Living the Apartment Life With a Dog

The day that I picked my puppy Rocky, from the shelter, I had a large house with a huge fenced backyard where he was able to run and play all day long. I never thought that I would have to re-train my dog, years later, to be an apartment dog. However, with some helpful research the change went fairly smooth. To tell you the truth: I think I had more difficulty than Rocky did with living in an apartment.

Here are ten tips, reposted from the Porch Potty blog, which have been extremely helpful for me and I want to pass them on to those of you have a furry friend, or are considering bringing a dog, in your apartment:

1) If you run or walk on streets, make sure to always bring a plastic bag. You may opt to choose a common grassy area when he can potty and then clean it by using a plastic bag.

2) Never leave your dog unleashed. Your dogs should always be tied up on their leash, most especially when you intend to go to common spaces of your apartment. Even if your dog is trained, never risk leaving him unleashed.

3) Use a short leash on your dog. Keep him close to you when you go through the pathways and lobby of your condominium.

4) Never let your dog have that chance of running up to someone. A lot of people are still not keen to dogs being around them. If there is a person intending to pet your dog, make him sit first before you let your neighbor touch him. Ensure that your dog is in sitting position during the whole meet. Others may just walk straight to your dog without asking permission. By having a short leash, you can easily control your dog’s actions toward the person.

5) Whatever the size of your dog, never let him jump on strangers. Train your dog to sit before you pet and praise him. Dogs that are rowdy and jump on people may cause a lot of trouble.

6) Train your dog not to growl when you’re in the shared area of your apartment. Dogs are capable of barking very loudly regardless of their size when situated inside any closed building. Unforeseen circumstances may arise causing him to be surprised and bark endlessly.

7) Maintain control in any given situation. If you come across a neighbor inside your condo, make the dog’s leash short and close to you. Have him lie or sit down once the other dog pass through – especially if your dog is larger.

8 ) It is best that you do not initiate introducing your dog to another dog. If unavoidable, make the bigger dog lie or sit down while the smaller dog comes near. Even if both dogs are sanitized, you still have to be very cautious, especially with two male dogs. There will be a lot of barking and roaring if one of them wants to establish dominance.

9) Always stand toward the back when your ride the elevator with your dog. Train your dog to sit next to you and make him keep his eyes on you during the elevator ride. Your dog should only get up and exit the elevator once he gets a signal from you.

(Ten Tips Re-Posted from Porch Potty blog)