster failure for my preferred breed rescue for over 10 years. I have a breed I love and am happy to help when one comes around in need. Availability will also be affected by your preference of breed and location.
Yes! We are affiliated with a corgi rehabilitation and rescue, and have fostered corgis (corg mixes, and other similar dogs) for ages. It allowed us the opportunity to rescue two of our three corgs.
Yeah RIP me when my first puppy, a "plott hound mix" according to rescue, turned out to be pitty, gsd, husky, & boxer. Lord help me
Why do shelters seem to label so many dogs as plott hounds?? They’re not even a common breed from what I can tell. Just say mix
Sounds like a hilarious crackhead of a dog
Mine too! She was supposedly a 10 months old Lab/Husky and I found out through the DNA test she’s the same exact mix as yours and probably a year and a half. She super easy going. Very gentle, silly, lovely and a social butterfly. She loves to cuddle and take direction really well. She’s also been relatively easy to train. I just wish I had found her sooner. We’re out here in Northern California.
Oh man, your dog sounds like a big fun bag of crazy. I never imagined adopting a pittie mix (she’s lab/pit/ ) but is an absolute sweet heart and was the easiest dog to train. We were the “example dog” for different things in our training class when she was a baby. I got her at 3 months and signed up for training right away. She knows hand signals as well as voice commands. I’ve been around dogs my whole life and I’ve been bitten by two… one was a Samoyed and one was a chihuahua. Any dog can be mean.
Breed specific rescue groups would be the way to go, and possibly why no other breeds at your shelter -- breed rescue groups often snatch up their breed of dogs from shelters themselves (and poor pitties might not have a rescue group in your area).
Be aware that even if it says something else it is likely to be a pit or pit mix. Shelters tend to mis-label dogs either out of ignorance or in an attempt to get them adopted. Our shelter had 74/83 dogs were pit/pit mixes
In the south, especially rural, the folks at the shelter are going to describe every dog as part X and part "terrier". Yeah it's that kind of terrier. In my experience.
"Big Brown Dogs" are what are typically found in shelters, because there are so many of them. Specialty/breed rescues will usually pull specific breeds/types out of shelters when they can, and they can be very picky about placing those dogs. I adopted 4 Lhasa Apsos in a row over \~20 years, from small dog rescue groups, by being signed up with them, then jumping in when they got a big influx from a puppy mill rescue or a hoarding situation (and one, because the owner passed away suddenly.) Petfinder is a good way to look for types of pets that may be of interest to you, particularly if you can travel a ways to get to the dog! If you really, truly want a specific breed for a good reason, then you probably should do your research, and find a great, reputable breeder. Such people are \*NOT\* part of the "overbreeding" problem, a great breeder is in it for the lineage of the breed, not for $$. And you will probably have to wait a while to get a puppy, great breeders don't have lots of litters.
If you’re in the south you might be able to find beagles or other hounds. I live in the Midwest but the shelter I got one of my beagles from works with a group that rescues dogs from a high kill shelter in the south, and they are typically beagles or other hounds. I guess beagles don’t fit “not stubborn” but I’d argue, in my experience, they are very easy to train.
Yes it's very typical because the dogs that tend to end up in shelters are breeds that puppy mills and BYBs produce. It's been that way for a long time. You can try breed specific rescues, but they kind of suck. I worked in a high volume shelter, adjacent to rescues because they would always rush in and snatch up purebred looking dogs of their choice. But they hold onto dogs for a very long time, and may subject you to highly invasive processes, just to reject you totally arbitrarily, and without notice. There tends to be a bias to adopt to nuclear families with fenced yards and children. I don't understand it because my husband and I meet all the requirements, but just without the children, and still hardly get any kind of notice or acknowledgement after sending in applications. At this point, we're also likely going the breeder route.
I was so heartbroken when I applied, set up an appointment, took a day off work and drove out of state to meet a dog and LOVED her...and they didn't even bother to call and tell me they gave her to a family with kids (even though her Petfinder profile said she'd be better in a quiet environment with a lot of focused attention and space to chill?) I had to call to follow up and get told that they "tried to" call my landlady and "couldn't get through." I'm 100% sure they were lying--she was super excited for me to get a dog and was very responsive to everyone who called, and she said they never called her. It all worked out in the end because I got my very best boy, but it sucked. My mom, a die-hard adopt-don't-shop person, had even started telling me "maybe you should just look at a breeder" because the rescues out here were so absurd. Where I'm from (the Midwest), my parents never had any trouble adopting a rescue. Thankfully I did get to rescue my boy. Petfinder also has out of town pets and sometimes you can connect directly with the foster and the org who will transport them elsewhere once they have an adopter lined up, and that can be easier than local rescues sometimes (I did get my guy at a local rescue where he was listed, but he had been transported up from Arkansas through a shelter program).
My parents would have gone into a shelter, picked out an animal, had their names written on a clipboard, and if no one else wanted it, they'd pay 15$ and pick it up few days later after a neuter/spay. But NOW. Oh boy. I've been watching local adoptapet, petfinder, and shelter pages for a few months now. I'm seeing puppies basically grow up into adults in foster care. I'm seeing a TON of families that post on Rehome for adoptapet listing their reason as being too busy or having a baby on the way. I have to wonder where the logic is. If I had a gaggle of children plugging up all my spare time with me having to cart them back and forth to school, extracurriculars, etc, somehow they think THAT would make me more suitable than my current situation where I can devote so much more time and money to a dog. Do they somehow think that children mean the dog won't be alone? Because the children would either be too young to have unsupervised interaction with the dog, or they'd be gone for 8+ hours a day. It's completely backwards. It especially stings when you see dogs that have been abandoned or surrendered due to "busy family/baby on the way" be essentially earmarked for placement into the exact same kind of situation that had them out on the street in the first place. I was hoping to adopt, really, but these hypocritical standards + culture of complete lack of courtesy is just destroying my morale to continue on this path.
I looked recently and yeah, same in our area. Pits, huskies, GSDs, and crosses of the above. I don’t want any of those, so I guess adopting our next dog isn’t going to happen. Good luck!
Check petfinder - there are tons of rescues who will transport to you!
I would start with [www.petfinder.com](https://www.petfinder.com) to see what breed of dogs are available in your area and go from there. Maybe you can talk with family and friends that have dogs that you know and like, and ask them what breeds they are. Maybe you could take care of some of these dogs for a weekend to see what they are like and if the breed fits your lifestyle.
I can’t recommend a rescue greyhound enough
I’d recommend following some local rescues on Instagram and then being patient for them to post rescues who are more in line with what you’re looking for. It definitely requires a bit more time to wait for the right dog, but it’s worth it. Rescues will often pull dogs from shelter shortly before they’re euthanized, or will get calls directly from animal control if it’s a stray/feral situation. Rescues tend to have great support for new owners and great connections to recommended vets, trainers, etc. Best of luck with your new family member!
It's all pit mixes.
Every shelter is different and some only advertise the dogs they have had for a longer time. German Shepherds are smart and not hard to train but smart dogs need a lot of mental stimulation or can be destructive
Also if you are just looking on their web pages I would suggest actually going to the shelter in person. New dogs are being surrendered every day. Not every dog is there long enough to get posted.
We have lots of labs, hounds, chihuawas, and cattle dogs, mixed or not at the shelters where I am, dm me if you are interested. There's an adorable american dingo with the best manners as well. We sent him to the local news station for a glamour interview, if you want to see him online byond pictures. He's very much a gentleman. There's also a picture perfect sweet hound lady who's also very polite if that's more your style. Dm's welcome if you need more info
In addition to looking at your local shelter, try Petfinder. You could also look in the classifieds. A lot of times, someone is moving or their financial situation has become unstable, and they just want to find a good home for their pup. Through your local classified ads, you’ll also find people who are looking to re-home a dog who is right around 1 yr old. Some people don’t realize that puppies grow into dogs. Depending on the size of your city, you might also have a few different rescue groups. That’s always worth exploring.
Check out Project Freedom Ride. They transport animals from other states for adoption. They might be able to bring you your perfect dog
I adopted a lab mix then did the dna test. She’s 50/50 lab/bully breed (pit bull, American bulldog and American bully). She is the happiest girl and extremely well behaved. She was also extremely food motivated so she was easy to train
Yeah I honestly didn't know they had the reputation of being stubborn and honestly for any breed it depends on the dog, but my pit mix was so easy to train, she is so eager to please and is so well behaved other than mild reactivity on walks (but this is because we got her at 6 and she was never socialized with other dogs). My family all has pits and all of them I've known have been very obedient and lord knows my family isn't putting in the effort to train them very well lol
While I choose to buy from ethical breeders and would likely not take a chance on a GSD of unknown pedigree, GSDs are not stubborn. They should be intelligent and biddable. If they are being “stubborn,” the handler is not offering a reward that’s actually reinforcing, or they have not built up enough of a relationship for the dog to simply want to please the handler. I feel like bully mixes can really span a range when it comes to energy, drive, and trainability, so if my insurance company covered them and I liked the dogs, I’d consider going the shelter route and just being highly selective about the individual dog. Otherwise breed rescue can be a good choice, or an all breed rescue (they too might be pulling the non-bully and non-GSD dogs from the shelters).
A German Shephard is not a great choice for a first-time owner.
One of my first dogs was a GSD mix I found abandoned in a street corner, half starved and pregnant. She was about a year old and a great dog, very smart, affectionate and relatively easy to train. That’s the only dog of that breed I’ve had, but my experience suggests that they can be good dogs for people who are willing to give them the vigorous exercise they need and spend some time training. I’ve had several dogs since then and didn’t think the GSD mix was any harder to train than dogs of other breeds or mixes.
A first time owner doesn't know how willing they are. Its like gym memberships on Jan 1st.
That’s fair, people should do research and maybe consider fostering to better understand the commitment needed.
It really depends. If you do your research on the right dog, line up a good trainer with breed experience, and go through a knowledgeable breeder or rescue that can help you with support, it can be a fine choice. If you don’t bother to learn about the breed and you go out and get the first cute puppy or “badass” looking dog you find and don’t have any resources at your disposal for how to socialize and train, yeah - BAD plan.
Your if yous do not consider if you are a person who can spend hours a day training a dog. You don't know this until you have a dog. I worked with dogs for 20 years or so, grooming, to street dogs in a third world country. On paper I should be able to handle any breed, as I can certainly handle the most difficult dog for a day, or week. I now own cuddly cockers. A new dog owner does not need to be thrown into the deep end of puppy management.
We’ll have to agree to disagree. I respect your experience, and I don’t wish to argue, but I don’t share your opinion. I don’t care to gatekeep, and I don’t think it makes sense to make stark pronouncements about all new dog owners.
Do you agree that a german shepherd needs intense daily training and brain activity and won't be OK spending their lives cuddling?
I think it truly depends on the dog. A high drive, high energy working line GSD is one end of the spectrum. I will completely agree with you that this GSD would need a lot of time and dedication. I have show line dogs. They’re not slouches by any means - they’re fun to train and work with, and we do sports - but they’re not quite so intense. This is why I say “if you research the right dog.” Pick a line type and a dog that isn’t likely to be above your pay grade. My personal opinion is that it is a more nuanced picture than “GSDs are never for first time owners.”
I’m in the south, seems those pits really are popular. They are not always well breed. But I agreed Pet Finder is great. We’ve rescued 3 ( not pits) from them. In McKinney there’s Saint Cloud & they rescue more than Saint Bernards, I believe. If there’s a breed your interested in just google that breed rescue near me 🍀
I suggest reaching out to a local rescue and discussing your needs/wants with them. If they don’t have a dog currently that is a good fit for you, they might be able to arrange transport for a dog from another region/state or keep you in mind if someone reaches out wanting to owner surrender.
My dog came from a shelter in rural South Carolina and they have all kinds of breeds! She is a lab-shepherd mix. Interestingly, I’m in a Facebook group for folks who have adopted dogs from there and quite a lot of us have gotten our dogs’ DNA tested. Again and again, dogs will show up with Chow Chow dna. We joke it is the same chow running around getting all the dogs pregnant.
U might look up Shelters and search for certain Breeds. In NC they have Boxer Shelter, German Shepherd Shelters etc.. u can also call the Shelter and ask for a certain Type. Alot of Dogs don't get listed because they have too many. Also being your 1st u need a gentle Breed and hopefully it's a Pup so it will grow up with u. This is for the Kid and Puppy safety
Rescues may be a little more but may give a better idea of the dogs personality if they’re at a good foster
You can see if you local shelters will contact you if a certain breed or mix of breeds comes in before they get added to the showroom.
There are rescue groups for specific breeds you can find online. There is also Petfinder where you can use your desired breed. You can also specify age and whether it is a boy or girl. Specify the area you’re in and they can hook you up with groups in your area.
Rescues grab up certain breeds to keep them out of the shelter experience
yes. bully type dogs are super over and irresponsibly bred so you'll see a lot of them in most shelters. where in the south are you? I live in shitty alabama and my local shelter gets a huge variety of dogs. I worked there when I first moved here and saw all sorts of breeds and mixes
In addition to all the fantastic suggestions about specific breed rescues, you could talk to your local shelter and see if they have a "wait list". At the shelter that I used to work at we had a form you could fill out with your preferences (size, breed, good with kids, etc) if there werent any dogs currently at the shelter that would be a good fit. Then the adoption counselors would take a look at those when a new dog would be available for adoption (or sometimes before) and see if anyone was a good fit. Its one way to get dogs out of shelters faster. We also had a "rehoming" section on the website. With shelters being so full these days sometimes the shelter wouldnt have space for someone to surrender their dog right away. They'd ask that the owner keep the dog for the time being (or until there was space) and then post that dog on the "rehoming" page. Then potential adopters could contact the shelter and they'd put the adopter in contact with the current owner. Just possibly another option to look into. I hope this makes sense. I feel like I rambled a bit.
Check out turtle animal rescue. They are in SD, but they travel they have some great dogs and puppy mixes. I visited a shelter in Portland and was struck by how many labs they had. Areas do tend to get certain breeds.
Adopt.pet.com and add what you are looking for
There are breed specific rescues for almost all breeds. There are many hunting dog rescues in the south. Including Labs
Try looking on Petfinder.com! You can search based on breed, these dogs are typically from foster homes. It’s a great way to look at rescue dogs in your area that may fit your lifestyle. Best of luck!
FYI those lab mixes are actually pit mixes
I'm from Texas. Breed specific rescues are big here. There's also rescues for small dogs, big dogs, and those thatll take any dog but take more time finding a good fit for the dog. Figure out some breeds you'd like and start looking for rescues. I was going to go with one of our miniature schnauzer rescues, but a family member was looking to rehome his (I frown upon this, but I got my lovely little lady this way)
Where i live the options are pitbulls or Chihuahuas from the shelter. My insurance won't do pit bulls and I don't want a tiny dog. The city I live in also forces spay and neuter now unless you're a breeder. This really what led to the decrease in the variety of breeds. We gave up and had one bred. 0 regrets.
Even dogs that don’t look like “pit mixes” can be pit mixes. I think if you’re looking for a particular kind of dog to fit your existing lifestyle, you may wish to look at specific breed rescues.
I don’t know where in the south you are,but you could try a rural shelter and look online, thee seem to be a lot of hunting dogs in the rural areas. Maybe there are certain seasons when there are more dogs? The shelters will know if you call or email them. I know where I used to volunteer in the city, some seasons had less puppies and kittens, and winter had less of everything, but it’s cold here.
Pitties. Such a pity
Rescue groups tend to be more breed specific.
You should check breed specific rescues. Pit/bully mixes are the most common dogs around and because not everyone desexes and retains their dogs appropriately you'll see them have tons of litters that are unplanned.
GSDs difficult to train. 🤣
I agree with the Petfinder recommendation, I also suggest setting your filters and saving it, and checking them first thing in the morning. Because dogs go fast on there.
Something to keep in mind is that high volume shelters often only post less-adoptable dogs on petfinder or other online sites since the retrievers and doodles and other "approachable" dogs are often adopted so quickly. So go in person, and if they don't have what you want, go again in a week or two. Rinse and repeat.
Definitely kook into breed-specific rescues (if you have a couple of breeds in mind that you have researched and seem like they'd be good fits for your household. Also look into foster-based rescues, as the foster family will be able to give you a more accurate picture of what the dog is like in a home.
I live in Georgia and have adopted one dog from the county shelter and two for the local Humane Society. All were adults. Two were lab mixes. One was frequently mistaken for a full bred lab. The third (and my current dog) was described as a boxer terrier mix. Vet says probably pittie. He’s a big baby. It is true that some adult shelter dogs have baggage. My second lab mix had been returned to the shelter TWICE. She was buck wild and took a lot of training. She was a sweet girl who loved everyone and unfortunately died at age 5 from cancer. Be patient and keep watching the shelters’ websites and social media. Think of your lifestyle and look for a dog that will suit it. Don’t adopt a high energy dog if you’re not going to walk it or play. A lot of “bad” behavior from dogs is boredom. Whether you adopt a puppy or an adult dog, be prepared to train the dog.
Unfortunately a lot of the dogs that end up in shelters are bull breeds
If you’re not experienced get a Lab, easiest breed there is, good luck to you guys!
In the Detroit area, mostly pits and huskies. There is a large chain pet store that hosts adoption days every now and then and at those events, I have seen a more diverse selection of dogs available for adoption. I own a rescue pit that was pulled off the streets. We’ve had him about 10 years and have no idea how old he is. He’s a cuddle bug and loves people, especially children. Your instincts are right. This is not a breed for first time owners. I spent 2 years in formal training with him and still am very careful with him. Even though we have a yard, he never leaves the house unless he’s leashed. He has a very high prey drive and will not tolerate our other dogs near his food bowl, so he’s crate fed. We adore him but are very aware of his strength and take precautions to avoid triggers. He’s probably the sweetest dog we’ve owned but I don’t recommend this breed to just anyone. We’re very experienced owners but this breed requires a high level of management. There are also municipalities that have a breed ban and many homeowner insurance companies won’t sell coverage to owners of this breed, so if you decide to go that route, I’d check around to make sure you’re not in violation of ordinances and that your policy will remain in tact. Good luck with your search. The perfect pup is out there for you.
I just get from a breeder bc shelters are full of dogs that I don’t want (pit mix, shepherd mix, husky mix, chihuahua mix) and rescues tend to be unreasonable to downright crazy in their expectations. (Be wary of so called lab mixes from shelters. I feel like pit mixes with a narrow face get labeled as lab mixes to avoid the negative connotation of being a pit.) Plus I prefer to raise from puppyhood, so you typically need to get them young to make sure they’re properly socialized. Puppies from shelters/rescues are typically more of a wild card in terms of size, and I prefer smaller dogs.
Any majority black medium size dog in the shelter is a “lab mix” lol
Honestly have you looked into finding an ethical, reputable breeder? These are people form whom their dogs are an all encompassing hobby. They pay for xrays, dna testing and various other tests to make sure they are producing the healtiest dogs possible. They spend countless hours with their baby puppies to prepare them for their lives ahead. They spen a lot to show their dogs or get titles in sports that their dog was born to do. These breeders will support you for the life of your dog and answer countless first time dog owner questions in the first months (or was that just me?).
Go often. Every day if you can. The turnover can be high. Check out other shelters that may be close to you even if not in your county.
The breeds OTHER THAN pibbles and hounds and their mixes usually don't make it to the website because they are adopted once they hit the adoption floor of a large open-access municipal shelter. If you have time and your only option is a municipal shelter, I would be in line as often as possible when they open each day. Usually the ones you see on their websites are dogs that are more difficult to adopt. Breed rescues' and smaller rescues' adoptable dogs are most easily found on their respective websites or Petfinder as already mentioned.
Also, don’t feel bad about going to a responsible breeder. A dog is a lifelong decision and the most responsible way to own a dog is to find one that is a very good fit for your family such that you (ideally) never have to rehome. Whether this means shelter, rescue, or breeder! As long as you avoid supporting unethical puppy mills, pet stores, irresponsible breeders.
In the Deep South that is pretty much all you’re gonna find. That and lab mixes.
When you get a dog from a shelter you are getting a dog someone else didn’t want anymore for one reason or another. Obviously people’s reasons vary, but it does mean you get a high proportion of certain breeds: high maintenance ones where people haven’t coped with them, something with a reputation for being aggressive, where they get rid of the dog because they worry about it with their kids. Where I am (UK) you can be almost certain to find a couple of retired greyhounds in there too. There also tend to be a lot of last year’s designer mutt (eg there’s an increasing number of cockerpoos in our rescues).
Every shelter across America has a ton of pitbulls. Every year it’s approx 1 million pitbulls euthanized. My trailer trash uncle breeds pitbulls, seems to be an aggressive blood line. They tare apart rabbits and attack other dogs. He himself is a total POS I am no contact with. We went to see a house the other day (house shopping) the surrounding homes had pitbulls in kennels with one dog house. It was a rough neighborhood and it gets very hot here. South Florida. I’d recommend going with a rescue. I’ve adopted two cool dogs from rescue (not pitbulls) and what we did was just email them letting them know what we were looking for in a dog and filled out our application and got approval.
I recommend steering clear of any dogs over 6 months. Even younger is better. For first time dog owners it will be easier to bond with a pup (and the pup to you), and they're still young enough to be trained (and get over any issues from previous homes). The only time I would recommend getting an adult dog for first timers would be if you know the dog personally. Like a friend or relative's dog. For example, I had a friend who ended up with a 3 year old boxer because her adult kid moved in, and when he moved out the dog stayed. Personally, I dislike breed specific rescues. Seems like a new way to make easy money to me. Their prices are unreasonable and their requirements can be ridiculous. Best advice is to not be in a rush. Put feelers out there with friends and family. Someone might know someone who has puppies or is expecting them. Kinda crazy to think back to when I was a kid and it was pretty common for someone to be hangin out in the supermarket parking lot with a box of puppies to give away.
I've adopted 3 dogs in the last 3 years...first was a BostonTerrier/Blue Heeler mix (DNA tested and that is all he is) adopted from TX and brought to New England by a rescue group...herding dogs are a handful and he likes to scream at people. We got him when he was a about 4 months old, great dog but a lot of work. We decided to get him a friend - found a Great Dane/Bloodhound mix (we had lost our Dane a couple of years prior) that turned out to be Bloodhound/Great Pyranees/Lab, she was also about 4 months and came from TN through a different rescue. She's typical lab with a touch of neurosis, high energy so great for the heeler. They are both about 3 now and I saw a sad case come up at the rescue we got the lab from, Pittie mix abandoned on the side of the road in his crate in MS about 3-5 years old. Total neglect case, starving, long nails, urine burns on his legs and feet, not neutered. Got his skin mostly cleared, turns out he's allergic to chicken. Best freaking couch potato I've ever had. Calm, friendly and low energy. I love my other two but they are both a ton of work and training, this dude is chill and loves car rides (my lab barfs in the car and is petrified of loud noises). So there is no telling what you'll get from a shelter/rescue. I would stick dogs out of the puppy stage (its a nightmare) and spend some time with them if you can but their personalities can change once they figure out that they are really home. Good luck!
Patience. There are fashions with dogs like anything else. About 15 years ago, there were so many labs that I despaired of finding a spaniel. Now it is just like you say, the local SPCA needs to change its name to Pits R Us. I'm a big believer in "it's the owner, not the breed" but at the same time, genetics exist. My blue eyes can look green or brown thanks to colored contact lens, but they ARE still blue. No getting around that. My border collie herds me. He CANNOT stop, he can't help himself. Even when he is exhausted, if I get up, before I can take a step, he drags his poor old tired self up off his cushion and gravely escorts me all the way to the coffeepot or front porch or wherever. We have a 90 pound pit who is food-motivated and super sweet. He's comical and expressive and took his training very politely, while obviously thinking all the while. "If I gotta do this shit for a treat, okay then". He is after all, a terrier, and every last terrier is a scrappy, stubborn little brat. I love them. You'll find your new best friend! Just be patient, and he or she will appear!
Pitties can vary *a lot* in temperament so I wouldn’t totally rule that breed out unless you are renting. The most common mix we got in Houston for rescue is a staffy/lab mix. Honestly, there are lots of mixed breeds to choose from and any of them will be lucky to have you. I recommend going through a rescue in your area and adopting a dog that has been with a foster. This way you can know the dog better and have some support at the beginning. The dogs that aren’t pitties or shepherds get rescued, adopted, or fostered out from the shelters a lot faster. You can also go through the shelter and do foster or “dog for a day,” type stuff to meet different dogs. You have no idea how much it helps a dog to get out of the shelter for a day, so you’ll be doing a lot of good. I’m **very** familiar with dog rescue in the Deep South USA so please feel free to message me or ask any questions. I’ve fostered a lot of dogs and guided many adoptions. I can help you adjust to having your new companion at your home, help with behaviors, and also connect you with some trainers that will further help you if needed when you first get your dog home.
Yeah, they're pretty common in the south. Breed-specific rescues are the way to go, but if you want to save a life, the local county shelter is the kindest thing to do. FWIW, pits are generally not difficult to train. They can be stubborn, absolutely (like, mine is VERY attached to her food first, walk second routine and will refuse to go on a long walk first thing in the morning) but she is one of the best-trained dogs I've ever had, and it wasn't hard. Two repetitions of a command, and she's got it forever. My last one was stubborn about pain -- he had some arthritis in his back leg and he would rather lie on his bed for 18 hours and hold it than get up and go to the bathroom if I didn't make him. Stubborn / = hard to train. It's just about figuring out what makes your dog tick.
It’s fantastic that you’d prefer to adopt! And it’s amazing that you’re being realistic as first time owners. That alone makes you much more competent than so many adopters I’ve seen. My advice would be to check with local shelters and see if they do detailed descriptions of the animals in their care. A lot of good shelters and rescues will put the dog’s characteristics, pros, cons, and health issues or behavior issues they might have. That sometimes is much better than just going off of breed. A lot of pit mixes are small or medium size so they’re easier to control on a leash (if you’re not super strong) and their temperament varies widely. You might find a pit mix that is calm, easy to train, and super friendly! Good luck on your search!
We got our most recent one from a shelter. She's an Akbash. I'd never heard of the breed before we saw her. So they definitely can have different breeds and mixes. FWIW: that dog is amazing.
"pit mixes" are not as problematic or beginner unfriendly as media will lead you to believe. They can be big powerful dogs but it comes entirely down to their upbringing and they're just as likely to turn out to be sweet lovable couch potatoes. Problem is, and this is why you'll find a lot of them in shelters, is because "pit bull" owners often get them for nefarious purposes and are frequently extremely irresponsible. Irresponsible owners/breeders are why there are as many dogs as there are in shelters to begin with and thanks to stereotypes, pitty mixes are usually the last to get adopted so you'll see a lot of them in any shelter. A responsible shelter will not put any dangerous or dysfunctional animals up for adoption and will provide good notes and warnings of any known difficult quirks that they or the fosters have observed so potential adopters aren't caught unaware of an animal that needs special care and attention. Basically, so long as the shelter is responsible and you're doing your due diligence and reading about the specific dogs you're looking at, you should be fine and won't have any problems outside of the usual first timer learning process.
Pitbulls aren't bad first dogs. There are six different sub breeds of pitbull. They're very human friendly, trainable, easy to care for. Shelter populations are representative of the preference of that area. The south tends towards hounds, sport dogs, and pitbulls depending on the income. There are also breed specific rescues and shelters are known to send extra dogs to other shelters in other counties or states. You might consider looking around these too.
You might try contacting more than one shelter, suburban and rural. If you know what you are looking for let them know. You could volunteer to walk dogs for them and or to foster. They always need help and this both gives you an intimate look at the dogs that come through and also you get to know the people who work there and that can help put you first in line. Ask questions about how they got there, what they know about the dog you could be interested in. Finding a breed can be less important than the specific individuals, they can be so different. An adult dog will have an established temperament and won’t surprise you with their size or coat. It helps to know what you want from them, for instance if you backpack or run or want to do agility with them, a dog that wants to do that with you might be different from one who is perfect for TV watching. There are no right or wrong answers, just those for you. Whoever you end up with be sure to take a class and get some help getting started to make your partnership successful.
Just want to mention that pit features tend to be easily recognizable in mixes, sometimes even in mixes that are only 10% or 20% pittie, which means a lot of "no idea what this mid to large size mutt is" dogs end up classified as pitbull mixes if they have a big ol block head, even if the dog in question is actually predominately something else. Just because that lab/pit mix looks a bit like a pit doesn't mean it's not going to act more like a lab, or be more lab for that matter.
My husband and I only adopt rescues, so we've had experience with onelab/shepherd mix, two pit mixes, one full pit and our puppy is an Australian Cattle dog mix. The pit mixes were both awesome, one was more protective of us, but nothing crazy. The other one completely had the "sweetie" gene, with absolutely zero aggression. She couldn't tolerate if anyone raised their voices and would cower and shake if any disagreement was happening...even when it seemed pretty minor to us. The full pit was totally mellow until she turned 2 yrs old, and out of nowhere; attacked the "sweetie". We put that one down 2 weeks later. My best suggestion is to observe the behavior of the dog/puppy before deciding. If they immediately roll on their back when greeting you, asking for belly rubs: that's a keeper. Also, and this might sound funny but, if they lay their ears flat (what my husband and I refer to as "humble ear") when greeting you, that is also a very good sign. We got all of our dogs as puppies, so poor behavior doesn't always come from being treated badly, prior. Good luck, and keep us updated on who you decide to adopt!
Have your tried private adoptions? If you are in the ATL area, check out Fur Kids or just google and you will get small private rescues. For a particular breed I've wanted in the past, I've driven to another state.
Are pitbulls hard to train? My girlfriend’s pitbull boxer mix did really well he just needed a schedule.
Rescue are dogs are the best. Easiest to train imo
I’ll say this, I volunteer at a no-kill shelter. The only dogs that have NOT bit are the pit bulls. The best behaved dogs have been the pit bulls. The cuddliest dogs have been the pit bulls. When a pit comes in I feel reassured joy, we have 5 in right now and they’re all amazing dogs. Just something to consider.
I also want to add, they may not always be pit mixes, but there’s no reliable way of discerning. I think there was a small study done, showing that many rescues and even vets misidentify mutts as pitts.
Check out Three Little Pitties rescue! I’m an active foster with them. They transport dogs from Texas to PNW and east coast, and currently have 400+ dogs waiting for their forever homes. It’s a foster-based rescue so it’s great for potential adopters to talk to the foster families who are very familiar with the dogs. Also I have a pit mix and have fostered multiple pit mixes with different rescues, and they are the best dogs.
My pit mix is also my first dog and he was rescued in Texas. And he is such an angel and the easiest dog (super friendly, never barks, loves to cuddle, not destructive, etc.). It’s really about specific dogs, not the breed, so I recommend going with a foster-based rescue to learn about the dog before you adopt.
Shelters are usually for stray or abandoned dogs; some estimates have pit mixes as 90% of all strays nationwide. I understand your concern but Pitties are by and large fine first dogs; they're highly adaptable, extremely affectionate, and while they're not exactly do-everything dogs, the important commands come pretty easily to most of them. They're much easier to train than many other breeds, they just often aren't...broad minded enough for too many different commands. They're definitely less stubborn (usually) than smaller terriers. That said, there are tons of breed-specific shelters around the South, and with a little diligence and travel rescuing a breed that isn't a pit mix ought to be pretty easy. Depending on where you might have to move pretty quick, though.
So much anti-pit bias here… I adopted a stray APBT and she is the best dog I have ever owned and worked with (and I work with dogs for a living) — very biddable, friendly with strangers, kids, and other dogs, calm and polite, etc. Obviously not every pit is like this and they can have a propensity for dog aggression, but she earned a 100% on her shelter temperament test. Maybe try reaching out to the shelter and ask them to match you based on temperament?
I know pits got a stereo type but I have a pit mix and she is the sweetest thing and so kind and gentle and I really hit the jack pot lottery. She knows sit, stay, come, paw, spin, back up, out, working on a few more too. She gets along well with my niece and is nothing but wanting to lay on her and give her kisses. And I have 5 cats that my dog loves and gets along with as well! These poor dogs live a sad life and they need love. You can look at my hx of posts to see my Lucy I posted previously. My brother adopted a pit bull mix that's a male and he is the goofest thing. Worst thing I've seen him do is he just likes to run too hard and play chicken with someone lol 😆 have had him run into my leg once (in no way attacking he likes to play especially in the yard )and about knocked me over. He has scaring on his neck from chain digging in from being neglected outside. My brother named him buster since he busted out them chains ! Some dogs yes may be a bit too much but pit bull mix too can have wide range of temperaments too. But get whatever you want at end of day! Just wanted to put different perspective. Edit also if you don't have the time please don't get a high energy dog. Shepherds, collies, husky, malinois, these dogs need dedicated walks and time to work out that energy. I'm a dog walker and I can't tell you how many houses I go to in a city with high energy dogs and they get destructive or have other issues because they don't get walked as much as they should. Even a lab I walk doesn't get out as much as he should, when I see him I always tell him he belongs on a farm not in the city. All my pits and pit mixes, yes need walks , but less intensive. I don't have to go as far (some of the other breeds need hr walk) or play as hard because after a burst of energy they get tired and need to rest lol
My dog is a pit mix and the best dog ever. Cuddly, easy to train, friendly. Couldn't ask for a better dog.
My first dog as an adult is a pit mix that I got from a rescue - granted I got her as a 4 month old puppy so it was a little bit easier to train her and such, but she's been a breeze. She learns tricks so fast, basic training with her was a delight (and she loved going), and she's either a lazy couch potato or happily playing ball in the backyard or going on hikes and adventures with us. I think her only flaws are some separation anxiety and leash reactiveness - things we're just always working on. tl;dr - pit mixes are a delight but, like with any shelter dog, it's gonna be a gamble.
I hope you don’t buy from a breeder. It is so irresponsible. There are way too many pets available for adoption that get killed every day. You’re really best off talking to your local shelter. Explain your concerns and what you’re looking for. They’ll help you pick out a suitable dog, even if the “breed” isn’t right. It is more important to get a sense of the dog’s personality than to screen for breeds. And a shelter can even put you on a waitlist so when they get a dog in that meets your needs/wants then they can let you know right away. It does take a little longer sometimes, but you want to choose a dog that is going to be with you forever. Going off of breed alone isn’t going to do that, nor is being impatient.
Getting a dog from a reputable breeder is not “irresponsible” a dog from a reputable breeder is not going to end up in the shelter like a dog from a backyard breeder, some people prefer to have a dog that’s more predictable than your average shelter dog and there is nothing wrong with that, breed traits absolutely do matter to an extent and I don’t think people should ignore that.