Reply #103: In the Obamas' situation, temperament is a very important factor in choosing a dog. To be around [View All]

[EmilyAnne]

children and a constant stream of visitors, some of them children, requires a dog that is predisposed to healthy social behavior.

Many pure breed shelter dogs are without homes because they were bred irresponsibly and bad behavior traits were not controlled. They wind up dumped on a shelter because they are too challenging for an average family.

I have one of these little guys. I've talked about her on DU before, but she was rescued from a puppy mill that was shut down. She was horribly bred, but according to AKC, she's got a pure bloodline.
Never mind that despite all the puppy kindergarten, socialization, daily play time with other dogs and constant exposure to new people and places, she is still a nervous, whimpering mess after three years.

I CAN NOT trust her around children because I am afraid she will snap when cornered or approached too quickly.
She is on Prozac. And Pepcid to control the constant vomiting that stems from stress-related acid production.

We don't have children and we don't host dignitaries from around the world.
She is also not representative of most rescue dogs.
She is a good example of a lot of pure breed rescue dogs, in my experience with the people who run the puppy mill and backyard breeder rescue efforts.

Because they had needs regarding the girls' allergies, they needed to look for particular breeds.
Rescued pure breeds can be very challenging and could be a terrible fit for a family with children and a busy social schedule.
Just my opinion, of course.