So, odd title, I know. So here's the deal. For over a year I've wanted a dog, and for the first time since then I've begun to get a stable situation. I'm moving into an apartment soon with my brother and my boyfriend, I have a job in a week (that's for a month) that would cover rent for at least nine months (and that's assuming that they don't pay anything, which they will be), and I don't plan on moving out of state for at least another year (and probably not anything more than a city or two away for two years).
The reasons why I want one: I love dogs, and I hate the idea of giving up a dog, all of my previous pets have stayed with me until they died (or ran away in the case of my outdoor cats when I was younger), and I take very good care of my pets. Despite being a cat person, I also love to exercise and be outdoors, and a good medium to large sized dog would be great for that, as I love taking my mom's dog on walks, even in the cold, windy night air. My brother also works as a Vet Tech at an animal Hospital and is in school to be a vet, so I don't have to worry as much about vet bills.
Why I'm hesitant: I'm moving into an apartment, not a house. With me wanting a larger sized dog, this can be a problem... And that's really the main problem, because I only like two breeds of small dogs, Min Pins and Chihuahuas, and I'd only want to get a small dog if I already had a large dog. The only other real concerns are breed related, as my three top favourite breeds are commonly banned in apartments: German Shepherd, AmStaff/Pit Bull, and Siberian Husky. A husky I know would be a bad idea for an apartment already because of their yard requirements, and German Shepherds would only do so well. A Pit Bull I'm afraid would get stolen or hurt in the area I live in. (The richer areas hate and fear the breed, while the poorer areas have a decent amount of fighting.)

:(
I've already waited almost two years to get a dog and while I'm sure I can longer still, with how boring this state is (Utah, unless you're doing something outdoors, there really isn't much to do here). It's something I've been thinking over for ages and I want an outside opinion. My boyfriend is hesitant because he doesn't want to have to take care of another pet (not that he really takes care of either of my pets right now), and my brother, well, he's my brother. He can barely take care of his pets, so he thinks I can't take care of mine. :roll:

I already have a snake and a cat. Both healthy and happy. I plan on adopting from a shelter and am not really picky about breed.

Well, you could get a medium-sized dog, so he doesn't go crazy in an apartment, but still can run fast. Mixed races are the best in my opinion though :) The most mixed dogs I've had were more energetic and intelligent than my two-breed-mixed ones. But I'm no expert so this could be coincidence.

You can always give a visit to the shelter and see if any of them catches your attention ;)

Hmm, interesting. I had a Siberian husky myself (he was actually my boyfriend's Dad's dog, we took him with us when we got our own house).I can't see the issue with having one in an apartment, I'd actually totally recommend one from my personal experiences. Particularly because they're quiet dogs, they don't bark their heads off (they barely bark at all) at the slightest thing like German Shepherds do. But they do shed all over the place, particularly when their winter coat is coming in. Ours was a lazy moo who liked to do nothing more than lie on our bed or the sofa all day while we were at work.

Of course you need to consider other things with a dog, as cats can have a litterbox but dogs just have to hold it until you come home so they can be let out. If there's going to be no-one home for hours on end then don't get a dog. It's just grossly selfish and cruel to inflict something like that on them.

If you go ahead with it, when you go to the shelter take good note of the dog's behaviour/demeanor. If they're over-excitable and jumping all over the place then they're going to be too exuberate for an apartment. But if you find one that's quieter they should be happier with being restricted to only getting to run when they're taken out for walks.

Word of warning with huskies, those buggers can run. Don't forget they're bred as sled dogs and it's very much in their blood, don't try running with one on a leash because they are very strong, can go an awful lot faster than you and well put you flat on your face xD

A possible option is a treadmill. Might sound daft but it's a great way for a dog to get to run once they've figured out what it's for. Which they'll do easily enough by observation and a bit of trial and error.
Our husky was actually an illegal cross-bred :sweat: which we only found out when he was about 8. His father was a timberwolf, and the kennels where he was bred kept him seperated or he'd attack other dogs. But they used to run him on a treadmill to exercise him. Hit over 40MPH apparently.

I agree with jelly -- there are some very sweet, active large dogs who have good temperments for apartments. If you didn't have the cat I would recommend a greyhound, they have the sleeping + short bursts of energy personality, but they don't mix well with small pets.

@Jelly -- I was wondering why he looked so fluffy for a husky. D= You could fool peoples into thinking he was half pyrennes, though. Maybe. D=

He did have a long/dense coat, that picture was taken in the winter though so it would have been at its thickest. Some huskies/malamutes do have far fluffier coats than others though, just like some human's hair is a lot thicker than others xD

I love Huskies. :) But they have to be really well trained and well exercised to live in an apartment, from what I hear, from all of their love of running. I don't drive, so any job I get after the initial job (that's this upcoming month) would have to be under an hour away by bus or bike, so if I work more than part-time I would probably easily be able to get home to let them out.

And I just checked with the apartment I was planning on moving into. They have a lot of breed restrictions, but mixed breeds (that have the restricted breed) are allowed, but only after a pet interview. :)

Sadly about all of this, the dog I've fallen in love with over Petfinder is a purebred Pit Bull so I probably won't be able to get her. :(

Are you going to have the time to devote to walking the dog on a regular basis? I'd be hesitant if you don't have a yard for him to spend outdoor time in or live in an apartment where he doesn't have much room to run and play. I'd be tempted to go for a smaller dog if you're adamant about a dog, or perhaps a cat. That's just my take on it though. I'd love to have a dog but until we have the room and the money to keep them I'm afraid the inn is closed here. :(

I'd love to have a dog too, but I wouldn't be selfish enough to get one where I live now because there's no outside space. You really do need to consider it from the animal's point of view. Their welfare is in your hands and it's up to you to give them a decent standard of living. An unhappy dog will chew your furniture up while you're out, and be surly and bad-tempered from lack of company/fresh air.

Anyone know anything about Chows? My watchman has one, he's lazy and I've only heard him bark twice, but he can run very fast. I blame my other dog teasing him and making him run xD

@kah hilzin-Chows are known as one-man dogs and are commonly aggressive. My brother's been bit by one and most of the ones that have come in have been aggressive. Of course, it might just be the area, but they're not the best family dogs. Better for one or two people.

Like I said, I don't really plan on having a full time 8/hrs a day job and would more likely have a part time job, as, like I said, I'm going to be gone for a month and going to make enough for me to pay for a two bedroom w/ utilities, pet rent, etc. for at least 8 months. I don't need a full time job right now, so spending time with the dog is NOT a problem. (And either way there will pretty much always be someone there. My brother, who is also my roommate, works nights, while I would have to work mid day (not too early, not too late, the bus systems aren't exactly the safest around here.)

@atashi- Cats and small dogs don't really make too good of exercise partners though. Imagine trying to go for a run with a little Chihuahua. Poor thing would end up being dragged. :( Main reason why I'd want a small dog like that in addition to a larger dog.

I was looking at other people's experiences with various dogs in an apartment setting and I might get a whippet. Active enough outdoors for me, small enough to not cause a lot of trouble, really mellow indoors and big enough that I don't have to feel like I'm going to end up hurting it. Whippet Rescues say they make great apartment dogs if you can commit to three or four walks a day and a few runs every week. Which I can. :)

Again, I give any dog I adopt adequate time, and the dog would never be alone for more than four hours.

EDIT: A Whippet's high prey drive might be a problem though, I just realized. They're apparently less trainable to 'get over it' than some other breeds.

Our other dog was a Jack Russell, he was fun to run around with, I used to chase him over the field we took our dogs out on, and because he had short legs he was easier to run around with as he couldn't leave you for dust. A small dog is ideal to run with to be honest, as a big dog has to go slow to allow you to keep up.

Yea. Problem with a lot of small dogs is they require hair cuts more often than I do! I mean, I don't mind brushing a dog or having it shed all over the place, but having to give it a lot of haircuts is a big turnoff.

*goes to look at JRT*
Hm. Might look into that. Oh, but again, not commonly good with cats. That's a big problem. My cat is slightly afraid of dogs and it would be incredibly hard to social BOTH animals to eachother. (My mom's dog, a lab, for example, did well, but he was raised with cats and is actually afraid of kittens.) All the techniques I've seen for desensitizing a dog to a cat require, basically a calm cat that can sit there and basically ignore the dog.


*dies* I'm also limited to what the shelters in my area have, which is the hardest part. I can decide on a breed (or various breeds an acceptable mixes) and there is mostly only Lab mixes in my area.
(And as much as I love Labs, they'd easily grow over the weight limit.)

Jack Russell's don't need haircuts, they shed everywhere instead xD I think it's all going to come down to what you find in the shelters. You could well end up coming home with a breed that you'd never even considered.

I know, but most of the others, like Yorkies, Malties, Poodles etc.

No kidding. I just have to get my bum to one and check out which shelter has the best facilities and all that fun stuff. *dies*

On a random note, if I ever buy a purebred (rather than adopt) it would be the Pharaoh Hound. They're renown for having practically no health problems, great temperament, etc., etc., and they're one of those breeds you'll be really hard pressed to find in a shelter. On Petfinder.com there are only 64 Pharaoh Hounds and mixes and most are mixes.

Oh, bugger, I need to stop looking at Petfinder until I get into my apartment. I found another dog that I find absolutely adorable. A Pharaoh Hound/Pit Mix.

Honestly, a husky is a bad idea for an apartment. It's my favorite dog as well, and I currently own one but I have a big house. But apartment wise, they don't do so well at all. They need to run, otherwise they get depressed and then start doing odd things like bitting their fur and make little marks on their skin it's pretty sad. But that's just from my gathered experiences, you could get lucky and have one that's okay with laying around all day.

German shepherds are pretty big dogs as well. I owned one once when I was little and my mom gave it away after a month, so I can't say as to how it will do. But it seems like a bad idea considering the size. Not sure though :\

Pitbulls are the same. I had one of those and man was she annoying. She always wanted to be outside and just wanted to run. So yes, another bad apartment dog in my opinion.

I think you should get a medium sized one. Something that isn't considered "too hyper" and maybe something lazy. Although, I can't recommend a certain one because to be completely honest, with the right training, any dog could be a lap dog. Besides the fact that if it's too big to fit on your lap. So I guess you should just invest on getting a smaller less hyper dog and see what it's like. I really don't know. Dogs are just so confusing! But if you do get a house later down the road, definitly invest in getting a husky. They are absolutely adorable and are veryyyy friendly C:

I might suggest getting anolder dog. Their usually much mellower, so your neighbors might not complain as much, and they....well, honestly they don't last as long. Which might be a good thing in your case, i'm not sure. But I'm going to dissuade you from getting a chihuahua. I have one (and a rat terrier, don't get those either) and he is about as dumb as a brick. Granted he is a super sized huahua. Almost three times the standard size (no he isn't fat, he's just really that big). But he yaps, poops every where, and terrorizes my cat. :angry: (don't worry she gets him back). That and I love walking too, and let me tell you, theres nothing worse then dragging a male chihuahua through the snow. If ever a dog could pout it would be him.

I'm not too much of a fan of Chi's. They're like stupid cats. Part of why I like them too.

I actually think a Pit Bull would be the best breed for me. They're intelligent, active and loving. I like a dog that tires me out. :) I've had tons of experience with the breed and no bad experiences so far. I love the breed. <3 Though it looks like I'd have to wait until I get a home.

On a related note (I'm somewhat random, I'm sorry): I think I'm going to be buying a few acres of land as soon as possible (in full) while the economy is still down. (I found some land in Colorado and some in Oregon, haven't looked in many other states, 5-10 acres for about $10,000. I could pay that all in one go if I budget and save my money right and then build a house as I kept earning money. (It's actually cheaper to build your own home than to buy one, and since I plan on going green with my own architectural designs, it's perfect.)

@snacky- I'm not really looking for a short term dog. :( I'm looking for a lifetime dog, but not a puppy. With renting, I don't think having to worry about house training would be a great idea.