Raising Dogs In Apartments

[Sheridan]

Someone told me once that he first saw a wheaten terrier in Japan where they are known as 'apartment dogs'.

[Danois]

Great danes are known for being good apartment dogs.

My dane uses the backyard (which is only a courtyard) to go to the toilet and occassionally lie on his bed in the sun. He certainly does not free exercise.

[pawsaroundoz]

I share a house, whilst the garden is fenced I can steo over it so it is next to useless, however there is a deck (this is a high set house in NT) that is basically as large as a very large lounge room and it is the dogs 'day run'.

Having said that the boys have a really good run am. and pm. also a short stretch at lunch time as I am lucky enough to work close enough that I can get home for lunch!

When we are away we live in a motor home which is basically a rather trendy loft bedroom apartment on wheels, the dogs love it!

Annie

[Gayle.]

Those people will just get a puppy from another breeder, and give their dog a fabulous home.

[Rebanne]

Those people will just get a puppy from another breeder, and give their dog a fabulous home.

maybe

It is the breeders right to say who gets one of their precious pups, no one else's.

[Greytmate]

Those people will just get a puppy from another breeder, and give their dog a fabulous home.

Let's hope they get a breed that is more suitable to be raised with limited exercise space, or an adult dog, because an apartment is not a fabulous place to raise a large breed pup like a pointer.

The dog may be happy enough, but it will always be at a physical disadvantage compared with a dog that has been raised correctly with care given to providing it with a suitable environment to develop and grow to its full potential.

[stormie]

So does that mean those who kept their pups inside whilst they were at work have disadvantaged their puppies? I took Orbit to work from Day 1, where he was inside. I could never leave a puppy outside in the back yard unsupervised all day - especially a pup as clumsy as a Dane.

[raz]

One of my relos has a young BC in a small apartment. The dog just gets walked 3 times a day. I really cant see the difference between a dog in an apartment or in a house and locked up when the owner is out. It's the breeder's call though - they know their own pups and it's up to them who they sell to.

[WreckitWhippet]

As a breeder it would be a big fat NO from me.

The reason being is that I could place all of my puppies in homes where they have a back yard, recieve the love, care and exercise that require. I wouldn't take the chance on apartment living, when there are other suitable and loving homes available.

[labsrule]

For a large breed dog to live in an appartment, the owners would need to be extremely committed to meeting its needs to ensure it had adequate walks and playtime outside in grassy areas.

I personally do not believe that an apartment is suitable for raising a large breed puppy, particularly gun dogs. My Lab youngster loves to spend a lot of time outside and he has access to both inside and outside and he does lots of zoomies around the backyard on a daily basis and has done since he was a pup. He loves exploring the yard, the bushes and gardens and self exercises a lot with his zoomies He loves lying on the lawn chewing on his bones, iceblocks, toys and sticks and chasing anything that moves I take my youngster out every day for a walk, as well as to dog parks once or twice a week and to the river or beach and on other outings to meet all his exercise and stimulation needs.

I have lived for a year in a villa (my investment property) with my then 7 year old lab boy when I relocated back to Sydney with him from NZ, but this was to be a temporary arrangement whilst I was looking for a house to buy. After 6months of living in my villa, I then adopted Thomas my oldest boy who was 10 years old at the time, so I had two adult Labs living in my villa for 6months. My villa had a courtyard with a garden as well as a side entrance so they had a good area for toileting in and they had access to both inside and outside and as I worked from home they spent most of the time inside with me, but I also took them out every single day, sometimes twice a day for walks and outings so they got to feel the grass under their feet and get their exercise and stimulation requirements met. My villa is in a small complex of 6 and they were all owner occupied and there were a couple of families with young kids living there and they just loved having dogs in the complex and most days would visit my villa to play with the boys, particularly my 6 year old as he was ball obsessed and just adored kids. The kids and other owners were most upset when I brought my new house and they had been imploring me to reconsider buying a house and to stay in the villa as they all loved the dogs and the dogs brought their kids a lot of happiness and they were so well behaved and quiet. As much as I would have loved to stay, I moved in with the intention that it was temporary as I love to have a yard for my Labs.

Whilst older large breed dogs could adapt to apartment living with dedicated and committed owners, I still believe that large breed pups/youngsters, particularly gun dogs or very active breeds need to be raised in a property with a yard.

[Braithwaites]

As a breeder it would be a big fat NO from me.

The reason being is that I could place all of my puppies in homes where they have a back yard, recieve the love, care and exercise that require. I wouldn't take the chance on apartment living, when there are other suitable and loving homes available.

I wonder how many of your dogs currently sit out in a back yard and are forgotten about? Especially when these so called perfect families/ owners you hand pick start a family of children and the dog takes a backward seat to the baby.

FACT

If you own a dog and live in an apartment, it's impossible to forget about them.

I take it from your avatar you breed Staffy's. I've owned many staffies over the years and lived in apartments with them ... They are one dog happy to sit on the couch and sleep all day waiting for you to get home from work and spoil them ...

Breeders are a funny mob, and I have a few close friends who breed and are registered and we always have colourful debates when we get together. Puppy factories are the number one enemy of a breeder, yet so many breeders with their closed minds and blanket 'no' answers to potential deserving owners, force these potential owners to go the pet shop BYB route to get a dog.

[raz]

It's the breeder's prerogative who they sell a dog to. Keep in mind that if an owner decides it's all too hard to keep a dog in an apartment, most breeders will take the dog back. Then they have to find another home for it.

[aussielover]

I agree, it is up to the breeder.

You may be interested to know that guide dogs and assistance dogs are more than willing to place large breed puppies in apartments and inner city areas, provided the puppy raisers can provide training, company and exercise for the pup.

A number of puppy raisers have a small yard or even no yard or a courtyard/terrace and have gone on to successfully raise numerous healthy working dogs.

Personally i think having no yard at all would be quite hard, but definitely managable if you were home a lot or willing to let the dog toilet inside on a specific area. I believe you can even get doggy "toilets".

[Rebanne]

FACT

If you own a dog and live in an apartment, it's impossible to forget about them.

why do so many of the overseas rescue shows rescue forgotten dogs from apartments

[raz]

Would any breeders refuse to sell a dog to someone who didnt own a car (does that question even come up when you quizz potential owners?) I'd be worried they wouldnt be able to get a dog to the vet during an emergency.

[Rebanne]

I breed greyhounds, a breed most suitable for apartment living as adults. I would never sell a greyhound pup to someone living in an apartment or only with a courtyard. The self exercise, zoomies, mine have done in the backyard and still do, can't be matched, as they are not allowed off lead at places like dog parks.

My dogs, my right to sell to those I think would be the best homes and if someone I that I think is not suitable then goes on to a pet shop or similar - so be it. I will have done what I think is best for my pups

[Lady Flying Furball]

As a breeder it would be a big fat NO from me.

The reason being is that I could place all of my puppies in homes where they have a back yard, recieve the love, care and exercise that require. I wouldn't take the chance on apartment living, when there are other suitable and loving homes available.

The kind of abode someone inhabits reflects little about the level of commitment to meet the dogs needs for exercise, lova and care. A backyard does bugger all to guarantee anything.

I live in an apartment and researched a breed suitable for living. many different breeds came up as possibilities but a lot of it had to do with me and my temperament as much as the dog's. I went with a papillon, but would have got it even if in a house. Stories of greyhounds, danes, staffies and german shepherds living in apartments came up in my research: examples of dogs that were happy in apartment living because the owners worked it out to maintain the dog's health.

Edited December 18, 2010 by FlyingFurball

[poodlemum]

Those people will just get a puppy from another breeder, and give their dog a fabulous home.

maybe

It is the breeders right to say who gets one of their precious pups, no one else's.

True - but I would rather sell a puppy to someone in an apartment who would commit to exercising the puppy regularly, than to someone with a big backyard who just dumped the puppy in the backyard & ignored it. I've had BOTH these situations occur, and it was the puppy (by then, dog) in the backyard whom I had to re-home, not the inner-city one!

My ex & I lived in Prahran (inner-city Melbourne) in a one bedroom house with a tiny yard for 14 years. We had 2 Standard Poodles & 1 GSP who were all walked twice a day (and I'm talking 1 hour in the morning, up to 2 1/2 hours in the evening) and lived inside during the day - they were perfectly happy and well-adjusted dogs!

[Rebanne]

As a breeder it would be a big fat NO from me.

The reason being is that I could place all of my puppies in homes where they have a back yard, recieve the love, care and exercise that require. I wouldn't take the chance on apartment living, when there are other suitable and loving homes available.

The kind of abode someone inhabits reflects little about the level of commitment to meet the dogs needs for exercise, lova and care. A backyard does bugger all to guarantee anything.

I live in an apartment and researched a breed suitable for living. many different breeds came up as possibilities but a lot of it had to do with me and my temperament as much as the dog's. I went with a papillon, but would have got it even if in a house. Stories of greyhounds, danes, staffies and german shepherds living in apartments came up in my research: examples of dogs that were happy in apartment living because the owners worked it out to maintain the dog's health.

Adult greyhounds in the main. I would never deny my greys, especially the youngsters, the chance to free exercise, they do so, most days, twice a day. And it is against the law in Victoria to let them off lead in public places which include dog parks.

[aussielover]

I just read the original thread in the breeders forum.

I think the breeder should at least go and look at the apartment and set up- how big it is, gardens within the complex etc

I think the majority of dogs (with the possible execption of some livestock guardians) would prefer to spend time with their people than alone in a backyard however large it is.

So other factors like how much company the dog would receive would be important in my view.

My gundog does not go into the backyard unless I accompany her and will only run around/play if I am there to play with her.

She spends all day by my side, gets regular walks, off leash time and comes with me everywhere.

She is only left alone for 2-3hrs at a time as a training exercise to make sure she doesn't get separation anxiety.

I would have thought a pointer would be one of the better choices of gundog for apartment life? They seem to be less full on than other gundogs such as GSPs and labs.