Are Pugs good apartment dogs? We’re going to take a look at why this breed can live in any type of environment. I’ll also share my personal experience of living in a condo and an apartment with my black Pug.
Most apartment complexes will allow small pets like cats or dogs. Regardless of where you live, Pugs are great for small apartment living. They do not require a lot of exercise like most large dog breeds. You don’t have to worry about them destroying property or showing signs of aggression to your neighbors.
Should You Wait Till You Have A House to Get A Pug?
I know that a lot of people want to wait till they have a house to get a pet. I totally understand why you feel this way.
A lot of apartment complexes don’t allow pets. If they do, they have expensive non-refundable pet deposit that needs to be paid before you move in.
If you have a large breed, it will be even harder to rent an apartment. Ie my area, it can be challenging to find apartment complexes that allow pets of any kind.
The housing market is expensive and most people can’t afford to buy a house. However, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be able to experience being a pet owner.
You just need to be smart about choosing the right pet for your small living space.
How to Choose The Ideal Apartment Dogs
Living in an apartment requires a special type of dog. The best dogs will be the ones that don’t require a lot of exercise and don’t mind being left alone while you are away at work.
There’s a good chance that you’ll only have a social playground area where other pets and people hang out. Avoid aggressive breeds that don’t do well around other animals or people.
Why Pugs Make Good Apartment Pets
I’ve lived in a condo, apartment, duplex and a house with Mindy. I can tell you that she had no trouble adapting to any type of environment I put her in. This breed is perfect for any environment and will be happy as long as you let them sit on your lap.
Personally, I really enjoyed living in a house with a dog. We were able to fence in our backyard and install a pet door so she could go out whenever she needed. When we lived in the other dwellings, I had to go outside whenever she needed to go potty.
That’s not the only negative of living an apartment with a dog. I’ll cover some more of the negatives later on. First, let me share why this breed is the ideal apartment dog.
- They don’t occupy a lot of space.
- Pugs don’t require a lot of exercise (read this to see how much exercise they need).
- You can teach them not to bark, so they don’t bother your neighbors.
- They are friendly and Mindy didn’t have an aggressive bone in her body.
- They’re extremely social and won’t have a problem with your neighbors’ pets.
- Mindy had no trouble adapting to small spaces as long as her pet bed fit in it.
- They are easy to potty train and won’t pee all over your landlords’ carpet.
You don’t have to worry about sacrificing their quality of life by living in an apartment. Basically, Pugs are happy living anywhere with you the owner as long as you give them the proper attention and food they need.
That isn’t the same with other larger breeds that need more space. I’ll share some breeds with you later that I wouldn’t want to house in an apartment. First, let’s take a look at some of the things I hated living with a pet in an apartment.
Cons of Living An Apartment With A Pet
As I mentioned above, there are some negatives to living in an apartment with a dog. They lose the freedom of having their own backyard. But that’s not all, here’s what you need to know as a pet owner.
- You won’t be able to stay out all night. (unless you have someone check in on Fido)
- They have to be on a leash at all times when they are outside.
- You have to be careful with cars or other dogs so they don’t hurt your dog. (I recommend getting pet insurance because accidents are prone to happen)
- You’ll be required to pay an expensive non-refundable pet deposit. (make sure you take that into consideration)
- If your pet causes any damage, you will have to pay for it. (Pugs are non-destructive, so you shouldn’t have to worry about this)
- Living on a high floor can make it challenging to take Fido outside to use the toilet.
- If your landlord comes in to fix something, you will have to make sure they don’t let your dog out.
I can tell you from personal experience, it wasn’t that much of an issue with Mindy. We particularly hated having to cut our evening short when hanging out with friends because we had to get home to let Mindy out.
Other than that, it wasn’t hard raising a Pug in an apartment. You can also get a dog door to give your pooch more access to the outside.
Best Breeds for Apartments
Maybe you’re wondering what types of dogs will do good in small living spaces. After doing some research, here’s a list of dogs that are perfect for living in small spaces like apartments, condos, townhouses and etc.
- Pugs – small dogs that don’t require a lot of exercise.
- Boston Terriers – a friendly small dog that doesn’t bark a lot.
- Yorkshire Terrier – a small dog that is perfect for apartment living.
- Great Danes – big dogs that are happy being lap dogs.
- Chihuahua – small low maintenance dogs (they have a tendency to be yappy).
- Greyhounds – a large breed that is happy being a couch potato and doesn’t require a lot of exercise.
- Mastiffs – a gentle giant that is extremely low maintenance.
- Basset Hounds – low energy dogs that will do great in small spaces.
- Cavalier King Charles Spaniel – docile dogs that won’t show any aggression towards others.
The most important thing to look for when choosing a dog for apartment living is to make sure they have the right personality traits. Here’s a list of traits that you need to consider when shopping for the perfect dog.
- Energy Level
- Noise Factor (don’t bark that much)
- Size
- Ability to Adapt
- Trainability
Worst Breeds for Apartment Living
Now let’s take a look at some of the worst breeds you can get for small apartment living. These breeds will require a lot of space because they are high energy dogs and can be aggressive.
- Australian Cattle Dogs
- Border Collies
- Labrador Retrievers
- Blood Hounds
- Whippets
- German Shephard
- Pitbulls
I was actually surprised to see that the Labrador Retriever made this list as we had a Yellow Lab when we were living an apartment. She did really well, although she was an older dog that only wanted to sleep a lot.
Protecting Your Pet While Living In An Apartment
Living in an apartment is totally different than owning a home. Your dog is exposed to all kinds of dangers like other animals, traffic, people feeding them and etc.
It’s easy to think that nothing will ever happen to your pet while living in an apartment. However accidents happen and before you know it, your putting Fido in the car and taking them to the vet.
The following month, you’re struggling to pay the rent because you had to pay those expensive vet bills. Make sure that your pet is properly insured as this can help you afford those costly unexpected expenses.
Having pet insurance is a peace of mind and we had it for Mindy while we were living in an apartment. The biggest regret was that we decided not to keep it once we moved into the house.
Conclusion
If you’re serious about getting a pet and don’t own a home, do your due diligence to make sure you get the right one. The worst thing you can do is get a dog only to realize that they are not happy living in a small environment.
As I mentioned, Pugs can adapt to any living situation. They are just happy being with their owner, so they would be the perfect pet for you.
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