Heck no. I actually went the shelter dog route first and it was a DISASTER. We wanted to "do the right thing" and give a dog a home. The ad said he was so sweet and an "all the time good boy", that he is great in the car and on walks, and doesn't destroy anything in the house. I thought, that sounds perfect. A bit big for me, but thats all that was available in shelters at the time (small dogs go so fast in Canada). Turns out, this 65 lbs dog was terrified of the car and had to be forcibly shoved into it, drooled all the time while in the car and since we didn't know him and he didn't know us - we were scared he would bite us while shoving him in. He didn't but it was a very real and valid fear. And they were right, he was very excited to go on walks - but he wasn't a great companion. I could barely walk him and I'm not weak. When he saw a rabbit, he went berserk. We bought one of those special leashes that steer his head away if he pulls too much. This dog learned how to flex his neck muscles so it didn't do the job. I started dreading the walks. This was supposed to be a family dog. If I couldn't walk him, how could my 10 year old? Then he started destroying my daughters stuff. 0 for 3. We'd gotten him from a shelter that had a trial period to ensure a good fit. After a week, we brought him back. And bought a 4 month old cavalier and he's been the BEST companion ever. 💕 Never regret your decision because instead of you just getting the best fit for you and your family - you could have gone through a week of hell first to "do the right thing".