Getting a dog when you don't have a garden

[RandomMess]

I would love to rehome a dog - puppies/kittens don't do it for me, much prefer dogs and cats!!

However all the rescue places insist you have an enclosed garden to consider you. We have garden and hard standing but due to the layout is impossible to enclose (at great cost we could enclose a small area but it wouldn't lead directly from the house door). DH works from home, I only work part time so taking the dog out on a lead for toileting shouldn't be a huge issue.

Is this just an irritation or a complete no go?

As the owner of two boxers I would never consider a house with no enclosed garden/yard.

When looking on rightmove for our next imminent house move its top of the list along with detached.

I have a rescue dog and live in a flat.
I know things would be a little easier if we had a garden but it just takes a little bit of time to get into a routine so please don't let it out you off!
I would say that it might be hard house training a puppy without a garden but not impossible.
Our dog was two when we got her and had lived in a foster home so was pretty clean in the house. A few accidents but once we all got used to the new routine everything has been fine!
I think it's so much better for her to be here with us where she is loved than still waiting in the kennels for someone with a garden.
She has three or four walks a day and that's fine got her. Usually two quicker ones and two longer 30 mins+ ones. On a weekend we might drive to a large open space or take a really long walk to some woods or something like that.
She is a whippet cross though and often sight hounds can be fairly lazy so the situation works for her.
I'd say try and steer away from a highly active breed like a collie if you don't have a garden.

Please don't let not having a garden out you off though, and please rescue!

*put not out. Stupid autocorrect

Ps forgot to add/ the rescue place were fine with our situation and we had a home check.

We only have a very small garden and our rescue staffy cross dog really only goes out there to toilet, he hates the cold, rain, wind etc! He has three walks throughout the day totalling 2.5 hours and I doubt he would be bothered if we had to take him out on a lead to toilet so I think it would totally be possible to get an adult rescue dog and have the set up you have providing you can give the dog lots of walking time. Some rescues will assess on a case by case basis but I'm not sure if it will be a sticking point for them all

I desperately want to rescue but they just seem to say a flat no if you don't have an enclosed garden! Added into the equation is the 2 existing cats and it feels impossible

I would veer away from high energy dogs anyway - I am realistic about how many hours per day I want to be out walking in all weathers!

I'm surprised you've found rescues to be so adamant about needing an enclosed garden, especially as you want an adult dog not a puppy. Are there any other rescues you can try?
My 4 yr old lab never toilets in the garden, he has one short walk in the morning and a longer one in the afternoon and he does all his peeing/pooing then. We usually get back from walk at around 4 pm in the winter and he doesn't want to go out at all till the morning walk at 8 am. He's not bothered about going in the garden, will only come out if I'm there as well and its warm enough for him to sunbathe .

We have a dog and an enclosed garden but Eric doesn't go in the garden from one week to the next. He only really follows me into the garden when I peg out washing tbh and I don't peg out from October to March.
He's walked three times a day and does all toileting on these walks.If he wanted to pee outside of these times he'd bring his lead rather than bark at the back door even though he's been able to do that since he was about twelve weeks old.

My boxers are from a rescue and we were vetted and the house and garden checked.

100ft garden, 6ft fences all round, locked gate.

I like that in summer I can leave the back door open and the dogs can come and go as they please and play in the garden with their footballs etc.

Gemma that sounds lovely but not everyone can have a large fenced garden and it seems a shame that they should be excluded from having a dog. There are so many dogs in rescue that there are bound to be some, like my lab and insanity's dog, that would be fine without a garden.

I will pursue all avenues come March when we've settled into our new house!

I think we will have a long wait to find one that is cat friendly but at least now dh works from home that is a big hurdle crossed.

Smaller rescues (ie not ones like the RSPCA) tend to be much more flexible when you actually speak to them...as long as you're honest about your set up and are willing to discuss how you'll work round something like not having a garden.

I've lived for 4 years without a garden, other than a small gravel car parking area outside, which big dog wouldn't wee on if you paid her in bones! I've also took on a puppy, who is now 8 months old, and have successfully housetrained him by keeping him on a lead when outside. I'm not going to deny that having a garden would've been easier at times, but we've managed just fine. We are moving in a couple of weeks to a place with a garden, which will be nice, but it's not an essential IMO. My dogs get 3-4 walks a day, whatever the weather, and a few trips outside the front in between. The only time I've longed for a garden was when I slipped discs in my back and was laid up, as I had to ring round friends and beg some dog walking, as I didn't have the option of just letting them outside for a day or two.

If you're likely to be having children soon you might want to think again. You don't want to be walking the dog at 10pm with a baby/toddler.

When we first got our first dog we didn't have a garden. We lived in an apartment with sizeable balconies and trained our puppy to use those when he needed to go. As he got older and more in control of his bodily functions we fitted in his needs with three walks a day. Later we moved into a house with a decent garden but he never used that except to have a run around. He preferred to sleep and wait for walks. My parents now have a new rescue dog and she also waits for walks (three a day). She won't go in the garden unless they're in it and then she'll just run around a bit but she's not too active either.

LOL I have 4 dc, the youngest is 9. There is a large field/small about a 5 minute walk away for short walks and lots of fields for longer trips! I have wanted a dog my whole life but I'm still petrified of the commitment.

Gorgeous natured Staffie needing rehoming, good with kids, other dogs and cats

It's nice to have outdoor space, but if you can commit to going for a few outings every day you shoudn't have a problem. I'm sure you'll find your dog!

Try smaller, local rescues rather than big, national ones like Dog's Trust or RSPCA. Look at Many Tears Rescue, Action Aid for Animals, Balkan Underdogs, Hope Rescue or Four Paws. All have FB pages you can join. They are always looking for extra fosterers so you could also offer to do that which would give you an opportunity to see how it goes. I know that there are plenty if smaller rescues who have certainly allowed adoptions to people who love in flats so don't let other rescues put you off! Good luck

I have a rescue greyhound and live in a flat with no garden. Despite their size they are perfect flat-dogs - they are generally quiet, need very little exercise compared to some breeds and tend not to take up much space. Mine lies in the corner next to to the radiator and sleeps for at least 15 hours a day! Don't get me wrong, he loves a good walk but he's just as happy lounging about
They are also a massively abused breed and there are loads of charities dedicated to rehoming them.

I lived in a flat for years with dogs, in fact Id say dogs in flats get way more exercise tjan dogs with gardens as you have no choice but to walk them 3/4 times a day instead of chuck them out for a pee, I also work for a Staffie rescue they rehome to flats as can't be fussy as have so many dogs to find homes for

If your local rescue won't try a Staffie one of not go to your local council pound as they defo will and often there dogs are PTS if no homes found so your really willbe giving a dog a 2nd chance in life

My best dog was a Staffie from the council pound on death row, she turned out to be a wee cracker

Research does suggest that in general, dog owners without gardens provide more exercise for their dogs than owners with gardens, because they have to walk them rather than just 'letting them out'. It's frustrating that the major rescues won't rehome without gardens - this policy is based on nothing, and just inhibits rehoming
I have two dogs in a city centre flat with easy access to green spaces - they get 'proper' walks for several hours a day and regular pee breaks. Yes it's a bit of a nuisance at this time of year but it quickly becomes routine

I don't feel like I could foster because we have 2 cats, plus one husband & one pre-teen who are nervous of dogs (fine with bomb proof dogs they know). The cats are not dog savvy (yet) and are a very people orientated breed rather than aloof and outdoors so, unfortunately, we are already limited.

Although I've always been brought up around dogs and am very much a "dog" person I just don't have the experience to take on a more challenging dog plus the thought of getting 6 people to be consistent also imagine if they weren't ok with the cats!

Dh doesn't want a "chav" dog which actually to him rules out a staffie but I have consistently told him it's about the personality and if there is one that ticks the boxes then that is far more important than one he doesn't have a prejudice of - again to him "chav" dog = aggressive, sadly the area where we lived had plenty of these

This is a local rescue so I'm going to contact them and speak to them - they seem very good as in that you have to go and visit dog a minimum of twice before they consider a home visit of up to 4 weeks to establish there are no issues that can't be ruled out. Actually it just says "gardens must be secure, many dogs can jump 1.5 metres with no effort" so perhaps it's just a case of them not escaping - at least we can honestly say the dog wouldn't be going out of the house to use our garden unless on a lead!!!

The one I have my eye on is good off and on lead, sadly being rehomes as the previous owner now lives on his own, in a flat and out at work long hours on a night shift so sounds like family breakdown.

I am quite scared of the commitment and that is what puts me off, it will be my dog so it will be me doing all that walking in the depths of the cold and rain...

I live in Scotland Random the winter lasts forever
But once I drag myself out of the house the cold blusteryness is quite refreshing and there are warm sofa snuggles afterwards

Dog will have to fight the cat for snuggles, girl cat is like my permanent attachment! Did I mention I'm not actually a fan of cats they are dh's!

Hi, I live in a 3rd floor flat and when I was contacting rescues it wasn't always a problem.One home visit I had said that some dog owners with gardens never took their dogs out for walks they just let them out in the garden!
We have had our Bulldog Ronnie for over 2 years now and the fact we don't have direct access to a garden has never been an issue. It's more of an issue getting her to wake up and go out!!