I love the idea of rescue, unfortunately I've come across too many that tend to operate more like puppy mills than a rescue should. Some are very good at placing dogs in excellent homes, doing follow up, etc. But some are like revolving doors, which does no service to the specific dog, the owner or the breed. And I think many, many people fall in to the trap of not doing their homework before they buy a dog; what kind of dog is right for me? Just because a dog is small doesn't necessarily mean it's suited to an apartment lifestyle, etc.
For a reputable breeder "pure bred" is not an arbitrary label. They spend a lot of time and money getting AKC championships on their dogs, getting all relevant test to do as much as they can to make sure that puppies are going to healthy (hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, cardiac certifications, eye certifications, thyroid certification, etc.) and making sure that the dog they breed to has followed the same path. Reputable breeders generally don't make a profit from the puppies they sell and usually are lucky to break even. They do it for the joy of strengthening the breed and hopefully producing a litter that improves the overall line.
The big caveat to that is if you are dealing with a breed whose temperment is pretty predictable, and you adopt a pure bred dog from an adoption agency or rescue organization.
We have Weims. The Weim we adopted at 2 years old has a Weim temperment, through and through, just like our other Weims. Every Weim I know has the same traits, not to say they’re exactly what every dog owner would want. They’re velcro dogs and definitely addicted to their people, and some folks don’t like that, but in our experience whether you adopt the Weim or raise it from a pup...the temperment is the same.
My wife and I are heavily involved in rescue organizations that are ‘reputable’ and ‘do follow ups’ and ‘screen potential homes and owners’. I can give you a list of reputable ones for every state nationally if you need it, just freepmail me.
Its been my experience over the last five decades that temperment is directly related to upbringing, and enviroment, not genetics. Thats not to say its ‘foolproof’ as we had to put a beloved five year old black lab mix down last spring because of ‘red rage’.
Its my opinion we have way to many ‘breeders’ and they are a primary reason rescue organizations exist in the first place. They contribute to the problem of unwanted dogs, perhaps combined to the level of the ‘puppy mills’ which I also find abhorrent.
But the bottom line is Dogs Deserve Better. My life is better because they are such a big part of our life, and our family, literally.