Buying from a breeder or adopting?

Everyone dreams of getting that perfect puppy, yet many arguments arise on where the puppy should be purchased from. Many believe that buying puppy from a breeder is the best way to ensure a healthy puppy; while others believe that it is more humane to adopt one from a local humane society or shelter. History, cost and temperament are three topics to be discussed.
Knowing the history of a new puppy is often vital to pet owners; this ensures good health. When buying a puppy from a breeder, a family tree is given to the owner. Tests are done on the sir and damn to check against illnesses such as hip dysplasia, cancer and other death causing genetic diseases. If a puppy is adopted from a shelter there is no real way of knowing the health history. All dogs that leave a shelter are checked for heart worm, fleas and ticks. But, there is no way of testing for future illnesses; this only comes from genetic testing on the parents. It is also important to know the history of temperament and breed. The volunteers at a shelter can only give an educated guess as to which breed(s) this puppy may be. Many dogs are partial Pitt bull; but time and time again they are adopted to homes in which the owners are unaware of this. These dogs are often returned to shelters because of temperament. If a dog is purchased from a breeder, an exact breed is known. Mixed breed dogs have a higher life expectancy. Most adopted pets are mixed breed. This is a nice quality because the characteristics of one breed is often paired well with another breed. Take a lab/German Shepard mix. Labs are wonderful family pets, but are not good at guarding. So with this mix breed, a good combination of loving and protecting occurs. When buying from a breeder, the puppy will carry the traits from the only breed that is originates from.
Some dogs, such as the Newfoundland or English Bulldog, can cost up to fourteen hundred dollars when buying from a licensed breeder. This is a large fee, but which this fee often comes vaccines, pet wellness guarantees or puppy gift bags. This does not include spay or neuter costs. Adoption fees are generally lower, around the $100-$300 range. Most puppies from a humane society are given some vaccines. These puppies do not come with any health guarantees. If the puppy dies from kennel cough or the parvo virus on the drive home, there are no refunds. But, these dogs are all spayed or neutered (which is a high expense). Another advantage to adopting a puppy is that the fee paid goes to help other animals to be rescued. The money collected goes toward vet care, shelter and other rescue fees versus the money going into the breeder's pocket.
The temperament of shelter puppy is not always family ready. Some of these dogs come from abusive or neglectful environments. They may be timid or aggressive. This does not mean that the puppy can not be rehabilitated. A little extra work and training may be involved when adopting. Most puppies from refutable and licensed breeders are handled and are family ready. The environment from the start has been loving and calming. The puppies are usually weened after the proper time of 8 weeks and have been taught how to behave from the mother dog.
A puppy is a great addition to a family. Buying a puppy from a breeder has its benefits. It also has some downfalls, such as cost. When adopting a puppy from a shelter, many details about the puppy may be unknown, but shelter dogs sometimes turn out to be the best dogs. They almost all are appreciative of the love they receive when adopted. There are some differences in buying from a breeder and adopting from a humane society. Personally, I believe that shelter dogs make better companions. Plus, giving an animal a second chance is worth more than anything.