Absolutely agree with every word. Especially the 'support and back up' of rescuing. Most of them are more than happy to help, find you help, and do what they can because they WANT that dog to work out for you just like a good breeder would. And ultimately, they will take the dog back too if it DOESN'T work out.
And we could run around different forums finding 'ethical breeder' dogs who STILL had health issues at a relatively young age............I know FOR SURE I can with dobermans.
You could point to MANY dogs who haven't, and I could do the same with shelter dogs. Phoebe being one VERY good example.
^^This.
Heck, all the forums I am on (yes, this one included), as well as RL, there are these dogs who are from great breeders, who had health testing and everything done, who had health problems, may it be something smaller and not as serious such as a UTI, or something major like dysplasia. I then look at my 12 1/2 year old mutt who we found on the Highway, and the most she has had to deal with was a VERY minor UTI at 11 or 12 years old.
Same thing with temperament. I know quite a few dogs whose temperament is exactly the opposite of what their parents' was. Some who cannot be trusted with other dogs, cannot be trusted with children, or what have you. Then again I look at my dog, whom my parents took the huge chance of getting when we (the children) were 10, 6/7 and 4/5. Now that dog, has been put through EVERYTHING you can think of, test wise. She has been hit, pushed, her tail/ears have been pulled, she has been jumped on, kissed, hugged, used as a pillow, used as a bed, anything that a child would do to a dog. Cause you know, it is funny when you are a child. That dog is walked in the neighbourhood with kids running up to her and petting her and yes, she has had her tail or fur pulled by a few kids. They have their hands and face in her face, and does she care? Heck no! She loves it, that attention is what she lives for! Now granted yes, she dislikes other dogs, but she can be trusted with them. She just finds them annoying and walks off. There are a few dogs who she seems to like, she seems to be breedist to female APBTs and and any GSDs or mixes thereof.
Now, am I saying that this does not happen the other way around? NO. But no matter if you are rescuing or getting from a breeder, the health and temperament really is going to be a mystery. You can only tell so much from the parents. Yes, diseases that are only passed from mother to puppy you will know with a breeder, but other than that, you get what you get. I mean, are you the same as either of your parents?
This is not to say I will not get a dog from a breeder. I actually KNOW that I will, but that is because I want them from that puppy stage so they are growing up with small animals, as I personally know I will always have ferrets. Now, if I find a puppy of the breed I want in rescue, then no, I will not be against rescuing that puppy. But I also know that I will always have at least one rescue dog, because Rosey has shown me how awesome they can be.
All I can say to the OP is god forbid one day you be in the situation where one of your own dogs needs to be rescued.