Hi all, I've been living in a townhouse complex for about a year now, and I finally think I'm financially stable enough for a puppy. My apartment is a two-bedroom, two-story building with a fair amount of floorspace. We also have a balcony. My husband and I are both fairly active people, but we wouldn't have a fenced in yard. Essentially I am curious as to what breed of dog might work best for my situation!
If you want a small dog with attitude, rather than a rat on a string, go for a Miniature Schnauser. My friend has two of these, and they are such wonderful characters. They don't moult, and although they're active and love to exercise, they don't need to have a yard for a run. They're also very sociable with people and other dogs, and they're easy to train. They'll bark if they feel their territory is being threatened, but they're not yappy, like some small dogs. If I can talk my husband into it, I'm going to get one myself.
I completely know what you're referring to here, and I definitely want to avoid those pocket puppies with the "king of the castle" mentality. I knew a friend with a schnauzer mix, but have never interacted with a purebred. They sound perfect for my situation, especially as the husband does have some allergies...(but that's what they make allergy shots for, right?)
I have a beautiful rescue dog named Baily. She is a mix of Border Collie and Australian shepard. She does great in our townhome will all my kids. The only issue I have is she loves to herd the children. I make them take her out to the park and have a good run daily. All dogs need exercise. My neighbor has some cocka-poo mixuture thats incredibly obnoxious that lives next door. It barks incessently. But I have found the problem is usually not the dog but the owner. My dog has wonderful manners but then I took the time to train her properly.
We have a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and they may in fact suit your situation well. They are really friendly and quite frankly a little lazy, definitely suitable for an apartment as you described. Good luck on the new pup!
Beagles are great dogs, and don't bark very much. I had a terrier mix, which I loved, but she was high energy and did bark quite a bit. I also had a larger coonhound mix who was one of the sweetest dogs we ever had, not much of a barker either, but I would feel bad keeping a bigger dog couped up indoors all day.
Best dog for an apartment - it all depends on the owner's, family's personality. I have a maltese-mix, he's perfect for apartment living - he needs minimal exercise, and he prefers to curl up on your lap. However, he is noisy and will bark at anything he hears. My neighbour has a german shepherd - a much bigger dog. Obviously she requires more exercise than my maltese-mix baby but she's also very quiet. Some dogs are noisier than others, some are more adaptable to living in small spaces than others. Believe it or not, Great Danes are pretty good for apartment living - despite their size.
A beagle hadn't even come to mind, now that I think about it this is an excellent suggestion. They are pretty much perfect for your situation!
Definitely get a small dog that doesn't shed. Also small dogs tend not to drool and smell up the house. We have a poodle which does not shed or drool at all, and it is one of the smartest breeds on the planet. The problem that we find is that our poodle has separation anxiety. his means he barks as if he's being killed every time we leave the house. I don't know if all poodles are like this, but it is the one knock I have on our dog. Otherwise, it is a perfect dog for your situation.
My favorite show on YouTube is Dogs 101. It tells you a bit of history about a breed, what they are like, what kind of environment is a dog more comfortable living in, grooming, training, health issues and whether the dog is a family pet or not. Make sure you watch the show, see what kind of dogs are there and pick the perfect pooch. The show has all the information you need to know about picking the right dog.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is an excellent dog for small spaces. I love the Shih Tzu even better but these need more care and attention. Pugs are great too, chosing a dog depends on your personality and your routines. Some breeds require more exercise than others. I would personally look at the temperament of a dog and the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel comes right up on the top of my personal choices.
For a small space like an apartment, you need a dog that is both small and passive. In terms of size, Poodles, especially the toy types, are small enough but not the standard Poodles because the standard size is quite big. However Poodles are rather active and, on top of that, rather smart, so in a small space, they can create quite a bit of a havoc. Shih Tzus are small and rather passive with sitting quietly like stuffed toys being their favorite pastime. However, Shih Tzus have long hair, and unless you have the time to groom them properly, Shih Tzus would not be the right choice. A Pug is a very good possibility. It's small and short-haired. Doesn't seem to be as active as a Poodle, too. Only thing is a Pug sounds like it's always snorting because of its nasal structure. However, it's a very huggable dog. I know because I have tried hugging one.
My sister has a pug and they are wonderful dogs. They are small enough for apartment living and they have a wonderful temperament. I stayed at my sister's home for 2 weeks when she went away to take care of the dog and the only negative thing I can say about these dogs is that they snore a bit when they sleep, however at the end of the 2 weeks when I went home I couldn't fall asleep without the snoring noise LMAO! I have wanted a pug ever since. Pugs have an endearing personality and have so much love to give.
Well, it really depends on your land lords feelings about pets. If they only allow small dogs or cats then this the type of dog you should go with. Whatever, you do though, I have to suggest not going with a Chihuahua, and this is coming from a Chihuahua owner. The problem with a Chihuahua is that the tend to bark at everything, I think they even bark at their own shadow. So, yes they are small dog, some of this breed are very small, but they can also be a breed that can disturb the peace if you know what I mean, with all their barking.
My vote goes to the Boston Terrier. They are great in small spaces and very easy pets to care for. There is little or no shedding and they don't need a lot of maintenance. They are also good watch dogs.
