Your tips on having a dog in a flat

[Burpalot]

DP and I would dearly love a dog but are not in a position to move home at the moment. He had dogs throughout childhood as his family still have them. My parents have a dog (so we're not completely naive).

We live in a good size two bed modern flat. Open plan living area. No garden but a large balcony. DP WFH full time, and I imagine I'll be WFH more once this is over.

Theres a canal path right outside the flat and a park 10 mins walk away. Big country parks and national trust places a short drive.

I'm looking for tips really if you've had a dog in a flat/apartment. What works? What doesn't? What should we bear in mind that we perhaps may not have thought of? Thank you

[ouch321]

@Potter

Aw, sorry to hear.

Yes I have a lift luckily. Might you be able to tell me a little more about your experiences? Eg Did it bother your neighbour at all in terms of barking?

How often did you have to run downstairs for a bathroom break? The building does have a communal courtyard out back which I suppose we could use for that purpose. No grass, just shrubbery area and picnic tables.

Not too bothered about day care costs. I think it highly unlikely I'll ever have children given my age and life situation so I guess I'm free to spend cash on daycare for a dog rather than nursery fees.

[vanillandhoney]

Assuming you're allowed a dog, you have a couple of things to consider.

Mine didn't give much indication at all that he needed to go at first, so be prepared for lots of accidents on your carpets at first, especially if you can't easily plonk him out the back door!

Also please please make sure your balcony is safe. Mine could easily jump over a balcony given the inclination - he can leap over our 6ft garden wall from standing - luckily our neighbour is quite happy to pick him up and return him again

The other consideration is stairs - puppies shouldn't really go up/down stairs until they're fully grown, so large breeds probably aren't a good idea, neither are delicate breeds like dachshunds. Make sure you have a breed you can carry up the stairs at it's adult weight if necessary (thinking vet visits/injuries etc).

Otherwise it shouldn't be any different to a house - good luck! Except maybe don't get a breed known for being vocal as you have neighbours above and below to consider!

[terrigrey]

Check your lease first.
Other people in your building might not appreciate you getting a dog.

The smell & extra dirt from a dog travels to the communal area (my best friend lives in a flat with communal area, her neighbour has a dog and the communal area stinks of dog) I have a dog myself and I have go the least sensitive nose - so it really must stink to 'normal' people.

You need a breed which doesn't bark much or is very active during the day.
I personally don't think it's a great idea, more for the neighbours than the dog.
My dog barks at the postie, likes indoor ball games and yelping with excitement when visitors arrive, I'm in a house so these things don't affect anyone else (apart from the poor postie).

[Potterspotter]

I used to take mine out 4-5 times per day, early morning, just before bed evening, mid morning, mid pm/lunch and dinner time. He would need one really decent walk of at least an hour every day.

Yes my neighbours did mysteriously buy a plug in air freshener when we moved in! I used to hoover the communal stairs from time to time (I was the only one) to get rid of mud and fur.

Mine didn’t bark much - only when he was bored or lonely, so make sure you can avoid that. If you don’t get a puppy, you’ll know what sort of bark level you are getting into.

Communal stair use is rarely completely fair - kids for example also cause much more wear and tear, biking enthusiasts trail mud in etc.

[OliveToboogie]

I am greyhound fan also. Adopted one last year. Love of my life now. Greyhounds are very quiet and gentle. After a 20 mins walk its home to snooze on the sofa till dinner time. Very clean they lick their fur like cats. Deffo fit into flat living.

[NoMorePoliticsPlease]

@ouch321
Your choice of breed is not a good one. Large dogs and need working to be healthy. Day care should just be for the odd day. Not fair on the dog.

[vanillandhoney]

Day care should just be for the odd day. Not fair on the dog.

I totally disagree.

There is nothing wrong with regular daycare. A good daycare takes a limited amount of dogs, and has a good routine of exercise, play and sleep, just as if the dog was at home.

Dogs shouldn't come home from daycare so tired they can barely keep their eyes open. Our local one is excellent (I've used her when we've gone on holiday as she does boarding too) - she takes a small number of dogs, takes them on two walks a day (split into groups depending on breed and personality), and has set "down time" sessions throughout the day. She also includes basic obedience and training in her walks and when she does feeding etc.

Why is it seen as perfectly acceptable to have a child that goes to full-time nursery, but it's expected that people are home 24/7 for their dogs? As long as the dog is well cared for and happy, it doesn't matter where that happens. Mine (in normal times) goes to my in-laws when I can't take him to work with me and he absolutely loves his second home.

[Potterspotter]

I vehemently disagree that there is a problem with daycare either, as long as the daycare is good, and the dog is happy it’s a great idea. My retriever had a charmed life and was very happy. He went to doggy daycare throughout his happy long life and later had a dog walker when he preferred a slower potter about.

Dog shares are a wonderful idea too, I wish they were easier to arrange as it shares the costs and the joy.

[ParisInTheSpringtime]

Absolutely agree @Potterspotter about daycare. Perfectly acceptable.

[SheldonSaysSo1]

I would never have a dog in the flat. Someone I know has one through no fault of their own and she has adapted very well.
For this dog it was a better option than the conditions she lived in before and she is so loved. However, she is walked three times a day (despite not being an active breed) to allow for toileting, plus an early morning quick trip too. The first thing they have to do is get up and dressed to take the dog to the toilet rather than just open the back door. The same in the evening and when unwell.
I couldn't imagine having to do that every 20 minutes when toilet training and all through the night.
The only thing that might work is adopting an older dog (one who isn't too active) that would have a much better life loved with you than in a kennel.

[Potterspotter]

Why does an ‘active’ dog need a small patch of garden? I agree about the potty training although that’s mostly just a question of the difficulty for the owner but an active dog needs outside exercise and company, not a backdoor to a garden.