[eldr]

My partner works at a shelter and comes across this sentiment often. This is strange because a sizable portion of the dogs in their care where bought by their owners as puppies and then grew up to have physical or behavioral characteristics making them unsuitable for their owners who then bring them to the shelter.

There are plenty of irresponsible shelters out there but a responsible adoption center will insist that you have interaction with the dog before you adopt. The will have done thorough behavior assessments and will do their best to make sure the dog suits your lifestyle. I would guess about 80% of the dogs at her shelter require no further training to be a pet. In the remaining cases potential adopters are given guidance before they adopt and will usually know what they're in for ahead of time.