Apartment dog reality check — what's the hardest part nobody talks about?

Question

I've been in a 650 sq ft apartment with my Corgi mix (18 lbs, 3 years old) for six months now. Before I got him everyone gave me the usual warnings: exercise needs, shedding, barking. All accurate.

But there's stuff nobody warned me about that I had to figure out the hard way. Figured this might help someone in the research phase. What are the things that surprised you about apartment life with a dog?

mark_pdx · Accepted Answer

The elevator anxiety. Nobody told me my dog would be terrified of elevators and I'd have to do 3 flights of stairs 4x a day for the first two months. Also: neighbors' dogs on the same floor. My Frenchie loses his mind every time we pass the same three apartments. You essentially share a hallway with other dogs.

rescue_sam · Answer

Rainy days hit differently in an apartment. No backyard to just open the door. You're suiting up in rain gear, doing a wet walk, coming back to a wet dog in a small space. I bought a dog-specific towel rack and a mat by the door and it helped. But mentally prepare for rainy Mondays.

dan_runs · Answer

The noise sensitivity in both directions. Your dog hears everything through the walls and reacts to it. Your neighbors hear your dog reacting. I had to work on 'quiet' as a cued behavior just to maintain apartment harmony.

Apartment dog reality check — what's the hardest part nobody talks about?

3 replies

Apartment dog reality check — what's the hardest part nobody talks about?

3 replies