The Truth About Rescue - From TDBCR

Why Rescue?
Rescuing A Dog Is A Lot Like Buying A Puppy. There are all sorts of reasons why people are reluctant to adopt a dog through rescue. And although some of these reasons may seem valid, they are almost always totally unfounded. You might be surprised.

MYTH A rescue dog will have trouble bonding to us, because it has already bonded to another family.
REALITY Puppies have to learn to bond too - before you buy your puppy he has already bonded to his mother, his littermates and his breeder. ANY dog you bring into your life will go through a period of adjustment that can be challenging for everyone.

MYTH Rescue dogs aren't trained. It will be a lot of work to train a rescue dog.
REALITY Puppies don't pop into this world fully trained. Any dog you bring home will need some basic obedience training at least - and an older dog may even learn more quickly, as he'll have a longer attention span than a puppy.

MYTH A rescue dog will have all sorts of behaviour problems learned from the previous owner.
REALITY Many rescue dogs end up homeless because when someone got a puppy, they weren't capable of training it properly and became frustrated. Most of the dogs have no major issues, they just need guidance. If you are confident you can raise a well behaved dog from puppyhood, then you are probably equally as capable of teaching a rescue dog a new set of rules and behaviors.

MYTH A breeder can tell me just what kind of puppy I am getting. They temperament test them and know each puppy very well.
REALITYBreeders, as far as we know, cannot predict the future. Every puppy has the potential to develop into something surprising. An older rescue dog has developed a personality already, so there are less surprises - and rescue dogs in foster homes are thoroughly evaluated by their foster "parents" and can tell you a great deal.

MYTH Rescue dogs are too big an "unknown" - we want the security of a puppy.
REALITY If turning a puppy into a 'perfect' adult were so easy, shelters would not be full of dogs that people found difficult. Puppies are just as big an unknown and any dog can be a challenge, develop strange behaviors or have problems ... even with the best trainers.

MYTH I don't want someone else's reject
REALITY Almost all dogs in a rescue situation are there through circumstance, and nothing else. The fault is almost always the previous owner's, in that they were were ill prepared for dog ownership, or unable to keep the dog any longer. Sometimes the very best treasures come to you when someone else doesn't or can't recognize them for what they are. A dog that wasn't a good fit for someone else's family might be your dream dog. It's foolish - and selfish - to reject a huge population of possible dogs for such a flimsy, self serving reason.

MYTH I want the pick of the litter.
REALITY Every dog is the pick of the litter when you're choosing a companion animal. Unless you are an experienced breeder selecting a dog for conformation and other qualities, you should only be concerned about whether or not the dog makes a good companion - and making him a good companion is largely up to you.

MYTH I might want to breed her some day, and rescue dogs are all neutered.
REALITY There is a very good reason why rescues neuter all dogs before placement. It's because there are too many dogs in the world as it is. Good breeders never start with their first dog - they develop an intense interest in a breed, and a sincere desire to produce the very best examples of that breed. They spend years researching and learning and mentoring under another experiences breeder and eventually purchase the foundation of their breeding line with a practiced eye, with the intention of producing quality puppies, from another breeder who is convinced of their sincerity and ability. Anything less - anything - and you are not an ethical or responsible breeder. All companion dogs should be sexually altered.

THANK YOU to http://www.bcbordercollies.com/bc/info.htm for this wonderful info!