Friday, May 21, 2010

What dog breed - breeds suit 2 people living in an apartment, and is ok with being left alone 4 -8 h daily?

two career persons living in an apartment desire to have a dog companion, we had an experience with a Labrador puppy, but she did not do very well, did not seem to do very well with us, too much biting, and destruction, and after 3 months, we had to give her to friends. there must be a good natured medium to medium- large size dog that would fit better to our circumstances.
Answers:
Don't get a puppy, get an older, socialized dog from a shelter or rescure or get two so they can have company. leave lots of stuff for the dogs to do also, like stuffed kongs, puzzle toys and chewey bones and leave the radio on as well. check this out http://animal.discovery.com/breedselecto... good luck finding a new buddy. please rescue one if you can!
You do understand than any puppy needs a great deal of time and will do a great deal of destruction!
maybe adjust your lifestyle rather than adjust a dog to you?
and why such a large dog to live in an apartment?
try your local shelter
petfinder.com and find your perfect dog
maybe adopt two so they can keep each other company any breed of dog can become aggresive if not trained properly and socialized enough.
smaller dog breeds are recommended for apartment life styles since they do not need as much exercise
breeds that might work -yorkie , maltese, shih tzus, havanese
but every dog requires time and energy and some exercise.
A medium to small dog would be your best for an apartment. Maybe one that doesnt require to be as active. A Yorkie would be good.
i think you ned a cat. If in an apartment, why are you asking for a medium to large sized dog. Should be a SMALL sized dog. even they want companionship %26 dont need to be left along for such long hours. Consider a cat, maybe a dog down the road when life has some changes for you. It is not fair for a dog to be locked up all day, %26 an apartment, where will it run, how many walks can you take it on. You already gave up 1 dog. --please rethink. good luck.
As a screener for potential canine adopters, I would suggest something that doesn't need as much attention. All dogs, regardless of size, need a lot of attention. Maybe you should consider getting a cat or a nice aquarium? Over the years, I have rescued too many fine dogs from owners just like you who tried to make a dog fit their lifestyle. Trust me, it doesn't work that way. There is a limit to what you can train a dog to do and from the description of your lifestyle, you're really asking for the impossible.
I have a great Bichon Frise (he's about 15lbs, full grown)... sure he's not medium-large but he withstood many hours of us leaving home alone and still does.
At the time we got him, last year, my boyfriend was in the Army (gone from 6am-3pm) and I was working fulltime (8am-5pm)... he did really good, in the bathroom w/a baby gate for that duration.
He now has a large crate which houses his food %26 water, a few toys %26 blankets. We call it his 'house' and he loves it. From June-Dec. we were living in an apartment... he is a very hyper dog so he needed frequent walks, but potty training was concluded when he was about 4months old... because we were strict on it. He still has tendencies to bite during his playful moments but he doesn't chew on any furniture... its discipline which you need to train a dog. Kind of sucks but it's life.
To date we will sometimes leave him home alone from 7am to 6 pm and he does fine... holds his potty in really well.
I dont know of any medium-large sized dogs but take a look into the bichon's if you're looking for a quick learning dog!
They average anywhere from $600-$2000 depending on the breeder... ours was $750 last year from a local pet store in Seattle.
It sounds like you are not puppy people. All puppies like to bite, they grow out of it, all puppies like to tear up anything you leave around, they grow out of it. If you can't wait till they grow up go to a shelter and get an older dog.
Do you have the time to walk the dog to give it exercise daily. If not don't get a dog.
For a not too large dog that will love everyone get an American Pit Bull Terrier. Mine is the most people friendly dog I have ever had.
Now this is going to sound crazy, but think about a Great Dane or mix. I know they are huge but make great apartment dog as they are so mellow. You have to walk them. In the past I had an Irish Wolfhound/Great Dane mix . She was 145 lbs and was a great house dog.
Whatever you do, remember any damage the dog does is your fault. Don't leave anything to tempt them. If you leave the TV remote on the couch, it is your fault if it got chewed up.
Remember when you come home and have a mess to clean up, keep saying "Bad Dog", they get the idea. I have not had a problem for years.
Get a pup and put up with it. Somewhere down the line when you go to use the remote or phone covered with teeth marks you will get out of chuckle out of it.

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