to think that you shouldnt have a big dog in a little house

[sherbetpips]

Our neighbour was proudly showing off there new puppy last night - its a bull mastif. Already huge and its only 4 months old. They like us live in a small 3 bed semi with a small garden.

I have never owned a big dog but have always harboured the thought that keeping an dog that big in such a small area is very stressful for it (they also work full time) and surely it is this sort of treatment that leads to stressed out dogs attacking people.

I would love to have a dog and I know my DS would but I always thought they should have a garden to run around in and woods and fields to lollop through, not a walk round the block and be shut in the kitchen all day whilst I am at work?

"small 3 bed semi with a small garden"

It's not an elephant though is it it's a dog. That they're out all day is more of a problem surely.

A 3 bed with a garden is big enough surely? Goodness me how big do you need?

I live in a 2 bed flat with no garden in a town. I also have a labradoodle. We live outside London and have access to the river Thames, Bushy park, Richmond park etc and my dog is fine. He goes on an hour long walk in the morning at in the evening. Has a slightly shorter walk in the day. Sometimes he comes to work with me and sometimes a dog walker comes in early afternoon to take him out. AFAIK he is perfectly content and safe.

I have 2 dogs a basset hound and a greyhound in a small 2 bedroom house, they are very happy and sleep alot, they have 2 short walks a day as both are old now with arthritis

I dont even have a garden and I have a medium sized dog!yabu...but I do make sure she gets 2 walks a day if being left at home... on dull days she comes to work with me.Sunny days shes stuck at home because of risk of overheating in the car so gets the legs run off her in the morning.then sleeps til I get back to her

However if the poor creature is locked in the house alone all day without any toilet breaks or company....but that has nothing to do with size...be equally unfair on a small dog.

We have two very big dogs, there is always someone home with them and the back door is open nearly all day so they can go into our large back garden. They also have a proper walk for about half an hour each morning and pop out during the day too. I wouldn't consider keeping a dog in a flat, or if there wasn't someone at home most of the day.

Isn't that the average size house?

I have a Rottweiler and a three bed semi with a small garden. He's incredibly lazy and if it's raining, he outright refuses to go out.

Generally a good walk will be more than enough for him.

I would be more concerned at a puppy being left alone all day every day than the size of the house tbh.

4 hours is the absolute limit our lab gets left by herself, and then only rarely, and always with a big bone or similar distraction

3 bed terrace here, but she is walked several times a day, every day.

I'm sitting here on mat leave listening to my two 70lb+ shepherd mixes snore loudly. They totally ignore me, the baby and each other all day and mostly sleep between 8am and 5pm.

I've tried dragging them out for walks during the day and neither of them are much interested, if it's raining they flat out refuse to go outside and if it's too hot which it normally is, they do their business then run back to the cool of the house.

I used to feel guilty about not giving them more time outdoors until I realised that they're the laziest canines known to man.

As long as the dog is getting out to do his business and able to stretch his legs a few times a day he'll be fine.

Also the bigger the breed (mastiffs, St. Bernard, newbies etc) the lazier they are generally. Giant breeds only need one big walk a day (personality dependent!)

What about people who get a dog when living in a place of one size and then for financial or family or whatever reasons have to downsize? Should they get rid of their dog that they've loved and treated well for years because you think the place is too small?

I've got two staff's in a tiny two bed flat. It's fine, they join dp on his 50 min run at 6 am, a wee about 11 then the afternoon school run in the week and an hour in the evening.

Also have 2 cats,4 rats and a second hand snake called Malcolm

All are well looked after, eat right, see the vets regularly and get exercised.

My dog also sleeps all day. You should hear the big sighs he gives us at the weekend when we disturb him

One of my dogs is a giant breed, Pyrenean mountain dog. He needs a huge amount of space, is very much on the go a lot of the time. He'd go crazy in a small space.