Puppy in an Apartment

SallyCanWait

Hi All

I am toying with the idea of rehoming a puppy/young dog. I have never had a dog before but it is something I always wanted, and something my 7 year old daughter wants desperately (as I'm sure all kids would!!)

I am a single parent who works full time so I am gone for most of the day - and I live in a first floor apartment. I'm ideally looking for a small house dog - but I'm not sure if my circumstances would be great for raising a happy dog? I'm sure there are plenty of working people who live in apartments who have dogs, however I don't know any personally - so would like some advice if anyone can give any!!!

The breeds I have in mind are Pugs, Chiuahuas, Terriers, Bichon Frise's - mostly toy breeds...

Thanks

MugMugs

Moved from ATWR to API

zef

Leaving a pup alone for the working day would be a disaster for the pup, (unhappy) your furniture and possessions (wrecked) and your neighbours if your dog was crying or barking.
Apartment complexes often don't allow dogs due to the noise pollution they can cause, do any other residents in your apt block keep a dog?
Maybe you could start with a smaller pet for now until your circumstances change?

nuckeythompson

to take on a dog in an apartment would be foolish and selfish. Leaving the dog alone all day is asking for major trouble as suggested by the above poster.
Take a trip to <snip> and have an assesment done and chances are they would refuse you a dog and they will outline the reasons. Take these reasons on board
Get a goldfish or a hamster

FurBabyMomma

I can understand your desire to have a dog, as I was once that 7 year old who desperately wanted one. However I have to agree with the other posters when they say your situation is unfortunately entirely unsuitable.

Dogs are social creatures and do not do well being left alone all day. This often manifests itself in behavioural problems such as barking and destruction. Then we end up with angry neighbours, a sad puppy locked in the bathroom all say to prevent him destroying furniture, a frustrated mother and a distraught little girl when the landlord insists you get rid.

I never did get that dog as a little girl. And as an adult I had to wait til I was 27 to be on a position to care for one properly. As humans more of us need to put the dog's needs before our desires, then rescue centres wouldn't be so full.

Help!!!!

You would be better off getting a cat as the are better suited to flats. Ours is an indoor cat, never been let outside you just need to train it toilet in a box. They also don't need as much attention as dogs so can be left all day alone

deadwood85

get a cat ,rabbit,goldfish or hamster.better for everyone

cml387

Chihuahua is completely out, they are far too delicate to be around a small child.

SallyCanWait

Thanks for the insight - some of my reservations are confirmed here.. Must buy a house and quit my job to have a dog!! Anyone wanna buy an apartment!!?

ShaShaBear

SallyCanWait wrote: »

Thanks for the insight - some of my reservations are confirmed here.. Must buy a house and quit my job to have a dog!! Anyone wanna buy an apartment!!?

You definitely don't need to quit your job, rather you need to have something in place to ensure the dog isn't alone while you are away. Namely doggy daycare, a dog-walker (or relative or neighbour willing to take the role on) or someone else living there that doesn't work or works different hours to break up the alone time.
Although regardless, an apartment is really not very suitable for any breed of dog, especially a first-floor one. Having to take the dog out on the lead constantly to make sure there are no accidents will get old really quick and if the dog is ever in any way noisy, your neighbours left, right, above and below will be really annoyed.

ferretone

ShaShaBear wrote: »

You definitely don't need to quit your job, rather you need to have something in place to ensure the dog isn't alone while you are away. Namely doggy daycare, a dog-walker (or relative or neighbour willing to take the role on) or someone else living there that doesn't work or works different hours to break up the alone time.
Although regardless, an apartment is really not very suitable for any breed of dog, especially a first-floor one. Having to take the dog out on the lead constantly to make sure there are no accidents will get old really quick and if the dog is ever in any way noisy, your neighbours left, right, above and below will be really annoyed.

I wouldn't rule out dogs in apartments either, but I would definitely rule out a puppy in this situation. More because of the job than the apartment though, as it takes a huge amount of time to bond with and train a pup. A calm, well-adjusted older dog would not be out of the question, provided you had a better alternative than leaving it alone for such long periods.

ShaShaBear

ferretone wrote: »

I wouldn't rule out dogs in apartments either, but I would definitely rule out a puppy in this situation. More because of the job than the apartment though, as it takes a huge amount of time to bond with and train a pup. A calm, well-adjusted older dog would not be out of the question, provided you had a better alternative than leaving it alone for such long periods.

Very true Ferretone, I suppose I was going by the first post of puppy or young dog.
Dare I say... sighthound?

Millem

Have you checked with the management company that dogs are allowed in your apartment?

cocker5

OP nobody suggested you need to give up your job and move into a house but you have to be realistic. This isn’t about you wanting a dog it should be about is it fair on the dog?
your apartment is first floor, with no outdoor space for a dog let alone a crazy puppy. How will you toilet train? They need to be brought out every hour for the first few weeks? and not on the balcony

you work full time, puppies can be VERY destructive when left alone for long periods of time (speaking from experience), they can get very upset being alone and suffer from separation anxiety, ie crying, barking, shredding, chewing, distress – these are all facts.
I know you mentioned you’ve never had a dog before so maybe you don’t realise the possibilities. They will wreck your apartment when left alone and they will cry and bark too, I’m assuming you have neighbours below, on top and beside you?

99% of apartments blocks do not let tenants keep animals, especially dogs for the very reason I mentioned above, you can risk getting one but 99% guarantee after a few complaints from your neighbours you’ll be forced to get “rid” of the dog.

Dogs are very social creatures who don’t do well being left along all day , 5 days week with no access to the outdoors IMO is a recipe for disaster.

If your dead set on getting you will need to consider the following:
Doggie Day care / Dog Walker (2/3 times per week)
Possibility of litter tray training
You need to get 100% confirmation for the management company its allowed (a dog if for life and all that not until the management company tells you it has to go)

All dogs need to be walked (to do toilet etc.) - my dog goes out like 6 times in a evening for a wee etc. are you going to pack yourself and your kid up 6/7 to bring the dog out on a lead to pee??? even in the rain? if you were ground floor with some access to a small garden then maybe but 1st floor IMO its crazy.
Dogs need outdoor stimulation, living in an apartment are your prepared to walk the dog each morning before work and after? Never mind wee / poo breaks?

Otherwise its 100% unfair on the dog

Personally as a dog owner I would recommend you get a cat, they do really well in apartments, happy to be left alone while you work and require less of a commitment etc.

PS toys breeds are NOT suitable with kids Especially young kids, they are easily damaged, can be snappy and intolerant of kids

Ashbx

Op I wouldn't rule out getting a dog and wouldn't rule out getting a dog in your apartment, but I do worry about getting a puppy though. Puppys do require a lot of attention and hard work and I just think someone who works all day would find it very hard to look after this puppy the way it should be.

My dogs are now 4 and 6 and I do leave them alone during the day (usually from 1 - 6 everyday) but my dogs get walked three times a day. And on Tuesdays and Thursdays, my mam usually has her afternoons free so will walk them during the day too. So I am confident that the two dogs just sleep the entire time that I am out. Puppies will not be so easy to deal with!

Best of luck though and I hope you get the dog you want someday!

muddypaws

Some thing to consider with having a dog and a young child in an apartment - you need to physically take the dog out first thing in the morning and last thing at night to go to the toilet, if you have a garden, you can open the back door, you don't have that option with an apartment on the first floor. As you are the only adult in the apartment, that would mean either waking your child every morning and night to go out with you, or leaving them on their own while you take the dog out. I am a single parent, so I'm not having a go at you, but it is very difficult raising a young child and looking after a dog at the same time.

anniehoo

I've lived in apartments for the guts of 10 years, 7 being an owner occupier and it is much more difficult having a dog in an apartment than a house. I've fostered for the last few years with each dog having different levels of housetraining and exercise requirements. The only dog out of the good few I've fostered that I considered adopting was a whippet.

The current dog I'm fostering, a JRT has been my most challenging yet. Despite having him 6 weeks (he's ~2 years old) he doesn't seem to grasp the idea of housetraining even though I've rigidly stuck to a routine. It's beyond frustrating traipsing up and down the stairs with him to bring him outside. I also have to bring him away from the front of the building as I don't want my neighbours complaining about him urinating on the plants out front. It's so much easier if you have a garden.

My neighbours are fairly tolerant luckily but he's also a barker and has in the last 3 weeks decided to go beserk at any other dog or cat he sees out the front window. I have neighbours above, below and both sides so I'm very conscious about this. His recall is very good on most occasions but it's still annoying. People are much much quicker to complain about noise in an apartment block than in a housing estate imo too.

He comes to work with me so gets lots of attention and walks during the day but I would dread to think what he'd be like left alone all day. I couldn't and wouldn't do it without some backup plan in place. Even then, knowing he's started this manic barking at the window, it'd stress me out wondering what he was doing all day. I suppose this is no different than barking in a back garden all day long but you have to take your neighbours into consideration at the same time.

He also sheds lots of fine white hair, so I hoover the main communal stairs too.

I know I've listed the negatives but unless you're willing to put the effort in before,during and after work, I'd run a mile from owning a dog and definitely a puppy in an apartment. It's not fair on them or your neighbours and if you cannot control the barking (which I'm not managing at the minute) or correctly house train them, both you and the dog will end up a frustrated mess in the long run.