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I've posted before on the dog forum and got some good advice so I decided to come back with this question. How hard is it for a dog to get adjusted to apartment living? What can I do to help before moving? My dog is not use to having anyone live above or below us. He is a barker and I know it so I'm worried what will happen if we move to a new place and it's all strange noises. He is also use to just being able to walk out the front door or patio door and be outside. In apartments unless I get the ground level he won't just be able to walk outside so that will be another adjustment for him too.
Any advice on how to get him as apartment trained as I can before moving?
Some dogs adapt more quickly and readily than others. It's all about personality.
What kinds of things does he bark at? Any specific kinds of noises such as people walking by outside or traffic sounds or other dogs barking or the typical creaks heard in any kind of home? Depending, he may or may not be bothered by sounds above and below him.
If your home is typically quiet right now, maybe fill in the silence with music or the TV as background noise.
Currently, when he steps out your door to the outside is he put on a leash or not? If he isn't now and presuming he will be, then you could start putting on a leash before going out to get him used to it. If he is leashed when at your door, maybe start leashing him somewhere deeper inside your home and walk him to your door and then out.
However, whatever is outside your apartment door - hallway, stairs, elevator, what-have-you - he will consider as part of his home. He won't comprehend, nor care, that your private domain ends at that apartment door and begins a common area. To him it will be just another door, one that's always closed (unlike, probably, all the other doors in his domain). The difference may be that he'll sniff all kinds of smells from other people who have been traipsing through "that part" of his domain (the common areas).
Do you ever take him shopping at a pet store that allows dogs such as PetSmart or PetCo? I've known many dog owners who have done so to desensitize their dogs to sounds and smells and the presence of people and other dogs. Dogs who don't do well on leashes shouldn't, but those who do get a lot of benefit from such excursions.
Crate training is also good to prevent damage. Especially if your dog is a bit destructive.
He actually loves his crate and I've put a pillow in there. The door is always open since he's been potty trained, but if he has an accident and has to be put in there he doesn't mind. He isn't destructive though. Doesn't chew on things that he shouldn't. Very rarely we have an issue of him peeing or pooping because he is mad.
Some dogs adapt more quickly and readily than others. It's all about personality.
What kinds of things does he bark at? Any specific kinds of noises such as people walking by outside or traffic sounds or other dogs barking or the typical creaks heard in any kind of home? Depending, he may or may not be bothered by sounds above and below him.
If your home is typically quiet right now, maybe fill in the silence with music or the TV as background noise.
Currently, when he steps out your door to the outside is he put on a leash or not? If he isn't now and presuming he will be, then you could start putting on a leash before going out to get him used to it. If he is leashed when at your door, maybe start leashing him somewhere deeper inside your home and walk him to your door and then out.
However, whatever is outside your apartment door - hallway, stairs, elevator, what-have-you - he will consider as part of his home. He won't comprehend, nor care, that your private domain ends at that apartment door and begins a common area. To him it will be just another door, one that's always closed (unlike, probably, all the other doors in his domain). The difference may be that he'll sniff all kinds of smells from other people who have been traipsing through "that part" of his domain (the common areas).
Do you ever take him shopping at a pet store that allows dogs such as PetSmart or PetCo? I've known many dog owners who have done so to desensitize their dogs to sounds and smells and the presence of people and other dogs. Dogs who don't do well on leashes shouldn't, but those who do get a lot of benefit from such excursions.
He doesn't get bothered by outside sounds when the door is shut. His sounds are people walking up and down stairs inside. My brother walks very heavy. Our one neighbor slams her door pretty loud and we can hear that and that causes him to bark if it's at night and he's in my room. It's mostly sounds in the home that are loud or he thinks is someone trying to get into his space.
The home is quiet during the day and Ive asked neighbors and they say they don't hear him barking so that's good. He is likes to sleep during the day which I think helps with his barking. He also plays with the family cat.
He is leashed trained. I do put him on the leash right at the doors where he can see the outside. I have a leash for downstairs and his walking leash.
He has only gone to Petsmart once and that was for Christmas pictures. He does not have the vaccine that allows him to go to kennels, should I get him that vaccine shot before taking him to such places? He has never been in a shelter and I don't kennel so we've felt no need to give it to him.
ohyellowbug ... it would be interesting to know, somehow to find out, if he only barks at sounds when you, or maybe someone else, is at home. Wonder if he's as quiet as a church mouse if he's home alone and doesn't feel the need to protect you from potential intruders?
ohyellowbug ... it would be interesting to know, somehow to find out, if he only barks at sounds when you, or maybe someone else, is at home. Wonder if he's as quiet as a church mouse if he's home alone and doesn't feel the need to protect you from potential intruders?
It would be interesting to know that. I've asked my neighbors and they say they haven't heard him. However, they aren't home 24/7. One comes home for lunch to walk his dog and says he hears nothing. I know when I leave for work and everyone is gone, that he whines and I can hear him at my car. When I pull home in the evening he's quite until I get to the door.
Wonder if I could find a camera and see if I can record the home sounds during the day.
What breed (or mix)? Some dogs only go into "protection" mode if their "herd" is present. Our neighbors had a sheltie who wouldn't utter a sound unless the kids were outside. When his "herd" was out, he went into work mode and was constantly barking and running around to keep his "herd" contained and safe. When not in work mode he would walk around the yard quietly doing something or nothing.
Other breeds are protective of territory and it doesn't matter if anyone else besides themselves are there. My sister has a beagle mix who barks at passersby even when the house is empty. It could be that your dog is not one of these, and his whine when you leave is short in duration, simply a "please hurry back".
What breed (or mix)? Some dogs only go into "protection" mode if their "herd" is present. Our neighbors had a sheltie who wouldn't utter a sound unless the kids were outside. When his "herd" was out, he went into work mode and was constantly barking and running around to keep his "herd" contained and safe. When not in work mode he would walk around the yard quietly doing something or nothing.
Other breeds are protective of territory and it doesn't matter if anyone else besides themselves are there. My sister has a beagle mix who barks at passersby even when the house is empty. It could be that your dog is not one of these, and his whine when you leave is short in duration, simply a "please hurry back".
My guy is a Pomeranian. He's about 8 years old now and I've had him for four years. He is very protective of myself and my mother. He knows my room is our space and anyone who comes near that he barks even if it's family. My little brother can walk by the door and if he and I are sleeping in there he will start to grovel.
I'm wondering now if it's just when he feels the need to protect. He is a huge barker when people come to the door and he keeps barking even after he sees who it is when we are home.
Your dog would rather learn how to live in an apartment than to be separated from you.
Some dogs are easier to live with in apartments than others, but any dog can learn apartment manners. You just need to make sure that the dog gets enough exercise and maybe has some quieter toys, like stuffed kongs or that ball that drops treats as it is pushed around.
If people are getting dog for their apartment, I have breeds to recommend, but you already have the dog, so you and the dog will just have to work it out.
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