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Every so often I think about buying a medium-high condo property. Not on the ground floor. That means if I replace my last dog I need to consider what characteristics the new one should have.
Size and breed are obvious issues. But what about gender? The dog would of course need to be neutered. And taken outside reasonably often for “breaks”. But what if you use a doggie pee-pad on a balcony for “emergencies”? It might be that one dog gender is less messy.
What do you think? And what breeds might be amenable to condo living? Any actual experiences would be helpful and appreciated.
No Males!! They **** & pee they could be Peeing on the neighbors! Maintenace workers any one Down below!!!
Female Train her to pee on a pad. Put the pad on a tray. Inside or as you said balcony. Also Small dogs can get a lot of exercise in an apt. You should also consider a Cat!
Obviously, a neutered dog of either sex would be less messy around the house. Lower hormone levels mean fewer urges to scent mark. An intact female would go through heat and that can be messy. It might be harder for a male (neutered or not) to keep everything confined to a pee pad. Some females hike a hind leg to pee/mark things above the floor. My first adopted spayed female cattledog sure did! That was more a matter of dominance. Any dog, neutered or not, could end up with UTIs (forcing a dog to "hold it" too long because taking them outdoors is more of a hassle can make them more prone to UTIs), bladder problems, or GI upset that could lead to unexpected accidents.
A smaller breed that can be pad trained or taken outside would probably be best. Gender matters less than training. Also, the animal must be spayed or neutered. Like an earlier poster pointed out, lower hormone levels mean fewer urges to scent mar and a female's heat and that can be messy.
I live in a condo with 2 small dogs. I have one of each sex and they are pad trained. Most people here take their dogs outside but that’s a big hassle living on the top floor. The female is definitely less messy than the male.
Obviously a pet dog would be neutered. So no worries there. Hoping some more people will chime in with personal experiences.
The idea of having two in an apartment or condo is appealing since they would have species company. But I wonder if that helps or complicates the pee pad issue.
I much prefer a female dog. I've had small male neutered dogs and they still wanted to lift their leg in the house to mark their territory. Maybe if you had just one it wouldn't be an issue. I know if a male is neutered when young they sometimes don't lift their leg when they go.
Obviously a pet dog would be neutered. So no worries there. Hoping some more people will chime in with personal experiences.
The idea of having two in an apartment or condo is appealing since they would have species company. But I wonder if that helps or complicates the pee pad issue.
Any others have experience? And thanks Terry.
I have pee pads in both bedrooms that are large. So even if I am gone all day it’s not a problem. My little max enjoys marking so I have a tiny fire hydrant on both pads for him to mark. I used to get my dogs fixed at 6 months which is the soonest a vet will do it. Of course in shelters they fix every animal no matter how young before they leave for obvious reasons.
However , I had a 3lb dog grow long after 2 years and she had painful orthopedic problems for life. When I researched it this happened because she was fixed before she quit growing. I can’t remember the exact explanation but the article said you shouldn’t fix a dog until they haven’t grown for 3 months. I followed that advice with max and didn’t fix him until 11 months old. He had to wear a belly band because he was really marking. He now only marks on his fire hydrant.
Most of my dogs have been older and rescued and I have been able to train every one to a pad. I did this when I had my house because it’s not safe for 5-10lb dogs to use a dog door. We have predators looking for a meal even in town. Plus a neighbor dog jumped the fence and killed my friend’s yorkie. I always have 2 dogs so they are company for each other.
On a funny note I took care of my friend’s little dog while she was gone for 2 weeks. He was a terrible marker and had to wear a belly band. My female dog saw him trying to mark the curtains and started to lift her leg and pee on them. She never quit and I had to raise all the curtains in my house.
^^^Very cute story about the female lifting her leg : ) Our female does it too but only if she sees our male do it on a bush or tree. Fortunately the drapes remain off limits!
About when to spay or neuter: With new knowledge gained over recent (and not so recent) years, vets have changed their criteria for when the surgeries should take place. Many smaller Rescue groups will adopt out a young un-fixed dog but only with a hefty refundable deposit which the adopter will get back when they show a certificate that the neutering has taken place.
Unfortunately with larger, city or county run shelters, that isn't always possible and the shelters err on the side of preventing more unwanted puppies rather than trust that the adopter will do the right thing. I volunteered with one shelter where we went into inner city schools and taught the kids about how to care for a dog or cat. This was in an area where dog fighting took place and there were also language barriers.
It's often said in Rescue circles that we can't adopt our way out of our pet over population problem. Responsibility has to be taught at a young age. It always comes back to education.
Back to the OP - I hate to say this but in my experience female dogs are easier to handle when it comes to peeing and pooping on pads. The boys just don't seem to get it but I'm happy to see that some posters have had success with their males. In shelters females are asked for and adopted out far more than males so that's why I feel bad saying that in your case a female would probably be best. To make up for the imbalance, most of our dogs have been boys : )
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