Raising Dogs In Apartments

[B-Q]

I was just looking at the thread in the breeders sections on homing pups with people living in apartments and I was kinda shocked that it was just a flat out no for a high energy breed.

I lived in a house without a fenced yard with Buster last year and aslong as I got him out twice a day for a walk he cruised around fine. I would also happily take Quinn into apartment liv9ing so long as I could get her out atleast 2-3 walks a day and atleast 1-2 hours of offleash time she'd handle fine.

Whats everyone else think re: raising dogs in apartments.

[TerraNik]

To me, I don't see any difference to my current set up... The dogs are inside the entire time and they have full run of downstairs (the size of an apartment). They only go outside to toilet and to have a run around but they need to be let out. So it's not much different to if I were to just take them down to the park instead of let them out into the backyard. You would need a very dedicated owner though, who is willing to put in the time and take the dog out.

The only major issue I could see would be barking... Obviously that wouldn't be so good in an apartment!

[Braithwaites]

For 2 years we had a red & tan working kelpie and a border collie without a fence. Neighbour had 3 cats (now two, a tick got one) for just about all of that time and we never had a problem. The dogs were mostly inside. When the kelpie wasn't inside she was sitting on the back step waiting to get back in to resume following me everywhere.

No problems, at all raising dogs in apartments provided you're committed to the dogs well being.

Breeders probably need to know more about who they're selling their dogs to, rather than worrying about things like how much yard space a dog has.

From my experience Borders and kelpies prefer to be by your side, than having an acre to chase butterflies in.

[stormie]

I don't really see the problem, so long as the dogs needs are met. Instead of having the luxury of stepping out a back door to a backyard, a person in an apartment might need to walk or drive to a park. It doesn't necessarily mean the dog is going to be permanently locked up. Lots of people keep their dogs inside whilst they're out or at work, so again, I don't see how a dog in an apartment would be much different?

A person could live on 100 acres but never walk their dog. The dog may not self exercise. Yet a person in an apartment could take their dog out for walks, to parks, bushwalking, swimming 3 times a day - surely the latter would be the better option?

[Crisovar]

Dogs living happily in apartments is very commonplace overseas.

The luxury of a backyard is something not everyone has, personally if they are dedicated and informed dog owners I can't see a problem with it.

[Gayle.]

I'd rather see an active dog living in an apartment with owners who cater to his need for exercise, stimulation, socialisation etc than one shoved in a large back yard and forgotten about.

And lots of them are.

I think it's unbelievably shortsighted to say a flat out "NO!" to someone just because they live in a smaller area than usual. Anyway, some apartments are bigger than houses, and some backyards have barely any space anyway.

Edited December 17, 2010 by GayleK

[Greytmate]

I wouldn't raise a large breed in an apartment, as I belive it would hinder its developemnt compared to raising it in an area where it can free run at any time.

However once it is fully grown, just about any breed could live in an apartment, with the right owner. But high energy breeds are going to be a little harder to keep than low energy breeds.

It takes much more commitment to keep a dog in an apartment than it does in a house with a yard, because you have to take it out on lead a lot more often. you need to plan ahead to ensure the dog gets outside at the right times. I would encourage people to think carefully before having a dog in an apartment.

[PuddleDuck]

I've got 2 highly active dogs (a Toller and a Kelpie x Shepherd) and we live in a 2 bedroom apartment with a small courtyard. Thankfully our strata has no issues with our dogs being here and our dogs are absolutely fine. Kodi (Toller) had her puppyhood here, and they are both happy with well enriched lives. I do have it easier because they can toilet outside without me taking them for a walk.

People often tell me it isn't fair to keep dogs in units and I always say "look, if I give you 2 options - option 1 is that I lock you in a HUGE, completely empty room all day, and you can do whatever you want but you cant leave that room, OR, option 2, I lock you in a small room all day, with books, a TV, a laptop and a bed, and you can do whatever you want all day but cant leave that room....which one are you going to pick?"

Everyone picks the small room, then gets my point that dogs can actually be OK in small spaces. I also point out that it is incredibly common overseas, particularly in places like New York.

[Gayle.]

It's becoming much more common for people to keep their dogs (from babies through to oldies) locked inside all day while they're at work, due to fear of theft, or the dogs barking etc. and hardly anyone sees anything wrong with that. How is that different to raising a large breed dog in an apartment?

And there's an assumption that apartments are small.....some are far from it. I've seen apartments that are way bigger than the average house and would provide very comfy accomodation for a family AND a dog or two.

Recently we looked at some local display homes, built in the new subdivisions around here. The size of the backyards would have to be seen to be believed. There was no room for a rabbit let alone a dog! And these were family homes, set in neighborhoods built for growing families.

I can't see where an apartment would be any different, except someone is saying "NO" because the potential buyers live in one, but would probably say "YES" if they lived in one of these houses with the poky backyard.

[Jaxx'sBuddy]

my friend in melbourne had an apartment which was huge....... 4 bedrooms high ceilings and opposite a park....can't see why a dog wouldn't be happy in a place like that.

isn't it about an enriching environment any more?

[voloclydes]

some of you guys know i live in the sticks our hot digity dogies never get walked (in the sense of a formal walk) but as i do have horses and carriage drive quite a lot they do get a run along side the cart!

i am suprised when we go to manly 2 x visit per year just how many city people are walking along the beach front on the walking paths with their doggies.... it does make me miss our lot more.there are some really good places to walk in and around the burbs.

i could see our lot living in doors and never going out... leo's a sookie la la and hates to get his feet wet... but will happily eat snow! :rofl: and crys when left out in the summer on a hot 30degree night!

[Greytmate]

my friend in melbourne had an apartment which was huge....... 4 bedrooms high ceilings and opposite a park....can't see why a dog wouldn't be happy in a place like that.

isn't it about an enriching environment any more?

Yes, but puppies need informal physical exercise on soft surfaces to build strong bones and to protect their joints.

A good sized fenced yard with a big lawn is a good place to allow pups to play. It is very hard to provide this sort of exercise to a pup that would have to stay on lead, unless you have a very large carpeted area or daily access to a yard.

[Gayle.]

Most new houses in towns don't have large (or any) lawns. Nor do they have yards big enough for dogs to exercise freely.

[Ons]

on a golden retreiver forum I am on a lady has two golden retreivers living in an apartment, no back yard at all but I think she has a balcony.

My sister has a border collie and a tiny townhouse courtyard

both these peope take their dogs for long walks, my sister to her horse each day and the other lady to the dog park each day.

I think if you are going to make a conscious effort every day to exercise the dog no matter the weather that a dog living in an apartment would have a far better life than a dog stuck in the backyard all day with no attention.

Then on the other hand I know that my guys who live inside and outside would miss being able to wander outside at will, lie in the sun, have a zoom around and then go back to sitting on the couch.

[mita]

I think it's a particular breeder's call when they're trying to place a dog in the best possible circumstances. I wouldn't criticise those who just say 'no' to their dogs being raised in an apartment. Nor would I criticise those who say 'yes'.

Because so much depends on the details....like size of apartment, proximity to an exercise area ( huge difference if there's a park across the road!) & owner's experience with the needs of that breed & with the time/means to meet them;

There's a fantastic book called Metro Dogs written by a US dog trainer, dealing with how to raise dogs in apartments in places like New York City.

Even tho' the author gives lots of brilliant hints & guidelines ... and is all for dogs in apartments... he makes the point that you need to have a well-thought out organisational structure (especially if you work longish hours), to do it right by the dog (& the general community).

By the way, many of his ideas re toilet-training, dealing with barking etc, are of use in most situations.

[Jaxx'sBuddy]

my friend in melbourne had an apartment which was huge....... 4 bedrooms high ceilings and opposite a park....can't see why a dog wouldn't be happy in a place like that.

isn't it about an enriching environment any more?

Yes, but puppies need informal physical exercise on soft surfaces to build strong bones and to protect their joints.

A good sized fenced yard with a big lawn is a good place to allow pups to play. It is very hard to provide this sort of exercise to a pup that would have to stay on lead, unless you have a very large carpeted area or daily access to a yard.

there was a park across the road for the puppy to play in

i come from glasgow, we had dogs all the time in apartments (well they were called tenements but they were like apartments as there was no garden attached)

[Jaxx'sBuddy]

I think it's a particular breeder's call when they're trying to place a dog in the best possible circumstances. I wouldn't criticise those who just say 'no' to their dogs being raised in an apartment. Nor would I criticise those who say 'yes'.

Because so much depends on the details....like size of apartment, proximity to an exercise area ( huge difference if there's a park across the road!) & owner's experience with the needs of that breed & with the time/means to meet them;

There's a fantastic book called Metro Dogs written by a US dog trainer, dealing with how to raise dogs in apartments in places like New York City.

Even tho' the author gives lots of brilliant hints & guidelines ... and is all for dogs in apartments... he makes the point that you need to have a well-thought out organisational structure (especially if you work longish hours), to do it right by the dog (& the general community).

By the way, many of his ideas re toilet-training, dealing with barking etc, are of use in most situations.

before i knew better this is how most dogs (not just our family dog) were exercised and toileted:

open apartment door, let dog run down stairs

early morning was a pain all the dogs getting let out.

getting dogs to come home:

open window, whistle and call dogs name...dog comes back running up stairs to apartment

[Greytmate]

my friend in melbourne had an apartment which was huge....... 4 bedrooms high ceilings and opposite a park....can't see why a dog wouldn't be happy in a place like that.

isn't it about an enriching environment any more?

Yes, but puppies need informal physical exercise on soft surfaces to build strong bones and to protect their joints.

A good sized fenced yard with a big lawn is a good place to allow pups to play. It is very hard to provide this sort of exercise to a pup that would have to stay on lead, unless you have a very large carpeted area or daily access to a yard.

there was a park across the road for the puppy to play in

i come from glasgow, we had dogs all the time in apartments (well they were called tenements but they were like apartments as there was no garden attached)

Maybe, but personally I wouldn't want to raise a large breed pup unless I had a large yard for it to spend a fair amount of time in, and can understand why a breeder might want that too.

I also wouldn't want a young pup exposed to a public parks where there may be parvo virus in the soil, or nasty dogs around.

Not saying it can't be done, just saying I wouldn't do it to a large breed pup. I would want the dog to develop as strongly as possible. Once the pup is fully grown, the type of exercise it gets is not quite as important.

[Jaxx'sBuddy]

my friend in melbourne had an apartment which was huge....... 4 bedrooms high ceilings and opposite a park....can't see why a dog wouldn't be happy in a place like that.

isn't it about an enriching environment any more?

Yes, but puppies need informal physical exercise on soft surfaces to build strong bones and to protect their joints.

A good sized fenced yard with a big lawn is a good place to allow pups to play. It is very hard to provide this sort of exercise to a pup that would have to stay on lead, unless you have a very large carpeted area or daily access to a yard.

there was a park across the road for the puppy to play in

i come from glasgow, we had dogs all the time in apartments (well they were called tenements but they were like apartments as there was no garden attached)

Maybe, but personally I wouldn't want to raise a large breed pup unless I had a large yard for it to spend a fair amount of time in, and can understand why a breeder might want that too.

I also wouldn't want a young pup exposed to a public parks where there may be parvo virus in the soil, or nasty dogs around.

Not saying it can't be done, just saying I wouldn't do it to a large breed pup. I would want the dog to develop as strongly as possible. Once the pup is fully grown, the type of exercise it gets is not quite as important.

i wouldn't either GM but i think it can be successfully done if the owners are committed

[Greytmate]

my friend in melbourne had an apartment which was huge....... 4 bedrooms high ceilings and opposite a park....can't see why a dog wouldn't be happy in a place like that.

isn't it about an enriching environment any more?

Yes, but puppies need informal physical exercise on soft surfaces to build strong bones and to protect their joints.

A good sized fenced yard with a big lawn is a good place to allow pups to play. It is very hard to provide this sort of exercise to a pup that would have to stay on lead, unless you have a very large carpeted area or daily access to a yard.

there was a park across the road for the puppy to play in

i come from glasgow, we had dogs all the time in apartments (well they were called tenements but they were like apartments as there was no garden attached)

Maybe, but personally I wouldn't want to raise a large breed pup unless I had a large yard for it to spend a fair amount of time in, and can understand why a breeder might want that too.

I also wouldn't want a young pup exposed to a public parks where there may be parvo virus in the soil, or nasty dogs around.

Not saying it can't be done, just saying I wouldn't do it to a large breed pup. I would want the dog to develop as strongly as possible. Once the pup is fully grown, the type of exercise it gets is not quite as important.

i wouldn't either GM but i think it can be successfully done if the owners are committed

I would sell them a pup if they were committed enough to move to a dwelling where the pup can have free access to a large soft surface for running on, several times a day.

But I wouldn't sell a large breed puppy to anyone who was committed to apartment living instead.

I had a look at the post in the breeder's forum. There is no way I would sell a pointer pup to those people. They have not indicated that they will be able to provide the dog with the right type of exercise, rather they just sound desperate for a dog. There is nothing in their correspondance that shows they understand what a large breed puppy needs, or how it might differ in its needs from the dog they already have.