Dogs suitable to apartment living

El Guapo!

Myself and the gf are thinking of getting a dog sometime this year. The only thing is we live in a top floor apartment so I'm not too sure what breeds would be suited to apartment life.

Whatever dog we do get will be well walked so there's no worry on that end of things, its just the lack of a garden that worries me. And I wouldn't want to deprive a dog of a garden just for my selfishness so I need to know which ones would be ok without a garden to dig up all day!

A friend of mine suggested a british bulldog is a decent apartment dog but I dunno if thats correct or not. But anyway they seem to be around the €1500+ mark which is too expensive for me at the moment. The gf spotted a "puggle" and fell in love with it but I have no idea what these are like.
Any help is much appreciated!

TooManyDogs

Greyhounds and lurchers make excellent apartment dogs. They're the ultimate couch potatoes and are in huge quantities for adoption in Ireland.

Shanao

Dean09 wrote: »

Myself and the gf are thinking of getting a dog sometime this year. The only thing is we live in a top floor apartment so I'm not too sure what breeds would be suited to apartment life.

Whatever dog we do get will be well walked so there's no worry on that end of things, its just the lack of a garden that worries me. And I wouldn't want to deprive a dog of a garden just for my selfishness so I need to know which ones would be ok without a garden to dig up all day!

A friend of mine suggested a british bulldog is a decent apartment dog but I dunno if thats correct or not. But anyway they seem to be around the €1500+ mark which is too expensive for me at the moment. The gf spotted a "puggle" and fell in love with it but I have no idea what these are like.
Any help is much appreciated!

Like TooManyDogs said, greys and lurchers make brilliant apartment pets, once they have a comfy couch, a warm bed, and good food, they're pretty much set for life:D.
Puggles are a cross of a pug and a beagle, a fancy name for a mongrel so you can be charged several hundred euro for something that most people were handing out free just a few years ago. Wont be healthtested, could gain health conditions that both breeds are prone to, and ultimately, end up costing thousands in vet bills. Not to mention that puggles are half beagle, which are NOT apartment dogs. A beagle would go nuts in an apartment.

Oranage2

Pugs make great apartment dogs - look attoy breeds.

Inexile

TooManyDogs wrote: »

Greyhounds and lurchers make excellent apartment dogs. They're the ultimate couch potatoes and are in huge quantities for adoption in Ireland.

Fully agree with this. Seriously lazy dogs provided they have short bursts of exercise. Hounds come in all sizes - well nearly all they dont come in xtra small.;) there are loads available in Greyhound rescues or all breed rescues. They are short haired too so dont shed much

anniehoo

TooManyDogs wrote: »

Greyhounds and lurchers make excellent apartment dogs. They're the ultimate couch potatoes and are in huge quantities for adoption in Ireland.

+1 (million)

Even if you're like "WTF"....or "no way a feckin greyhound" right now, do me a favour and spend 1 week googling these lads. Perfect apartment dogs with a fabulous temperament. Their "looks" are an acquired taste but...meh..each to their own.Gimme a long nosed easy breathing greyhound anyday over a Puggle ( id guarantee you less vet bills right now in the long run believe me)

Yes, they're not the cutest or particularly cuddly but they're gentle,quiet, lazy,soft,inquisitive,playful,intelligent and stoic dogs.

I WANT a greyhound so bad....and i live in an apartment (just dont have the time to put into a dog)!

Think your thread has just been hijacked by Greyhound lovers

ppink

Can I just say that whatever breed you get just have a check beforehand(if you have not done already) as to where you can let this dog off lead if that is going to be important to you.

some dogs by law are not allowed off lead in public. do you know if there is a specific dog park near you?

the reason I am saying this is I have seen some people go off and get the dog and then spend all their time frantically looking for somewhere to let it run off the lead.

pokertalk

also before ya go anywhere just make sure you get in contact with your property manager and find out if it is within the rules to keep a dog. the last thing ya want to be doing is give the dog up after getting it.
as for the breed a grey hound would be perfect or whippit let em off the lead for a sprint in the mornings and he will sleep all day till lunch time then the same again. very intelligent imotional loveable dog as already said the idea of a greyhound might freak ya out at first let it settle and do some research the gf will prob be against the idea at first but go together to some greyhound rescues and take a couple for walks ya might just fall in love:D

Inexile

If your gf is not overly gone on the idea of a greyhound tell they are the super models of the dog world! They are very elegant dogs I feel like I should be wearing full make up and heels when I take mine out - she outshines me every time.

pokertalk

another pro is that greyhounds dont tend to smell of that doggie smell so thats a plus when living the apartment life. it would be best to get one with a low prey drive do because as they hunt with sight you coul be walking in the local park and the dog sees something blowing in the wind 300 meters away hes gonna leggit .also i think males are more patient than the bitches, but slightly bigger.lol im banging on here as if your on your way out today to get one.

seamus

Shameless plug for staffies here. Lazy beasts who usually don't make a lot of noise. They can be very smelly though. They also tend to be careless about what they bang into because they're made of stone, so I wouldn't recommend them for a place where you have delicate ornaments perched on slightly wobbly tables.

Please don't spend money on a dog. It's like going to a car dealer and spending €15k on a new car when the guy next door is practically giving away mint condition vehicles.

suziwalsh

Whatever you do, get a lower energy breed and preferably one that is house trained...otherwise you will have a nightmare

Id contact www.dogstrust.ie

username123

Another vote for a lurcher!!! Amazing dogs!!

I live in an apartment, one of my neighbours has a King Charles Spaniel, a lot of health problems - but a super dog for apartment living - just wants to sit on your lap and have a couple of walks a day - not high energy, and in fact, so pampered that when you walk him (I mind him sometimes) and its raining and you ask him to Sit he wont put his bum on the wet ground!!! He loves his comforts!! However, he costs a fortune in grooming, vet bills and special food (he has a very sensitive stomach) - so he is an expensive dog to own.

sensibleken

another recomendation for greyhounds/lurchers.

we live in an apartment and have a greyhound. they are the ultimate in lazy dogs, just find a small comfy areas and curl up, sleeps about 14 hours a day, doesnt shed that much (as much as other dogs).

you would also be doing a very good thing. most greyhounds have a very very bad time before they are retired and there are tens of thousands that need adoption. that being said any rescue is a great idea.

Whispered

seamus wrote: »

Shameless plug for staffies here. Lazy beasts who usually don't make a lot of noise. They can be very smelly though. They also tend to be careless about what they bang into because they're made of stone, so I wouldn't recommend them for a place where you have delicate ornaments perched on slightly wobbly tables.

Please don't spend money on a dog. It's like going to a car dealer and spending €15k on a new car when the guy next door is practically giving away mint condition vehicles.

Another vote for staffies. Lazy little feckers (see my recent pic in the pic thread. Sent my foster up to wake my husband and came up 15 mins later to find him asleep on the end of the bed looking all innocent!)

They do need exercise though, but are happy to rest when not out and about.

They can be bullish and are not the most delicate, like Seamus said, but they have a charm you just wont find elsewhere and are constantly happy chappies. I never met a grumpy staff!

borderlinemeath

Inexile wrote: »

Fully agree with this. Seriously lazy dogs provided they have short bursts of exercise. Hounds come in all sizes - well nearly all they dont come in xtra small.;) there are loads available in Greyhound rescues or all breed rescues. They are short haired too so dont shed much

The miniature dachshund would beg to differ!! My friend has 3 standard dachshunds, great little dogs, very lazy too!!

srsly78

minidachs uber alles! Just be warned that EVERYONE will stop you and want to pet it RIP our minidachs unfortunately, we suspect it ate poison somehow (rural dog not apartment). Note these are NOT toydogs, they still retain their hound instincts.



(pic is of pedigree miniature long-haired dachshund)

DBCyc

+1 for staffies - once walked, they're so lazy. This is our Suzie's reaction to being offered to go outside to the toilet

Bookworm85

anniehoo wrote: »

+1 (million)

Even if you're like "WTF"....or "no way a feckin greyhound" right now, do me a favour and spend 1 week googling these lads. Perfect apartment dogs with a fabulous temperament. Their "looks" are an acquired taste but...meh..each to their own.Gimme a long nosed easy breathing greyhound anyday over a Puggle ( id guarantee you less vet bills right now in the long run believe me)

Yes, they're not the cutest or particularly cuddly but they're gentle,quiet, lazy,soft,inquisitive,playful,intelligent and stoic dogs.

I WANT a greyhound so bad....and i live in an apartment (just dont have the time to put into a dog)!

Think your thread has just been hijacked by Greyhound lovers

+ a bazillion!!!!

I have a foster grey at the moment and I cannot recommend them enough!!

Greys are amazing creatures, wonderful personalities and total cuddle-bums

They'd be quite happy in an apartment once they get some excercise (2 X 30 mins a day is all my guy needs). They snooze for a lot of the day, are house clean and are nearly always good on a lead.

They love cuddles and rubs and are so so affectionate, which can be a bit painful when a 36kg grey wants to sit on your lap!

westies4ever

just a recommendation for what NOT to get - a westie - they may be small and cute but they are powerhouses of energy and they bark - a LOT!

ppink

westies4ever wrote: »

just a recommendation for what NOT to get - a westie - they may be small and cute but they are powerhouses of energy and they bark - a LOT!

LOl I was just thinking when I saw a post from Westies4ever that there can only be one dog they are promoting:D

Vel

I've lived in an apartment with our lurcher and he was the perfect apartment dog, so another recommendation for greyhound or lurcher.

I will say though that some lurchers depending on what they are crossed with might not be the most suitable, for example a greyhound/collie x so I would recommend a slightly older laid back lurcher or a greyhound

cjf

Il give my vote to the mutt!! I have a whippet x staffy girly and she would be great apt dog! Loves her comforts very gentle round the house only really gets excited at walk time and dinner time and fly hunting time!! Very quiet not a barker at all Hates rain loves sleeping under duvet curls up behind your neck on the back of the couch!! Think I got the best of both breeds!!

Inexile

borderlinemeath wrote: »

The miniature dachshund would beg to differ!! My friend has 3 standard dachshunds, great little dogs, very lazy too!!

Oophs sorry - when I refering to hounds I was shortening the word greyhound and they dont come in xtra small. Being involved in Greyhound rescues I tend to forget about the rest of the hound group.
Love the look of Dachshunds too especially the wire haired ones they look so superior.

de4d

most dogs excluding a few can be suitable for apartment living, it just depends on how you raise them. if you are getting a new born puppy then it won't matter nearly as much compared to getting a dog that is older.

cjf

de4d wrote: »

most dogs excluding a few can be suitable for apartment living, it just depends on how you raise them. if you are getting a new born puppy then it won't matter nearly as much compared to getting a dog that is older.

Important to note the ones that woulnt be ideal though! I have Doberman chap got him at 6 months old he is a 100% house dog but coulnt imagine living with him without my garden!! Know dobes do live happily in apts but just in my experience despite getting him at a very young age he needs the space of the garden to let off his little bursts of dober steam!! It's not so much his size because he is very good at curling himself up nice and small on my pillow!! Plus he is very alert and sensitive to strange noises so coulnt see him adapting to the sounds of other people coming and going etc he far too nosey!!

Gremlin

I don't know whay anybody thinks its different whether you live in an apartment or a house. A dog needs its exercise. Whether you live in an apartment or a house, you need to commit to at least two short walks a day or one good long one in the evening. If there is nobody home all day and the dog will be left alone, I'd seriously consider looking at a less hands on pet.

cjf

I do think it makes a difference depending on the natural traits and common behaviours shared by dogs of the same breed. Having a garden is no excuse for not bringing your dog out for walks apart from needing daily exercise bringing your dog out and about is vital for socialisation training and their mental health. Two short walks a day would in no way be enough of any of the above for one of my dogs. Also due to his instinct to guard and protect the home i don't think it would be practical living in an apartment as the noises of people moving around etc would have him on high alert all the time that said if by some circumstance I had to move into an apartment I would of course be bringing him with me and would just have to work very hard on training him to apt living.

Gremlin

Just re-reading my last post and I just want to be clear that in no way was I suggesting the OP would not exercise a dog. The OP was very clear about this in the thread starter. Just when I re-read I thought it could be read that way.

I was actually thinking more of other people reading this thread thinking about locking a dog up all day with no exercise.

@cjf: I hear what your saying about different breeds.

El Guapo!

Thanks for all the replies its a great help. Although I'd love a greyhound I don't think the gf is too keen on them. She wants something a bit smaller. I showed her this thread and she still isn't too keen on the idea so I think its off the cards.

I absolutely love staffies! My mate had one when we were kids and I used to prefer playing with the dog more than my mate!
So I think a staffie is definately one to consider.

Any other suggestions on smaller dogs are welcome!I really appreciate the help.

Inexile

Dean09 wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies its a great help. Although I'd love a greyhound I don't think the gf is too keen on them. She wants something a bit smaller.

You could also consider a whippet - smaller than a hound.;)

Have to say I also love staffies. the few that I have met are just brilliant. A lot of staffs out there need loving homes so you should have a lot of choice.