Me and Trenton have been going back and forth on the dog owning for a few years and finally have come to think we are ready to get a pet. Neither one of us have had a pet in our adult years so we arent sure where are the best places to go? I definitely dont want to just go to a pet store and pick something out. Any advice?

DH wants a Saint Bernard but Im not so sure, I hear they drool a lot LOL

I would suggest your local Humane Society, you can find puppies there if you want, or a dog that is a little older and maybe even partially housebroken. There are lots of great pets out there that need good homes. If you go with a breeder make sure you really check them out well, and be prepared for the price to be anywhere from $300-$1,000. Good Luck, I hope you find the perfect fit for your family.

Research, research and more research. Especially if you have particular breeds in mind! Really look at the breed's characteristics, common health issue of the breed and how they will or will not fit in your family, lifestyle, home, etc. Also, consider things such as frequent moves, possible overseas orders, etc when selecting your pet (a move with a small dog may be easier than with a St Bernard, for example).
Once you have it narrowed down you can start deciding where to get the dog. Shelters, rescue groups (very good if you are set on a particular breed as there are groups for specific breeds) or a REPUTABLE breeder are the three best sources of a new pet. If you go the breeder route, more RESEARCH because you want to be sure that you are getting the BEST new pet you can (there are more bad breeders than good out there).

Hi there,by my sig you can tell I'm breed partial;)

If it were me, I'd turn to petfinder.com(click on "adoptable pets not found in shelters") and craigslist. You definitely, as you stated, want to stay away from pet shops. A shelter is ok, but then you never know what you're getting. At least someone on CL,PF or even your local classifieds will be willing to give you all the background info you need, and most are honest. They aren't the type that just drop em off at the pound, they really want to find them good homes. Good luck.

http://www.petfinder.com/

This website has rescue groups and humans societies on it...you can even see the pets, and read a little about them.

http://animal.discovery.com/breedselector/dogselectorindex.do

This is a great place to do research...if you click on the breed search you can anwser questions about your lifestyle, expectations, etc...and it will show you which dogs fit that best :)

Thank you everyone!

Good luck choosing a pet.

www.akc.org

If you want a sainty, then I reccomend looking up local AKC clubs in your area they can help you, we do with people here.

If you guys are willing to put in the work to have a St. Bernard then they are great dogs. They do drool a whole ton! They're nice dogs though.