Apartment Living for You and Your Dog

Apartment Living for You and Your Dog

Of course you can live anywhere with any dog, but when your dog just does not fit into your surroundings it usually ends with disastrous consequences for your dog.  So use your head, and even if you have always wanted a St. Bernhard, if you live in a 500 square foot studio apartment in the center of downtown, you should probably wait just a little longer to get your dream dog.

So the first rule of owning a dog in an apartment is to make sure that the dog can thrive in the environment that you are providing for him.  If you are not sure, then find out.  Talk to professionals, vets, trainers, and even your friends who own dogs to see what types of challenges face you with dog ownership in an apartment.

Here are some things that you might want to consider if you are thinking about going down this path.

• Follow the Rules – Make sure that your landlord allows dogs and be prepared for your landlord to want to meet your dog.  Understand the rules as they apply to your dog and always follow them.  Plan to pay a pet deposit and to sign a pet policy agreement.  Always welcome your landlord to visit you and your dog in your apartment to prove that you are following the building’s policies.  When landlords embrace tenants with dogs they can actually put themselves at an advantage over other rentals that do not allow dogs a couple of different ways.  First of all they increase the size of the their prospective tenant pool, and secondly their existing tenants are more likely to stay put since dogs provide not only companionship but also a sense of security for their owners.
• Keep Records – Have a packet of information about your dog, which includes medical records, including vaccinations, spay or neuter record, licensing, training certificates and letters of reference from vets, prior landlords and old neighbors.
• Respect – In an urban environment you are living in more cramped quarters than you are in the suburbs or in the country.  So be diligent when you clean up after your dog, both inside your apartment and when you take your dog for a walk.  When outside, keep your dog on a leash unless you are in an enclosed dog park.  Tragedy strikes too quickly.  One stray step into the street can prove fatal in the hustle and bustle of the city.

"Then when you are sure that you have the time and the energy to manage the needs of a dog in your apartment give some thought as to what kind of dog would fit your living situation the best.  Some dogs are only too happy to snuggle up on the couch and wait for you to come home.  Many of the toy breeds are small enough to get a lot of their exercise without ever leaving the apartment, but you will still have to take them out for bathroom breaks.  Some dogs have lower energy levels by nature like Cocker Spaniels and Bulldogs.  The low energy breeds do not need a lot of exercise as long as you take care not to over feed them.

Medium energy dogs can do just fine in a larger apartment as long as they get regular exercise and a chance to run and play a couple of times per week.  Dogs like Brittany and Springer Spaniels and Chows are examples of medium energy dogs.

High-energy dogs are really impossible to keep in an apartment unless you have your dog out with you for a good part of the day.  Breeds like Border Collies and Retrievers need a lot of really big exercise opportunities.  A forty-five minute walk twice a day will not take the edge off of the high-energy breeds.

Of course any individual dog may be an exception to his breed, so it important to allow for each individual’s higher or lower energy requirements.  There are also low energy dogs like hounds that are just too loud to hold captive in an apartment.  And again there is always the exception.

When you are considering living in an apartment with your dog, think about how much time and energy you plan to put aside for your dog, and be realistic.  Remember, as you are pondering this question, that this means every day, not just when you feel like it.  If you are not sure that you can handle a dog all of the time, make friends with your neighbors and their dogs, and offer to dog sit.  That way you get the best of both worlds, and you will be the most popular tenant in your building.

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