It is no secret that for the past year and a half my husband and I have shared our 1200-square foot city condo with our 22-pound beagle, Rhett Butler, who thinks at any given moment in time that he is just letting us live with him. We have had our ups (companionship & eternal love!) and our downs (bathroom breaks during the great Chicago blizzard) but we have figured out the key components to living happily with a dog in a multi-unit building where the neighbors are close and the outdoor space is shared.
If you are considering bringing an animal into your small space, then there are a variety of factors you should keep in mind:
- Don’t get an animal that can’t comfortably live in your home. Great Danes do surprisingly well with condo living because they are large but quite sedentary, but a big Labrador with bundles of energy is going to have a struggle in a studio apartment. Cats are small, but if you have more than two or three you will probably have a hard time dealing with their smells and kitty litter. Talking birds might cause problems with thin shared walls, and some condo associations have prohibitions against reptiles, fish tanks over a certain size, bully breeds or dogs over a certain weight. You should consider the personality of the breed as well, some pure-bred hounds who like to howl all day will not be appreciated by your neighbors. Do your research!
- If your pet is loud and bothering your neighbors, look into solutions for both boredom and anxiety. Puzzle treat toys can provide mental stimulation, while homeopathic chews or compression jackets can help with separation anxiety. If barking is an issue try a bark box, which emits a high frequency noise when your dog barks that you can’t hear but your pup will find unpleasant. Leaving the television on (low volume) or drawing the curtains might help keep out the distractions that are causing the barking or whining. Rhett Butler’s Thundershirt (a compression jacket) does wonders for his storm anxiety:
- Consider your exercise and potty options. Where is your closest patch of grass or park? If you work all day away from your home, look into local dog walking services, see if you have a neighbor who is interested in making a little extra money on the side, or pony up the big bucks and drop Fido off at doggie-daycare on your way to work. Doggie daycare can run between $15 and $50 a day (variables include where you live, what options you are asking for and if your pet needs medication or extra one -on-one time during their day) but can be an excellent way to get exercise and socialization. Bonus—Fido comes home exhausted!
- If your animal does his or her business in a shared or public space, clean it up immediately. There are plenty of waste bag options so you will always have what you need, but don’t leave that mess for others to deal with, or worse, step in. Animal waste can attract rats and spread disease, so be a kind owner and pick up after your pet.
- Find a vet you can trust and afford. Be sure you can get to their office quickly or by foot. If you are living in the city without a car keep in mind not all taxi services will let you bring your sick kitty or dog along, so you might need to find a vet you can walk to.
- You might be surprised by local pet friendly areas near your home! Do your local restaurants allow dogs on patios? Do you have a dog park nearby? Both can be great ways to get your (well mannered) dog out of of the house to stretch his legs and take in the sights. Chicago boasts 18 dog-friendly areas run by the park district, and some cities have private dog parks where you can pay an annual fee to let Rover run around in a safe, fenced in area with his friends.
Daisy is a lawyer married to a lawyer (insert lawyer jokes here) living in a small condo in a big city with a new baby and beagle. She breaks up the legal-speak by blogging about life in Chicago, which is filled with escapades of urban living. In the summer she enjoys patio dining and in the winter wonders what she was thinking when she moved here. You can read more from Daisy on her blog, Just Daisy.
I think this is great advice wherever you live. I climb up on my soapbox when it comes to pets. People see a puppy & think oh he’s so cute, but they don’t think about how this dog will fit into their lives. Or even IF he will fit into their lives. Dogs need routines and schedules and exercise! They’re expensive. I’ve had to find homes for many a dog whose owners didn’t know what they were getting into.
Thank you so much. Our dog really is the love of our life but there is no doubt he requires money, time and attention. We wouldn’t have it any other way, but I want to help other people consider ALL their options!
Excellent tips, and the ‘kid’ is just superb. We have 2 dogs in my apartment, both were strays. As Rachel said, they’re costly and not easy to raise, but still I love them both so much and we’re all happy to have them.
Awww thanks. RB says you guys can come over for biscuits any time. He was a stray as well- lived on the streets- but he has happily adjusted.
Ok the Great Dane recommendation shocked me, but it TOTALLY makes sense. My parents had some when I was younger and I loved them, and am now determined to make Andy let me get one!
He’ll probably call to thank you for this soon.
Can’t wait. Do I get to help name your new Dane? I vote for “Lady” or “Tiny” or perhaps “Smalls”
That first picture of RB just killed me dead.
My dog barks a lot, and it drives me INSANE, especially when the baby is sleeping. I might have to invest in a bark box or two for our backyard. At this point, I’m willing to try anything.
Aww thanks, he is a cutie in our eyes. The bark box is awesome. I’d suggest starting with a bark box and if he has break through barking you can look into a collar, which gives a little shock with each bark. If he isn’t particularly furry and you don’t like the idea of shocking him, they also sell citronella bark collars (most dogs hate citronella) that our friends have had great success with.
What a cute doggy! Excellent advice! I have a cat in a 2 bedroom townhouse and we have plenty of space and wouldn’t have considered getting her if I had any less room so we could both have our own area…it seems only fair, although I had the apartment before the cat, so it worked out that the spare bedroom became hers.
Thank you! Animals deserve space too, I’m glad your kitty has lots of room!
Great advice! You have the cutest pup ever. I love his collar.
Thanks Muffy!
This article couldn’t have come at a better time. I’m about to move to NYC with three cats and you brought up some good points that I hadn’t even thought of.
I’m glad I can help! I’m sure you will be great, I’ve found that with a little pre-planning you can make it work.
Also, consider getting an older pet. (At least one year.) By that time, the animal will have some established habits that someone can tell you about and you’ll know its personality a little better. People who get puppies are often unpleasantly surprised at how much work they are, how active they are, how destructive they can be, and how big they get. A dog that’s a little older may come with fewer surprises! (I volunteer with Chicago’s AntiCruelty Society, and everybody wants a puppy, and SO many of them come back. Which is really sad.
Great article! As soon as I’m no longer a student, I’m getting a dog, and I’ve often thought about what I’ll do in the small apartments that dominate this city!
This is very true! Rhett Butler was 5 years old when adopted him and it has been perfect for us.
And please, adopt, don’t buy. A rescued animal is so appreciative of a second chance, and you are helping to control the unwanted pet population. There are so many wonderful animals just waiting in shelters all over this country who want nothing more than to be a part of a family.
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