A Dog

Do not buy a dog! Ever! There are plenty of dogs available at shelters in every area of the country. (And if you're not already a dog person who loves and adores dogs, I would also nix the puppy idea. They are a lot of work and very frustrating to train. An older dog would be best for you.)

http://www.adoptapet.com/adoption_rescue/19724.html

http://www.animalshelter.org/shelters/Arizona.asp

Do not buy a dog from the mall pet store, or any pet store. Those dogs are almost always bred in a puppy mill (think: dogs locked in cages, and forced to mass-produce puppies) and often have very serious health problems that are not always immediately apparent.

You have 2 basic choices:
* Go to a (reputable) breeder and interview them. A good breeder may not have puppies available, but you would sign up for one from the next litter and pay a deposit. Interview the breeder(s) as though you were planning to leave your child with them, and know that the breeder should do the same (ie, they should be interviewing you to make sure you can provide a safe & loving home for the puppy, and have enough knowledge and income to do so). Ask for recommendations from other people who have bought puppies from them.

* Adopt a dog. If you are new to dogs, then go with a smaller rescue, where they can provide you with the education you need to have in order to integrate a dog into your family, and help through some of the behaviour issues that all puppies go through (potty training/house breaking, chewing, digging, barking, jumping on people, nipping, etc). They should be willing to take you under their wing and provide you with guidance. Ask about temperament testing and finding a dog that matches your lifestyle/personality. Again, ask for recommendations from adopters.

Educate yourself about basic dog care (what the costs are, how dogs think (because they are really not 4-footed humans in furry suits, even if we love them & they are cute), behaviour, etc. Educate yourself about the different breeds and their suitability for different situations. For example, if you are a family that lives in an apartment with little time to walk/exercise the dog, you don't want a Border Collie. Great breed of dog, but super high energy and very smart, so if you don't give them an outlet for them energy (a "job" so to speak), they will make up a job on their own, and it will be probably be something destructive that you won't like!

You need to think about what kind of dog you want - have you researched different breeds? Are you familiar with their individual characteristics and how they might fit with your family?

Keep a look out in your area for when a dog show comes to town. It's a nice way to be able to see many different breeds of dogs up close, and to talk with breeders about how they work with your family and your lifestyle. Don't just fall for puppies that are cute - all puppies are cute, but they all grow up into adult dogs that have different personalities, energy levels and temperments. Some breeds are adorable as puppies but without proper training and adequate exercise, as adults can be more than many people can handle.

You should also be visiting your local animal shelter/humane society. They may have purebred dogs as well as mixes that are in dire need of a good home. Don't just limit yourself to a puppy either - there are puppies out there that are closer to a year in age (almost full grown) that need homes, as well as adult dogs of all ages that may already be housetrained, spayed/neutered, etc.

Do not go to any pet stores that sell puppies, whether it's in the mall or otherwise. Unfortunately those puppies often come from puppy mills that are run pretty much like puppy factories - unscrupulous "breeders" that keep their dogs in horrible conditions, without any thought to their health or welfare. Buying from a pet store only continues to support them. You are not "rescuing" a puppy by buying from a pet store - you are only keeping the puppy mills in business, it's the parents of those puppies being bred to death that need rescuing.

Our first puppy that we adopted was 4 mos. old. We went through www.petfinder.com and she was at a rescue group. I really like the rescue dogs because they can tell you what they are like, are they good with kids and so on.

Our second puppy we adopted off of either Craigslist or Backpage (I can't remember). These you have to be careful with but we lucked out. We went to the person's home and saw the puppy's mom and dad. These people were very nice plus they had kids so all the puppies were used to children. We got to choose which one we wanted and had a really great experience.

Here are the three links. Good luck!

http://www.petfinder.com/index.html
http://phoenix.craigslist.org/pet/
http://phoenix.backpage.com/PetsForSale/

I would save an animal from the pound, Humane Society, or other animal shelter. Please also consider an adult dog, as well, as those are the first to get killed if they are not adopted.

The one BIG thing for me, is that an animal is a LIFETIME choice. Make sure you are prepared to love, care for, train, be financially responsible for, etc. that dog for it's whole life.

PetsMart has great animal rescue groups, we have an awesome dog that we got through there. I agree with the other ladies, do your research about breeds. You need to decide the temperament, time and cost that works for you. Also keep in mind if it will be around kids, cats or other dogs...
Check out dogbreedinfo.com.

Okay, I'm going against the grain of "don't buy at the mall" comments! Our city shelter has a permanent "pet shop" in our mall and it's a great way to meet a select few of the animals they have available!! A lot of times, it's a much calmer environment where you can sit down and talk to the shelter staff members to ask lots of questions about the animals (the ones who are there and others at the main shelter). So, depending on what "shop" is set up in your mall, it may not be all bad--just do your research (find out if they are associated with a shelter or other rescue program).

You might also consider fostering from a shelter--that way you can have a "taste" of what it would be like to have a dog in your home. Go to your city shelter, local humane society, or other rescue group (I'm sure Phoenix has plenty)! The foster opportunities may be for a puppy who is too young to go to a permanent home, an older dog who is recovering from an injury/surgery/illness, etc. I think this would be an important test if you've never had a dog before! They really are a LOT of work (time, patience, attention), but so worth it when you find the right one!

Good luck! (We have successfully survived our first 2 weeks with our new forever friend/furkid, a 1.5 year old lab mix named Sito!)

Hello!
Whatever you decide, do not buy at the mall. AC below spelled it all out, really. First assess what you want from that dog - an energetic playmate or a quiet companion. How much money do you want to invest in health care, food and grooming? Then really research the different breeds and what traits they come with and make a match with your wants/don’t wants. You have to do your homework first, otherwise you might end up in an unhappy situation for both of you.

PetSmart stores often have adoption events with animals from local shelters. Rescue, rescue, rescue. Look for a dog that fits your family, don't get too fixated on a breed. And I gotta say it...don't discount a dog just because they are a pit bull or pit mix :) Have fun finding your new family member!!!

Check out a book from the library on dog breeds to determine what breed would fit with you and your needs. You may find it at the shelter. Many mixed breeds are better than pure breds because they don't have as many health problems (some breeds are more prone to hip problems , allergies, hyperactive, etc.) and a good dog breed book will tell you about the possible health issues of each breed.
Once you have an idea of the breed you are looking for, either check the shelter or the newspaper. If you are buying from an individual or breeder then you should be able to go into the home to see the puppy, it's parents, etc. You don't want a puppy raised on a "puppy mill". There was a recent story about puppy mills advertising on the internet saying they were raised in nice homes with children etc, when they were actually kept in stacked cages in deplorable conditions and have lots of health problems. That's why it's inportant to be able to actually see where it was raised, unless of course it is from a shelter.
Get yourself a good book on dog training and have lots of patience!

If you want a puppy you can train yourself I would find a good breeder for the kind of dog you want. We got our standard Poodle from a family who had both parents and we have kept in touch, know they took great care of them, etc. You need to be sure you aren't getting some breeder that just has dogs every few months and tons of breeds, etc. though. Don't buy from a pet store or mall. You pay WAY too much and they are not always good quality. It's nice to get a rescue dog from a shelter but be careful. Many are there for reasons that would make you not want them and why they were dropped off.