Dogs in flats

[Guest2]

Does anyone have experience of owning a small dog in a flat / apartment with no door space other than a balcony?

My girlfriends I talking about getting a mini pinscher but think she hasn't fully thought things through. Pinschers by the sounds of it need exercise and stimulation quite a lot as are intelligent and playful. They can dig, climb and probably destroy things if they don't have enough exercise. Not great with a balcony on a second floor

On top of that is general cost, probably £80/month for insurance, vets bills and food and require feeding 3 - 4 times a day. I primarily work from home and she does which will leave me with the most responsibility, which I don't have time for as have a 8-4 job

There's then the holiday / going out aspect as when things are back to normal after Covid we spend a lot of time out at the gym/other sporting things, on day trips or weekends away.

I grew up with a German Shorthaired Pointer and Dobermann and know they are not easy to look after. Loved having dogs and they were very much part of the family but they were quite hard work sometimes

 

[Gray2233]

I wouldn't recommend it.

How is the sound proofing in your apartment? What floor do you live on? I've lived in flats where people have kept dogs and it's often a nightmare for the neighbours as much as the owners. What about when the dog needs to use the toilet? The amount of times I came out to the stink of dog urine and sometimes worse in the communal areas was ridiculous. Then there's the noise factors, you keep a dog cooped up in a small space and it'll get restless, it'll bark and run around and depending on where you live that can be very audible to those around you. Its not like you can just let it out to have a run around in the garden between walks.

If the above wont be a problem for you, I think you need to make it clear to your girlfriend that since she wants the dog it has to primarily be her responsibility. Make it clear she'll need to walk it a couple of times a day and that includes in bad weather. Punctuate the points you've already made, if you like to go away for weekends or on holidays regularly it's going to impact that unless you can find someone who wont mind taking care of it regularly. Then there's the obvious costs which you're clearly aware of.

Dogs can be a joy but they're not the sort of pet that suits living in a flat and they're very much a lifestyle change.

 

[Macky]

Does anyone have experience of owning a small dog in a flat / apartment with no door space other than a balcony?

My girlfriends I talking about getting a mini pinscher but think she hasn't fully thought things through. Pinschers by the sounds of it need exercise and stimulation quite a lot as are intelligent and playful. They can dig, climb and probably destroy things if they don't have enough exercise. Not great with a balcony on a second floor

On top of that is general cost, probably £80/month for insurance, vets bills and food and require feeding 3 - 4 times a day. I primarily work from home and she does which will leave me with the most responsibility, which I don't have time for as have a 8-4 job

There's then the holiday / going out aspect as when things are back to normal after Covid we spend a lot of time out at the gym/other sporting things, on day trips or weekends away.

I grew up with a German Shorthaired Pointer and Dobermann and know they are not easy to look after. Loved having dogs and they were very much part of the family but they were quite hard work sometimes

Don't do it unless you're prepared to significantly alter your life to adequately cater for the dog's needs. It doesn't sound like you're ready to do that just yet.

 

[Ahleckz]

I have a golden retriever in a 2 bedroom top floor (4 storeys) flat.

Ultimately, I think it depends on the dog but our dog is absoutely fine. He mostly sleeps during the day. He has two beds (one in the living room, one in the bedroom) and has lots of teddys and things he can play with. As we both work from home at the minute we interact and chat with him throughout the day.
He doesn't bark, pace, just chills out. He's pretty lazy but is very energetic outside.

In terms of walking, we go out at around 7.45 for 30 minutes or so. We then take him out between 12-2 for 30 minutes and then around 5.30 for 45 minutes to an hour. At 10pm we take him downstairs to a patch of grass outside for a final pee.
At weekends, we are out for a few hours each day. Today for example, we will walk approx 3 miles to take him to his friend (more below) and she'll walk him a fair bit. Tomorrow we will go for a walk around a loch so he can swim

Feeding? He gets fed twice a day, after the morning walk and before the evening walk. Feeding doesn't take long, literally a mug full of food into his bowl and a dentastick in the morning.

Before working from home, he got a dog walker each day my partner didn't work from home (she worked from home 2 or 3 days out of 5 pre Covid) then that's probably around £10ph or £15-20 for doggy day care.

We used BorrowMyDoggy in the past, and from that he's met a friend who he hangs out with quite a lot - in fact, she is taking him this afternoon so my partner and I can go for a cycle. She has also borrowed him when we go on shorter trips. For longer holidays, there's someone else we use who looks after him in her home and doesn't charge much. However, my mum has got a dog since our last holiday and is keen to take him next time so there's always that.

However, we do generally involve him with our day to day stuff. We know all the dog friendly pubs/cafes/restaurants in the city, happy to take him on walks. He's fine on the train so if we don't want to drive then that's that option. Again, for weekends away we just take him with us. During the break in the lockdown last year we went to Bristol. Drove down from Glasgow and stayed at the Hotel Du Vin which is dog friendly and is happy for the dog to be left in the room whilst we went out in the evening and happy for the dog to dine with us in the bar. Whilst we were in Bristol, we mainly walked around with him and had some drinks. One evening we went out to a fancy restaurant and he just stayed in the hotel. Once we got back I just took him for a pee. But, the majority of places were fine (I had to carry him up the stairs in Left Handed Giant as he was terrified of something for some reason!).
So you can definitely involve them in your holidays, it's just if you want to? We have stayed at a bunch of hotels/b&bs/holiday homes/etc with him. He's a family member to us so we don't have any issue making sure what we do can accommodate him.

Insurance - £30 or so a month, but that's with a bunch of claims (he has on-going hydrotherapy and on prescription pain killers)
Food - £35 a month.
Vet bills - £40 a year for vaccines/boosters.

I think it sounds like you don't want one. You have to accept that your life will change, a lot. And your weekends and free time to a large degree will have to involve the dog. If you don't want to sacrifice that, or can't involve the dog then it's probably not a great idea.

This is him now

 

[Yaayuh!]

Sounds like a terrible idea and potentially unfair to the dog.
Certainly needs some extra thought before considering.

 

[bayo000]

Also check your lease as most do not allow pets.

 

[Haze]

Just have a baby instead, lol

 

[builder22]

doesn't sound ideal...plenty people do it but I wouldn't have a dog unless I had a garden so you just have to open the door, and the dog can go out when it wants when it's hot etc

I'd imagine house training would be a bit difficult in a flat too - especially if you need to go some distance away from the main entrance door to a spot where it's acceptable to let your dog have a ****!

and...as mentioned some developments etc don't allow pets...having said that you're not supposed to have pets where I live but many do, think it would only be an issue if theywere constantly barking etc

 

[Graetzbridge]

I'm with the others here - having a dog in a flat is not a good idea. Even a small dog.

 

[Lysander]

I think lots of girls go through a dog phase. It's purely emotion rather than practicality-led. My wife kept saying she wanted a teacup Pomeranian because it was "cute". Four of our friends [dog owners] recommended not having a dog in our flat because it was too much work. I said that if you took away the "cute" aspect of having a dog there was nothing left. She eventually stopped saying anything about it.

 

[Nasher]

Most won't allow pets. Not a good idea anyway. Dogs (and cats) need space, including outdoor space.

The smaller the property you are keeping it in, the more work and the more problems it might create. If you have a huge house or garden they can entertain and mostly look after themselves. In a flat it will be like looking after a kid 24/7.

 

[413x]

Nope. I wouldn't.
It's not fair on the dog. Some people do. But no way I would.

 

[Arsonist]

D'ya like dags? Yeah, I like dags. But I like flats more.

 

[arknor]

I've lived in flats where people have kept dogs and it's often a nightmare for the neighbours as much as the owners

my neighbours have a jack Russell or whatever it is, barely ever hear the dog, hear the owners more shouting at it to not do things.

if it's a big dog that barks loud at any random noise though would be a nightmare.

personally I dont think a small flat and only 2 people living there is enough company for a dog or enough space.

get a cat they won't care about being left alone

Most won't allow pets. Not a good idea anyway. Dogs (and cats) need space, including outdoor space.

Wasnt there a law change?

I think the default government template removed anything about bans on pets? pretty sure I read that.

also pretty sure I read they can't just say "no" they have to give a good reason of why you can';t have a pet?

 

[NoobCannon]

Guy who used to live above us thought it was a good idea to get a puppy akita. They also both worked. The thing spent all day barking abd howling from the second they left untill they got back.

in the end the lease holders of flats got so much grief about it they gave him they options to move out or get rid of the dog as it broke the lease.

they moved out in the end, tried to fight it for a bit but realised it was a no win.

 

[Guest2]

Thanks all, some very useful points. @Ahleckz nice dog, he looks very chilled out.

 

[Jono8]

Whilst some people can get it to work, I probably wouldn't entertain the idea of having a dog without a private garden/outdoor space.

You don't know what personality of dog you are going to get and it could just be pain in the **** for both you and your neighbours.

I would wait till you get a house and garden .

 

[mccarf]

I live in a flat with a dog and my experiences mostly match up with poster #4. One difference is the puppy phase was awkward and he destroyed a fair chunk of stuff (table, walls, electronics). Fortunately, the stuff we do own isn't especially valuable and the walls will be sorted. That sort of thing entirely depends on the individual dog, but it is something to keep in mind. We've both been ill/tired etc but we still have to take him out several times per day, there is no easy option of just leaving him roam around in a garden when you don't feel up to going outside.

On the positive side you get a little guy/girl who's full of love and trust for you. I would sincerely recommend a good dog trainer because they train you to handle the dog that much better. It also opens up possibilities to do things with your dog that you wouldn't ordinarily think of. For example my dog loves forest finding, which is where he is trained to find specific people in a forest and alert us when he's found them so we can come to their location. He's also a very talented at jumping obstacle courses and really enjoys it. It is quite cool to see him progress and it's very rewarding when something finally clicks and he learns to do something consistently.

I would also echo what poster 4 says about staying places, we've found no shortage of places to stay and recently we stayed at an Airbnb which was a short drive away from the sea (picture below). It also had a fence (which was really nice admittedly).

 

[GreatAuk]

I wouldn't recommend, as others have said think it could cause a lot of problems. As a relatively new dog (puppy) owner myself I can say it would be much harder work if we lived in a flat and I personally wouldn't want to do it.

Other aspect is it sounds like you're less enthusiastic about the idea than she is - potentially a future source of arguments and resentment, as getting a dog will impact on both of your lives significantly, particularly if you get a puppy. Of course dogs bring a lot of joy, but you will both need to make lifestyle changes to accommodate it (a bit like having kids really).

 

[Nasher]

Whilst some people can get it to work, I probably wouldn't entertain the idea of having a dog without a private garden/outdoor space.

You don't know what personality of dog you are going to get and it could just be pain in the **** for both you and your neighbours.

I would wait till you get a house and garden .

Like one of my neighbours. Who live in a 2 bedroom house with 2 kids and a dog. The dog is a restless nightmare (as are the kids tbh). When you cram all that together in a small space it doesn't really work and annoys everyone living around them.

If people start complaining about dog barking you'd likely be asked by the building owners to get rid of it, or have the council on your backs. They only give you something like 6 weeks to fix it and then start dishing out daily fines if it continues.