I have a border collie, and I've had him in an apartment and in a house with a 1 acre back yard. When I'd let him out the backyard, all he'd do is press his face against the sliding glass door and stare at me. So basically, either way, I had to actually participate to excercise him - there was no difference in our routine.

Maybe it depends on the breed. Some dogs may just be better at entertaining themselves outside, whereas my dog needs direction. The best advice is research your breed, and research the dog. A good fit is the most important consideration. If you're a girl, you might want to think about getting maybe not a big dog, but one with a big bark - I loved the added security of having a dog that sounded intimidating - taking walks at 2 in the morning is awesome.

Good luck, and have fun - getting a dog was the best decision I've ever made.

I just started reading a book by Temple Grandin about animals and she talks about how dogs do need company. If you are going to be at work all day it would probably be a good idea for the dog to either have a companion dog, go into doggie daycare or have a visitor/walker.

A LOT of people do the apt. and dog thing and manage it, but it is a big responsibility.

Is there a dog park near you? Can you let your dog run off leash or is it all leash?

It also depends on the type of dog and its temperment. I think a lot of times dogs can be better off with people in apartments than with people who have back yards if the owner pays more attention to them and gets them on a lot of walks and stuff.

I don't currently have a dog and I've never had a dog in an apartment. I'm just talking as a past dog owner and I just happen to be reading this book about animals right now.

That you are thinking about things beforehand shows that you are probably a person who would be a good pet owner. It is totally doable if you have a plan. Good luck with whatever you decide!

You really need to think about your breed. Size is irrelevant when it comes to whether a dog can be happy in an apartment -- my dog is 80 lbs but requires 20 minutes of exercise a day (easily achieved in 2 ten minute walks) and happily spends the rest of her time cuddling on the couch or sleeping. A smaller dog of a more energetic breed would be a holy terror in an apartment without a yard. I suggest staying away from herding and racing breeds and retrievers.

I've gotta point to Fnarf's answer, in a round about fashion. It's not really about the living situation as much as it is about the owner. I've had dogs my whole life, in living situations from a 10 acre farm to the edge of Mt Rainer National Park, to Boren and University. If you are willing to make the commitment of time and effort that a dog requires, which to do it right really is akin to taking on any other full time relationship, the living situation shouldn't matter all that much-especially with a appropriate breed choice. That is, to do right by the dog, society, and yourself, be sure you have the time to interact with the dog as it will require, in order to be both mentally and physically happy. Not to overstate the case, but having a dog that others will not hate (possibly justifiably so), is a lot of work.

If you want companionship primarily, I would strongly recommend getting a older dog from the shelter. They aren't as cute as puppies, but they typically don't shit all over the house, and I've always found shelter dogs are great. If I'm not reading to much into it, they've always seemed real grateful to get bailed out of jail.

I just got a dog and I live in a studio, so I'm really glad you asked this question.

From what I'm figuring out so far, it will not matter much whether you live in an apartment as long as you are committed to spending time taking your dog outside on a routine -- and spending time WITH your dog, or making sure he gets some socialization. The key is that if he gets bored and lonely, he'll sit in the apartment barking all day. Which will earn you both eviction.

So I'd say do it, absolutely -- just check with the people you're adopting from to make sure the breed doesn't have big space needs, and if he's a rescue (like mine) about his temperament. You need a fairly calm dog in an apartment so as not to run the risk of driving everyone else mad.

Do it! Yards aren't as important as his relationship with you.

Personally I wouldn't over think this. People in NYC have been keeping dogs for at least 100 years and most of those people live in apartments that don't have front or back yards.

As long as you buy a small(er) breed that doesn't need to run around all the time a combination of daily walks and occasional trips to a dog park should be just fine.

I don't really know if dogs are any happier when they go to doggy daycare. My family owned dogs for years that were content to stay at home while we were all out at work or school. The one nice thing is they tend to play all day and are usually pretty tired when they get home and sleep a lot, much like a person coming home from work.

Great thing about Seattle is that we have several dog parks scattered all around the city. These are great places for you to take your dog and have it become socialized, but also for you to have an opportunity to expand your friend base and network with other local dog owners.

I personally have a service dog that lives in an apartment. My pluses, I also have a son, a cat, and a husband that all pick on her and play with her all the time. On the days that I'm up to it, I take her to the dog park to go play with her friends, and get some of that built up excess energy out of her. For the most part it's satisfying to her. There are days that I notice she's a little bored and that's when I switch things up a little and have either the son or hubby take her out so she can go play rough, or see other kids and have her licking fest.

I also have several toys that we play with all the time. That is another suggestion for you as well. Don't just stick with the normal tennis ball. Get some other things to give the dog a selection. Any toys that you decide to get, rope toys, tennis ball type toys, kongs, tug of war type toys, doesn't really matter which one, you always, and I do mean always have to keep an eye on them when they're playing with themselves. Some dogs can get to the point of boredom that even if you have taught them to only chew on those toys, they can still attempt to destroy them out of shear boredom. I have about 20 different toys for mine, and she has her own little shelf where we put them that she is allowed to go to and choose what toy she wants. Thru the day, they all eventually come out, but she loves the fact that when we tell her to get a toy, she gets to choose which one we tease her with.

Another thing you need to think about that not many do is the dog food. Most dogs don't do well with diet changes. Once you have a food that you start buying, you need to stay with that food. If you have to change for what ever reason, you need to do so slowly so you allow the dogs digestion to cope with the changes. What this means is that you mix the two foods together slowly bringing it to the point that the new food is the dominate and then the only one left. The other thing you want to think about too is where you store your food. Once you have dog food in your home (I have to buy those super large Costco bags), you want to limit the amount of bugs or rodents that see it as an invitation to come and invade you. The way I get around this is once I buy the food, I store it all in zip lock bags. One, this keeps the food fresh, which your dog will love you for...you don't want to eat stale chips do you? two, bugs won't be able to get into it as easy or rodents as you're getting rid of the food 'left out on the counter' bit. three...makes for easier clean up. Never ever ever feed a dog bones of any kind. I have personally worked in a Vet office and have seen the aftermath of shreaded intestinal tracks from bone consumption. Also, get in the habbit of not feeding people food..goes along the lines of don't change the diet.

Once you get into these type of habits it will make your life immensly easier for both of you. Establish a potty schedule and keep to it. You now officially have a little child with the mentality of a 5 year old living with you. You need to child proof your home. Not only do you need to get things out of reach of the deadly tail wag so it doesn't come barging thru and destroys everything in reach, but you also need to keep your garbage can lid on at all times. Dogs are curious creatures, and anything that smells good or looks good to them, they will do what ever they can in their power to get to it.

A book I would like to suggest to you to read is Marley and Me by Jeff Crogan (I think that's the spelling of the last name). This will show you worst case scenerio's. Owning a dog though is the most wonderful experience someone can have. You will have a loyal friend for life. There will be several sacrifices on your part as well. But they truely are worth it.

Bottom line is these 4 things, are you willing to dog proof your home, are you willing to keep a dog on a consistant diet regardless of cost, are you willing to set a consistant schedule for potty breaks, are you wiling take the dog out to play, outside and inside? I the answer to these is yes, then you're well on your way to becoming a dog owner. Just study the breeds to see which would be the best fit for you, and welcome to the new stage of your life. Oh, and congrats on your decision as well.

The AKC can help with your decision-making. They'll suggest breeds that are more adaptive to apartment/city living. A herding or working dog in an apartment is a bad idea (particularly border collies and Australian shepherds) because they LOVE running around where there's lots of room. Some breeds are obviously non-starters - Great Pyrenees, for example, although beautiful and loving, belong on an estate. Others would surprise you. Greyhounds, believe it not, after a good run somewhere are quite happy being docile companion animals in confined spaces. The toy breeds were pretty much designed for city life and they aren't all yappy as reputation would dictate. Some are talkers; some aren't. Some people think terriers are a good choice because they are small - but terriers are extremely high-energy and demand quite a bit of attention. You don't want to leave a fox terrier, for instance, alone in an apartment for an extended period and expect to have a sofa when you return.

Of course, shelter animals are always a wonderful choice, and the AKC can even help you out there and tell you what to look for.

Good luck and here's wishing you many great years with your animal.

I have 2 small dogs in my 1 bedroom apartment. It works fine for us but you have to be willing to take them out 3 times a day and to the dog park a few times a week. The dog indoor potty patch has been great for me since smaller dogs go potty so much throughout the day and I work. Just don't get a high energy dog and you will be fine :) Also make sure you get a breed that doesn't bark/yip ie) papillon's, Chihuahuas, Pomeranians.

I got my second dog to keep my first dog company throughout the day. It's wonderful having the pair and they just adore each other. They burn off a lot of energy chasing and playing with one another. Try getting an apartment dog that is already potty trained and it will be an easy transition for the both of you.

Good luck!

I live in a one bedroom in West Seattle. My dog is half Husky/half Boxer. He needs lots of exercise and playtime. I walk him everyday for about 45 minutes and he often plays with my neighbors dogs a few times a week. He likes his social cirle. Also, twice a week I pay Fetch! to take him to dog parks while I am at work to give him extra time and room to run his ass off. It is not expensive at all. What I pay a month its about the equivilent of eating out twice. Its worth it! On days off, we walk, run, hike whatever strikes our fancy. Gets me out and about too. If you want a dog, put in the time and effort and enjoy it. I have a happy apartment dog and a happy apartment me!

I also think so. Thank you for the post.
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