Apartment Dog Breeds

[Bjelkier]

I'm a Samoyed breeder and although I do know some people whose dogs live in apartments it's not something I would recommend unless you were really super serious about putting in a lot of work, time and effot it could be hard for both you and the dog. And honestly I would be hesitant to sell a Samoyed puppy to live in an apartment with only an hr exercise a day as many Sammy breeders would be.

You say a BC wouldn't be suitable, well Samoyeds are a working breed too and need space to run and play while they grow. They can be extremely vocal and destructive when bored, in fact I've known them to eat through walls and concrete paths, rip up carpet, eat doorframes etc.

If you're after a spitz what about a German or Japanese Spitz or a Pom? All lovely dogs who are more suitable to living in apartments.

Or for something different perhaps a Havanese?

Edited June 25, 2013 by Bjelkier

[smisch]

something to consider being a smaller dog.. as usual I'm a touch bias but lowchen.. they come in active and lazy lol. we have 3 here who spend all day inside in their crates or the bathroom or our room (depends on which dog as they're not all equally trusted) they are not big barkers except if there is something to bark at. low/non shedding, yes they require clipping but you can leave them grow the lion cut is merely for show, our girl is clipped like a poodle atm.

they are intelligent, eager to please, willing to learn tricks, will happily go for a walk/run or laze about, cuddly, playful I mean what more could you want... spitz breeds can be really noisy and daccys well my boss breeds them and I have found them to be spontaneous barkers... they aren't the most social of breeds either but that's just me, I do love them but don't think they're suited for apartments

[dancinbcs]

I'm a Samoyed breeder and although I do know some people whose dogs live in apartments it's not something I would recommend unless you were really super serious about putting in a lot of work, time and effot it could be hard for both you and the dog. And honestly I would be hesitant to sell a Samoyed puppy to live in an apartment with only an hr exercise a day as many Sammy breeders would be.

You say a BC wouldn't be suitable, well Samoyeds are a working breed too and need space to run and play while they grow. They can be extremely vocal and destructive when bored, in fact I've known them to eat through walls and concrete paths, rip up carpet, eat doorframes etc.

If you're after a spitz what about a German or Japanese Spitz or a Pom? All lovely dogs who are more suitable to living in apartments.

Or for something different perhaps a Havanese?

While many adult Border Collies could live happily and quietly in an apartment, I would never sell a puppy to live in one. Puppies need lots of room to run, every waking minute and would destroy an apartment. If a Border puppy is awake it is doing "something", never just lying around. Some Japanese Spitz are happy living in apartments but my particular one would go mental confined like that. He needs access to a yard where he can run mad zoomies, several times most days and he is nearly two years old now. Also keep in mind that Japanese Spitz are actually not very common in apartment living Japan because they are a very noisy breed who act as an alarm to any unusual sound or sight.

[OSoSwift]

Whippets are not particularly fragile. Mine have run into trees each other and other solid objects at speed somersaulted up to quite a few times, got up and kept going. Many friends have told me if there dogs did half of the acrobatics mine do they would never get up!

[dee lee]

Something to think about, as some of the posters have mentioned, you may have trouble finding a breeder who will sell you a pup to live in an apartment. And that would even go with many rescue groups. I'm not saying its right, I personally think most dogs would be ok in appartments with the proper care, but just be prepared.

We live in a tiny terrace house in the inner city (its like a townhouse), with our 6 year old Golden Retriever. We adopted her at 2 and she took a bout 2 years before she'd toilet in our pocket sized yard, so she's pretty much apartment trained. We exercise at the local parks & she's left inside in the day while we work.

It's been fine, but the (pre-yard) toiletting was hard. Especially the bedtime trip to the park in winter, in my jammies, half asleep & you HAVE to wait til they do something. :laugh: I'd hate to have to deal with toilet training a puppy!!

Have you considered an older dog? It would be much easier with toilet training, energy & being left alone while you work fulltime.

[Darkrai]

Im ok to selling to someone who is an apartment liver, as long as the dog is looked after and allowed to live there :)

[Rosetta]

I second an older dog - perhaps a rescue who has been in foster care and whose temp and tendency for barking if left alone is known. I would concentrate on that rather than a certain breed. Something to consider though is that small dogs are more often acceptable to body corporates.

[corvus]

My Lappie would be fine in an apartment with an hour of exercise a day. Probably not so much when he was a puppy, though. But the good thing is they seem to mature fast. He's also not much of a barker. He barks when someone comes to the door, basically, and that's it. A super laid back adult Lappie would be fine IMO. I have met plenty of JS that seem a fair bit more active and alert than my Lappie, who spends most of his day impersonating a rug.

Incidentally, don't whippets have kind of thin skin prone to tearing? We used to have a whippet cross when I was a kid. My corgi cut her off while they were playing chase one day and clipped her and she went flying into some lantana and cut her shoulder quite badly. The corgi was taking similar spills all the time, as do my current dogs. Those little cattle herders are tough as old boots, and Kivi is so fluffy his coat seems to be protective.

ETA Lappies are a little independent, but very affectionate. I work from home and mine is usually in the same room as me. He likes to be nearby. We get morning cuddles in bed from him pretty regularly. He is a darling.

Edited June 25, 2013 by corvus

[Aetherglow]

The right Lappie, with a more laid-back temperament, could work in those conditions, although I've never yet met a puppy that wouldn't be extremely challenging in an apartment environment even if it matures into a mellow dog. My Lappie lives in a duplex and I have worked full time since I got her, but she does have a yard so toileting during the day isn't an issue. That said, she was a challenge for her first 18 months, with some comments from the neighbours, and barking is still something I am very aware of even though I'm told that she's broken because she doesn't "announce" visitors! I've found that exercise (including games and training) morning and night work best, rather than just one long walk.

[kiesha09]

I lived in an apartment with both my dogs as puppies. One is a maltese x lhasa apso and the other is a maltese x poodle (well we think as they were rescues). These are the kinds of breeds that were always recommended to me for apartments.

It was really really challenging when they were puppies. We were lucky that we had a tiny courtyard so we ripped up the pavers and put grass in for toileting. But they had energy to burn and not enough space. I had to walk them morning and night rain, hail or shine and did training with them every single day.

I was 100% committed to providing as much environmental enrichment as possible so they had different kongs, treat balls, puzzles you name it to keep them amused. Even with the amount of effort I put in they still chewed my furniture and my couch. It also took up alot of time making all these things :laugh:

After 2 1/2 years we moved to somewhere bigger and where we have a backyard. It was a godsend but now they are older they are totally suited to being apartment dogs. They sleep all day and 99% of the time when inside and then when I take them out to the park are total loons racing around like crazy things.

So I guess what I'm saying is if you're stuck living in the apartment really really consider an older dog. Even with breeds suited to apartment living they can still be very challenging in an apartment.

[Inka3095]

Could look into a Shiba Inu?

My shiba lives inside during the day, gets walked daily, gets a big run on weekends but that's about it for exercise. She only barks when someone comes to the door and doesn't whinge during the day (or nothing to a volume a neighbour can hear anyway)

She sheds twice a year (at least) which is RIDICULOUS but you get through it lol.

[Alkhe]

I've got a Toy Poodle who's pretty vocal, but I actually think she'd be much quieter if she lived on the 3rd floor of an apartment building - Maggie goes outside and barks and people walking past, the dog next door, .. outdoor sounds really.

I know that some dogs will bark from boredom, but I do think that environmental factors and things that some dogs bark out would be largely eliminated in a 3rd storey apartment? Does that seem right?

Just thinking aloud. Presumably as long as the dog is given enough mental stimulation and things to do while you're out, it might be ok with otherwise vocal breeds?

[Steph M]

We lived in an apartment and really really considered getting a dog there and in the end we decided for us it was going to be a massive stretch and and we would have to compromise a lot of things we wanted in a dog and in the ways we wanted to raise a dog.

Not saying you're wrong, I think it can be done but with the greatest of intentions we decided it might not be for us.

About a year later we're in a house we love to bits with a dog who is everything we wanted.

Glad we waited in retrospect!

[halfthewords]

I wouldn't have a Japanese Spitz in an apartment; they tend to be yappy by nature. My best friend's JS lives in a house with a yard, is stimulated mentally daily and gets a huge amount of exercise, but she barks non-stop and if their neighbours were any closer, they would be getting noise complaints.

[Arlizng]

Like i said, i'm not taking this decision lightly. With the hour exercise, i can do more but that would be a realistic estimate during weekdays. Weekends, im happy to spend thing hanging out with my dog going for obedience classes,etc.

So the general census seems to be :-

(1) very laid back dog (yay for laid back lappies, or is Kivi the only laid back lappie?)

(2) an adult dog (could a samoyed/keeshond/lappie/ dachshund still suit here?)

(3) a westie/ shiba inu / lowchen

Thanks for the feedback on whippets. Like i said, i have not had any experience with the breed and it was helpful to know that they are acrobats. :laugh:

Please keep referring breeds that you think are suitable as there may be some that i have been remised in looking into.

Once again, thank you everyone for being so helpful and honest.

[mirawee]

There are definitely some Finnish Lapphund lines which are VERY vocal. And if you attempt to avoid those known lines you can end up with something with an even more annoying bark You do get Lappies who are more laid back and quieter.

As apposed to Jumabaar my Kelpies rarely bark but I have 3 out of our 4 Lappies who are very vocal when excited or when strange things happen. The girls in my experience tend to be noisier.

Our male Lappy would also not be so keen on apartment living as he loves going to sleep in the "bed" (read hole)he has made for himself outside :laugh: He does come inside to say hello and sleep on the couch at times but he prefers being an outside dog (they have a dog door so can choose for themself).

Personally if I had an apartment dog I would be choosing a breed you can get an inside toilet for

Edited June 26, 2013 by mirawee

[Staff'n'Toller]

I've known a few Keeshonds. I think they're really nice dogs. There's no getting away from the fact they are also of the spitz variety though. :laugh:

The few I've known will bark but not for no reason, they bark at instances (visitors arriving).

I feel it's really important to look at general breed temperament, you don't want a dog that can't socialise with other dogs when your closest off-lead area is a dog park and you have no yard IYKWIM - just makes things harder for you. I'm not sure Dachshunds are very appropriate if that is the case. Plus 3 flights of stairs everyday is not going to be great as they age.

Whilst exercise is a consideration, you also need to be providing activities that tire the dog out, training session before work, a variety of environmental enrichment toys, rotation of said toys to create novel items each day.

Much hair in the breeds you've chosen - have you had a long haired breed before? I've had short->medium haired breeds before and now I have the Toller whoooooaaaa I had no idea how much hair they drop about the place.

You can join us in the robotic vacuum cleaner thread when you get your post count up. :laugh:

[minimax]

I spent the first 9 months of my pugs life raising her in an apartment, and when We finally moved into a house with yard everything became so much easier.

Life for a puppy in an apartment isn't great, I think for an older dog who is over the hyper stage It's fine, but puppies need space and easy access to yards to run around and be puppies.

Plus toilet training in an apartment is a bitch, even with a balcony or pee pads/fake grass etc

[Guest donatella]

I think a Frenchy would suit :)

[Salukifan]

Incidentally, don't whippets have kind of thin skin prone to tearing?

This is true. A fine coat and lack of a cushioning layer of fat makes them prone to skin tears.

But this doesn't tend to happen in apartments and other than that, they tend to be pretty healthy dogs.