The shelters are full of good dogs; my last three were rescues and that’s all I’ll ever have going forward. I can’t see breeding so many more dogs when we have an oversupply like we have but vanity being vanity, I suppose there will always be a market.
Your opinion.
As DH said, it is better to wisely pick out and mold a puppy. Purebred better because it’s more predictable.
The best dog I ever knew of - ever, including 2nd-hand stories from others both private and public - I had the privilege to personally own and she was a purebred from a famous show handler we got at 7 wks. We’d had older mutts from the pound before. I’ve had a few other puppy purebreds (or claimed) from different type breeders. The best was easily the handler’s puppy, so far. Granted there were other issues involved - our expertise and seriousness, etc - but my experience: the best was from a breeder.
It’s not “vanity” - it’s wanting something somewhat predictable including personal history. Living animals that can kill you are not something to toy with.
You bet there are.
I adopt only from shelters and I adopt only very senior dogs. Bear in mind that senior dogs are old because they've been good dogs.
My latest adoption, Honey, is 12 years old. I fully realize that our time together will be short but I intend to make her life much, much better than it has been. That's enough satisfaction for me.