Dogs and flats...

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noodle_

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I swore id never have my dogs in a flat...however i have been offered a flat as part of my job and i would (financially) be an idiot to refuse it (does depend on them confirming im ok to have dogs there)!

Anyhow, flat itself is huge. Bigger than my house to be honest, dogs can have a bedroom to themselves :rolleyes: mega lounge etc...but as flats go, no garden!

There are fields within a 5 minutes drive and there is a garden out the door but it belongs to my work (but they can pee on it etc lol), just no run around secure garden which they are used to doing... (and this is my issue). There are beaches within 30 mins (several)!, fields, miles off bridleways etc They will come the yard with me daily etc - they will not be short of exercise!

Both dogs are toilet trained (pups now almost 5 months), other dog is 5. Both crate trained, and wont be left more than 3/4 hours alone (my shifts are 10 hours but i will break their time up)...BUT if i stay where I am they will be alone for a good 5 hours 30 mins break then another 5 hours etc...so flat is a better option imo...

I really have no choice other than a 1 hour commute and if no-one can sort the dogs in the day with that then they are left for my entire shift and imo thats just cruel....But i would like to move into the flat anyhow tbh!

but how do you with dogs in flats cope!? more walks? toileting etc?

thanks :)
 
How big do you think a wild dog's den would be? :D
I have a 5 bedroom house - my dogs don't get the run of it, they get the utility (I'm sure your flat is bigger than that!) and decent exercise every day. I am pretty positive so long as they have a latrine patch and good exercise, your dogs will be fine :D
 
I used to be of the same opinion! but now I find myself living in a flat with my basset who i got back after I moved in (luckily i have a very understanding landlord) She's 1 and to be honest it's no different to her than living in a house other than bit more effort required by you to take them on toilet trips :D she still gets plenty of exercise and most peoples dogs are confined to only certain rooms so it really isnt a prob! I'd go for it if i were you :)
 
I was excatly the same i thought it is horrid to have a dog with no garden and when i moved in to the flat with my bf my dog stayed at my mums house quite happily until her and the other bitch started fighting so we had no option but to take her on in the flat she is 6 yr old now and always been kept in a house with a dog flap going into the garden. so i was really worried but she is coping fine been with me now 6 months. i take her for a long walk in the morning pop home in my lunch and take her out quickly and then long walk after work then two short walks throughout the evening so she can have a pee and she is fine with this :)
 
Due to a change in circumstances some years ago, i moved from a big house with massive garden, to a 2 bed flat. It didn't occur that i wouldn't take my dogs with me. I had a small garden tho. I was 10mins from a huge park and the beach so. They were. walked as well as they were before the move and they adapted quickly. I don't think dogs bother about how fancy the house is as long as they are with their person.
Sounds to me that the flat is a better option for your dogs anyway.
 
My daughter took her Lancashire Heeler from living here with me, large garden and fields to run in, to living in a flat with no garden. I really don't think it has made a difference to him although there is no doubt it is harder for her. He probably gets more walks now, as she has to take him for a good walk morning and evening, and as others have said, he probably has more room as he has the run of the whole flat.
In her case he does go to work with her so is rarely left, and she does have chance to give him exercise during the day, but he seems to have adapted to his new life absolutely fine.
 
I live in a good size flat but have a pug! I have a communal garden but it does mean I have to take pup out for toilet breaks. My OH finds it more difficult as he's had dogs and only ever had to open the back door for them to go out and do their business. But we're surrounded by fields and towpaths so he gets lots of walks each day :) It is possible to have a dog and live in a flat but it requires more effort on your part taking it out and giving them toilet breaks.
 
I had a young child in a third-floor flat, with no garden. That is much, much worse....! But he and I survived. Your dogs will be fine as long as they get out for some bursts of fun - just like my son did.
 
My dog always lived in a flat once I rescued her, I have no garden but a park five mins away and she came to do the horses with me daily too. My flat is above my job and so I have my lunch up there but otherwise she was on her own, she just slept when I was working! She'd still be fast asleep when I came up :-)

The only issue I ever had was if she had an upset tum, she wouldn't go on concrete so we'd have to rush up to park at various times of the night!

When I lost her last year we decided to go for a house cat rather than another dog but the flat wasn't the deciding factor on this xx
 
thanks all :)

Both dogs are like my shadow! the flat is above where i work so if needby i have plenty of opportunities to check them/quick play and let them out.

Its a good opportunity to have them with me almost 24/7 and not worry about leaving them 8 hours per day - i dont mind at all with toilet breaks as it also gives me a break and makes me walk them 5/6 times a day round the area which would be ace :)

we have a beach nearby which would be visited twice a week too :)

they would both also be comign with me to do the horses even if they wait in the car and i run them on the way back! (as long as its not boiling)! :)
 
Only problem I can see was if you had an elderly dog who can no longer last out all night without going out for a pee. I have an old retreiver bitch who goes out every morning at about 3.30 am, not convenient with a flat but doable if just have to open the kitchen door.
 
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