I would vote for getting a dog from the animal shelter. It does not make any sense to go out and try to find a pure-bred when there are perfectly friendly dogs waiting for a home at the shelter. To be honest, you might be able to find a pure-bred (or something close) at the shelter anyway. Our last dog was probably a pure-bred although we found her outside the supermarket in the shed they use to store carts. I do not really see why anyone would need to have a pure-bred dog for anything other than status. If you just want a dog to show off to other people then I suppose that might be important. If, on the other hand, you are looking for a dog to keep you company (or in the case of dhrynio, keep your other dog company) then I cannot see how it makes any difference whatsoever. On top of that, as many other posters have said, "mutts" have the advantage of so-called "hybrid vigour": that is, mixed breed dogs are generally healthier than pure-bred ones. As a result of this, a "mutt" is likely to keep you company for some years more than a pure-bred.
