Growing up I had dog, her name was Ralph; yes her name was Ralph you see I had been asking my parents if I could get a dog for a while but my mom and dad couldn't come to an agreement on when was the right time, should we get a boy or a girl, what breed, etc.
One day my Mom and I went to the local grocery and there was a family in front of the store with this box of dogs, I just couldn't leave without one of those little pups and my Mom gave in, so I carefully picked out the dog that was going to be mine and we went home.
The thing is we forgot a very important thing, my Dad wanted a boy dog; dad ultimately agreed to let us keep the dog on one condition we named her Ralph.
Ralph lived a long life, was a good friend, a protector and having her in my life helped shape who I became, really what little boy wouldn't want a dog?
"A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself." -- Josh Billings
Thing is as a adult I started to wonder what ever happened to those other dogs in the box, if you have a few minutes take a look at PetFinders (especially in LA) you will see so many abused, neglected and sickly looking dogs; that's the life that many dogs have to face it’s very sad.
As much as 60% the dogs in shelters are put down for no other reason than having no home, to make things worse many shelters don't have the breed experience to deal with the special needs of many pure breeds.
Checkout WikiFido for some reasons why people have given up their pets, most of the time it has nothing to do with the dog or its behavior.
Before you go and get a dog consider talking to your local rescue, they often times have dogs of all ages and they will be able to tell you about the specific breeds needs and if you decide against rescue they can also tell you which breeders to watch out for. A couple rescue organizations in the Seattle area I personally like are:
Key thing to remember when talking to "Rescue People":
1. Rescue dog people are well, a bit nuts but you have to be to give that much of yourself to something like this.
2. These people are taking care of the dogs out of their own pockets, they are not in this for the money they want to do what’s right for the dog (even if you don't agree).
3. They often do rescue in their free time (which they don't have much of) so the process works slow.
4. Many dogs never even make it to the rescue site, so don’t just register, contact someone in the rescue and show them your really interested, if they don’t respond nag them until they do.
Bringing a dog into your life can be very rewarding but remember, when you do so that dog is yours for life so do your research and be prepared for the lifelong commitment that decision entails.