Apartment Dog Breeds

[Dogsfevr]

It was me who raised the issue of Dachshund's being dog friendly.

I am happy to be corrected, but obviously in a Vet Clinic context we generally meet ones that want to take off your fingers, and yap at all the other dogs. :laugh:

IF you have a lift, then look at a wirehaired Dachy or a smooth hair.

The miniature long hairs are the ones I personally see with the behaviour issues.

Many breeds could be elimated for not being vet friendly & some breeds don't do well in a vet environment especially if a crated client.

My Dachie at the vet would protect himself to the end but he was a gem in the showring .

One must remember that Dachies MUST bark to do there job so yes they can be more vocal but it doesn't mean they have to yap .

My Std Smooth wasn't a yapper infact he was very silient BUT he was the most awesome guard dog,he also did mini agility & visited the nursing homes as part of the Dachie demo team.

They are great dogs but like any breed you must understand there bad traits & be prepared to work with .

Off the Dachie varieties the Std Longs are much more gundog in nature & very laid back ,love life .

The wires are the clowns

Std Smooths are loyal to the end for there owners & often more one person

Mini Smooths should be very social .

My Std smooth wasn't a barker but a great guard dog.

I handled std longs for years & we always called them the mini Irish Setters as they have that rollicking nature & love life.

I handled Mini Smooths as a child & they where awesome plus the mini longs.

Funnily enough the ones that had temp issues where the wires but it isn;t typical .

[Staff'n'Toller]

Many breeds could be elimated for not being vet friendly & some breeds don't do well in a vet environment especially if a crated client.

My Dachie at the vet would protect himself to the end but he was a gem in the showring .

One must remember that Dachies MUST bark to do there job so yes they can be more vocal but it doesn't mean they have to yap .

My Std Smooth wasn't a yapper infact he was very silient BUT he was the most awesome guard dog,he also did mini agility & visited the nursing homes as part of the Dachie demo team.

They are great dogs but like any breed you must understand there bad traits & be prepared to work with .

Off the Dachie varieties the Std Longs are much more gundog in nature & very laid back ,love life .

The wires are the clowns

Std Smooths are loyal to the end for there owners & often more one person

Mini Smooths should be very social .

My Std smooth wasn't a barker but a great guard dog.

I handled std longs for years & we always called them the mini Irish Setters as they have that rollicking nature & love life.

I handled Mini Smooths as a child & they where awesome plus the mini longs.

Funnily enough the ones that had temp issues where the wires but it isn;t typical .

I'm not talking in a crated context, I'm talking in the waiting room meeting people and being up on the table.

Most breeds are good and quite handleable, Chi's and Dachy's though are unfortunately 'up there' on the difficult list.

Yours were great in the showring but how do you rate them at the off lead park with a bunch of other dogs?

[Dogsfevr]

All the Dachies i was involved with where very social .

There a very common breed used in Junior handlers by the younger age group due to there ease .

As for offleash they are hunters so i would be more worried about them coming back they can be stubborn but our Dachie agility team did events at royal shows & other public places with no issues .

Like many small breeds owners turn them into wusses & spoil them but we board alot of Dachies & all are fine in nature ,

There tough little critters & often forget there size but they hunt nasty critters so one expects there to be spunk.

The Std Longs where used more for water retrieving hence there more gundog like nature.

I think there a great breed but as i said any breed can be turned into "issue " breeds .

We have boarded 2 Tollers that would eat us given a chance

[Staff'n'Toller]

All the Dachies i was involved with where very social .

There a very common breed used in Junior handlers by the younger age group due to there ease .

As for offleash they are hunters so i would be more worried about them coming back they can be stubborn but our Dachie agility team did events at royal shows & other public places with no issues .

Like many small breeds owners turn them into wusses & spoil them but we board alot of Dachies & all are fine in nature ,

There tough little critters & often forget there size but they hunt nasty critters so one expects there to be spunk.

The Std Longs where used more for water retrieving hence there more gundog like nature.

I think there a great breed but as i said any breed can be turned into "issue " breeds .

We have boarded 2 Tollers that would eat us given a chance

I can't bold your statements about Tollers but I can say I definitely understand where you are coming from.

I think most of the time it's fear but I know there are certain dogs from certain lines who would take you on if challenged and furthermore think they can win. I have problems with them being homed to inexperienced families and the like, particularly entire males. They are a trickier breed than some other gundogs.

[Arlizng]

/quote]

You're right about Labs. So I was intrigued that the American Kennel Club listings for the most popular dogs in New York City, now have Labs at the top. Most people live in apartments or attached dwellings in that City. I expected the list would be full of 'smallies'.

But I should've guessed. I once got a book out of the local library by one of the top US dog trainers. Called 'Metrodog:Essential Guide to Raising Your Dog in the City'. His clients and their context was New York City. It was a great read, with lots of tips & pics. And he was pretty open about breed & how they could be catered for.

But that's part of the New York City culture to have dogs of all shapes & sizes in dense housing. And they have all sorts of services to support it. As well as more social acceptance. We're well away from having a culture (or even climate!) & environment like that, in Australian cities.

I notice the book is available from Amazon. But I borrowed a copy from a library:

http://www.amazon.com/Metrodog-Essential-Guide-Raising-Your/dp/0446679186

Especially read the Customers' Reviews of the book underneath.

I will see if my library/book depository has it. :) Looks like a great read. I can't wait.

So the other half has vetoed:-

-Keeshond

-Tibetan Terrier

-Finnish Lapphund

-West Highland Terrier.

3 out of 4 are smallish. So we are getting there. I read up abit on the Tibetan terrier and it says you need to be an alpha pack leader with them. How is that different to any other breed i wonder.

I have had (at my parents overseas) a jack russell terrier (too independent for my liking, she is very much alpha of the dog trio); goldie and smooth mini dacchy. Temperament wise it would be ideal to be similar to a goldie.

Ugh, has anyone else agonised over this? First world problems i know. Thanks for your patience and i enjoy going through your comments.

[Zug Zug]

Were these breeds ruled out for being too small?

Is that what you meant?

Other reasons eg too much coat?

That info may help us identify some alternatives for you.

What about a border terrier? Another one of my favourite breeds and would suit apartment life so long as you give them regular outings and teach them not to bark too much. But again, that's any dog...

They are small, train very well, love to learn tricks, and have an appealing 'honest dog' look to them.

Australian terriers are also nice.

Both low shedders but neither of them are non shedders

Edited July 1, 2013 by Zug Zug

[Diva]

So the other half has vetoed:-

-Keeshond

-Tibetan Terrier

-Finnish Lapphund

-West Highland Terrier.

3 out of 4 are smallish. So we are getting there. I read up abit on the Tibetan terrier and it says you need to be an alpha pack leader with them. How is that different to any other breed i wonder.

Vetoed, as in ruled out of contention? Or is that just a mispost and you mean he will consider them?

[rusty&biscuit]

It seems you like the spitz breeds. I think a schipperke may fit well here. They are small, and will take as much or as little exercise as you can give them. For instance, yesterday I wasn't feeling too well so my poor dogs missed out on a walk (lucky for rusty we have a yard!) then just this morning went on a 9km run, with Biscuit the schip keeping up very well! They are very much 'Velcro' dogs; biscuit follows me everywhere and just always wants to be with me. However not so Velcro that they are prone to separation anxiety, which is good. However all the ones I have met are not entirely content to sit on your lap for a long time, more prefer to be at the foot of the bed or laying next to you, keeping watch. However I have been corrected before, but this is just my experience with biscuit, my research and the ones I have met. But you could most definitely find a few that would be perfect little lap dogs! I feel as though I am babbling here, so pm me if you'd like more info, but definitely a breed to consider :)

One last thing, they do shed, and they are a lot of fun to clicker train!

[Dogsfevr]

So the other half has vetoed:-

-Keeshond

-Tibetan Terrier

-Finnish Lapphund

-West Highland Terrier.

3 out of 4 are smallish. So we are getting there. I read up abit on the Tibetan terrier and it says you need to be an alpha pack leader with them. How is that different to any other breed i wonder.

No difference any breed needs a pack leader but i don't agree with an alpha leader .

Tibetan Terriers are awesome dogs very smart BUT there known as the monkey dog as they are amazing climbers .

They are awesome at agility .

Have you considered going toa do show,winter isn't always the best but still plenty of breeds to actually meet & greet in real life

[minimax]

Do you own your apartment, or rent? Is there no chance in the nearish future of upgrading to another place, like a smallish house or ground floor terrace that would accommodate the dog you want, rather than having to compromise on breeds that you like?

[Lonk]

Love my Pug!

2x 1/2 hr walks a day and he either chills on laps when humans are home or snoozes in his bed when alone. A toilet tray helps heaps!

Easy to keep clean.

[Yonjuro]

Have you considered a mini-schnauzer? They are awesome dogs, they don't shed and would be great in an apartment. Super intelligent and robust. I don't know much about standards, but if they are anything like the minis then this might also be an option if you were set on a bigger dog than the mini.

[Arlizng]

Replying without 'multiquote' because it keeps saying opening tags does not match.

@zug Zug & @Diva

Sorry about the confusion, that will teach me to scribe without paying close attention.

I meant those are the breeds we could both agree on.

@rust & biscuit

Thanks. I have yet to meet a schipperke.

@showdog

I did recently go to Dogs NSW show. I only managed to speak to some samoyed breeders, i think the keeshond breeders were getting ready to show so i didn't want to intrude. I just checked dogs nsw website, there are a few dog events coming up but not a show per se.

@minimax

I think currently there is a higher possibility that i would be in an apartment for the next few years. I understand where you can coming from.

@lonk

Thanks for the suggestions. Pug owners are quite passionate about their breed (i have a friend who is that). It's not high on my list though. :)

@yonjura

Thanks. I will keep my opinions open. the mini schnauzer is not a breed i had considered.

[Yonjuro]

Mini-schnauzer wasn't a breed I had considered previously, but when I finally looked into them, I bought one and had a wonderful 14 years of trouble free life with her. After meeting my dog, my parents bought one and so did two of their friends. They are super cool dogs. I remember my Tessi taking on a pit bull at the park once that jumped up at me trying to get her ball off me. She crouched low, growled and luckily for us the bully decided against a fight.

Another amazing thing was when she chased a rat into a pile of rocks. She moved a rock the size of a soccer ball with her head to get at the rat. Luckily the rat escaped. They are much stronger than they look.

[smisch]

14th July we're showing at Erskine park. come see us, cuddle a lowchen or 2 (we have father and daughter) and we can also hopefully direct you to some other breeds that may suit :)

Inbox me if you'd like!