kjoyce4
This is a topic I could go on forever about, but basically the answer I’ve found is yes!
Here are some of the rules I’ve tried to follow over the past four years.
Chloe has lived almost exclusively in apartments, except for a couple month long breaks in college. In that time, I’ve lived in 5 different apartments ranging from around 600 square feet to just over 1,000. Even though living in an apartment with a dog isn’t ideal, it’s doable and to me, infinitely worth the companionship to have her living with me.
So how do we do it?
The biggest tip I have for living with a dog in an apartment is crate training. It’s something I would recommend any time you’re introducing a dog to a new environment. Chloe was crate trained as a puppy, and never actually stayed home alone without a crate until she was almost two.
Every dog is different, but I know how easily bored Chloe gets and even when I started letting her roam free during the day, we had trouble with her scavenging through the trash.
Even now she still has a travel crate that I keep folded up in the back of my closet, in case I’m travelling or leaving her with a friend. If you start early and make the crate a safe space for your pup, they’ll have a comfortable space to stay safe while you can’t be around.
The second thing I’ve found is a big help when keeping a dog in an apartment is setting clear boundaries with roommates.
Chloe and I have had more than half a dozen different roommates in our apartment adventures, and while it isn’t always an easy conversation, it’s important for the people living with you and your dog to have clear rules for your pups. You spent a lot of time and effort training, don’t let someone else undo it.
My biggest piece of advice…
Make outside time a priority.
I’m sure based on the theme of this blog you could see that coming, but it really is an important part of having a dog in a small space. Especially with a larger dog, they need space to spread their legs and run.
Chloe grew up playing with other puppies daily during her training. When we left college, I made it a point to go to the dog park before work or take her for a walk. On our days off, we started hiking and have kept that up to this day.
Letting your dog burn off excess energy means less time time spent getting into trouble and generally a happier dog.
