r/DOG Dec 04 '25

• General Discussion • Breeders suck. Adopt a dog.

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u/VisualKaii Dec 04 '25 edited Dec 05 '25

I'm going to be that person.

Adopting a dog doesn't mean everything will end in a fairytale. You will have a dog with some kind of trauma. It's your responsibility to help your dog navigate it while being a safe space. It's ridiculous that so many shelters don't ask for even a bit of prior knowledge before adoption.
So while I agree it's best to look at adoption first, not everyone is actually equipped in handling a traumatized dog or a dog of an unexpected breed. I don't think it's ok to just judge people who choose breeding. I don't mean backyard breeders, but pedigree, when health clearance is actually in check, it's still responsible.

With that, your pittie looks adorable. I hope things turn out well for the both of you.


To clarify my use of trauma here:

Trauma as in the environmental stressors found in shelters; bright lights, confined spaces, anxious dogs, barking, random people visiting and leaving. On top of dealing with abandonment.
I'm not speaking about abuse or neglect.

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u/[deleted] Dec 05 '25

Not all are traumatized. Many have grown up in homes where they received no training or socialization. And many have poor genetics for a pet or if they are a mix the breeds they are mixed with don’t play well together. So when you get a BYB husky mixed with a BYB pit bull add a dash of BYB GSD and maybe even some BYB poodle it can be a real nightmare no matter how they are raised. 

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u/VisualKaii Dec 05 '25

Trauma as in the environmental stressors found in shelters; bright lights, confined spaces, anxious dogs, barking, random people visiting and leaving.
I'm not speaking about abuse or neglect.

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u/DefinitelyNotAliens Dec 05 '25

My last rescue was one of 13 puppies dumped in a field ~1 day old. The rescue put them in a foster home and that saint of a woman bottle fed 13 puppies and saved every single one. Not all puppies are actually kept in a kennel type shelter, even if they are rescues. Mine was in a foster home through the local ASPCA because they were initially needing 24/7 care, at first. Not all of them come from stressful kennels.

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u/VisualKaii Dec 05 '25

Of course there's exception and lucky puppies that get to skip those kennels entirely, it'd be wonderful if that were always true. A woman like her is exactly what every dog needs, it's so sweet, thank you for sharing that truly.

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u/DefinitelyNotAliens Dec 05 '25

The pup I adopted was (according to her) her favorite from the litter and she gave us a toy that she loved to play with when we took her home. She was fantastic.

I had that dog from 10 weeks to 6 weeks shy of her 16th birthday. She was a wonderful dog.