My 1st dog, will living in a flat be ok?

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MadJ

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I'm moving out soon in to my own flat and I would really like to get a dog to keep me company. I'm buying a large 1 bed ground floor flat and am considering a small, poss terrier/JR type. Would this living space be too small? During the day it would come to the horses (I have my own private yard) and to work with me, so wouldn't be locked in the flat all day for hours on it's own.
Any advice, tips or reading material anyone can suggest?
I've grown up with cats in the family home so some experience with domestic animals but this would be my 1st dog.
 
My first dog was a JRT and we lived in a first floor flat - no problems, the neighbours got used to me taking him to the toilet in my dressing gown first thing! If you have a garden, even better.
 
Depends on the dog! Whenever my family dog comes to stay in my small flat (a papillon) she is happy as anything, spends most of her time sleeping when she isn’t going out for walks. I wouldn’t want anything too high energy though. If the dog has plenty of outside stimulation and exercise then I don’t think the flat size is a big deal personally.
 
My son had his JRT in a one bedroom flat for a long time. She was fine but they can be destructive if bored and as others have said they can be very vocal. They don't need a lot of house room but do need enough company and amusement and excercise. All of mine except the newest one have had enormous bladders and hold their wee for hours and hours which if you are running up and down stairs to toilet them is useful - not when they are puppies of course!
 
If your JRT is anything like George, your neighbours will be getting you evicted within a very short space of time I’m afraid! (mine are trying with me at the moment....)

Having said that, I’ve had Colin from 9 weeks old and he is chalk and cheese to George despite all those bad influences ? He is 5 months now and barks once in a blue moon when he is playing!
 
I would suggest a whippet (yes I know I do to everyone) but they are chilled and quiet in the house but will be happy coming to the horses and at work I with you (might just need a jumper in the cold). We've stayed in flats with Fizz and had zero issues, the neighbours didn't know we had a dog with us!
 
I have two little terriers, both rescue, one, we think is a JRTxCocker - high energy and can bark a lot. The other is a Norfolk or Norfolk cross. She is very quiet, loves her cuddles and when out and about is typical busy terrier - so that might be the breed for you
 
It's totally normal on the continent. When I worked in Spain there was a dog in our block, he would wait on the street for someone to let him in and then climb up three flights of stairs and blatter on his own door ?
 
I don't know if anyone has a full border terrier and can comment on barking but Ted is JRT X Border and super quiet in the house. A BT would be a good compact size as well, walk and training each day and he's zonked out on the sofa and copes well in our v small house and garden.
 
EllenJay said:
I have two little terriers, both rescue, one, we think is a JRTxCocker - high energy and can bark a lot. The other is a Norfolk or Norfolk cross. She is very quiet, loves her cuddles and when out and about is typical busy terrier - so that might be the breed for you
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Noodle the Norfolk has a LOT to say for herself! She doesnt bark and is quiet in the house but had an answer for everything when shed spoken to or even looked at! Ha ha

I know a few people who have had borders and theyve been really quiet in the house.

Mum had a Cairn too and she was quiet and low maintenance
 
Papillon breed are quiet, compared to jrt’s. They’ve got lovely markings, sweet temperament, live a long time, dont shed much....small enough to travel easily in your car to work. They are my favourite small dog breed...we had 5 of them when i was a kid. They get on with other breeds/cats.
 
I lived in a first floor apartment/flat when I finished my vet tech program. I made sure my dogs got a lot of exercise and training. It would have been easier if I had had a fenced in garden but I made it work for several years. My first 2 GSDs lived in that apartment as well as my wire fox terrier.
 
Agree its completely normal in other places. Tito a friends dear departed Cane corso lived in a flat very happilly.

I have lived in a flat with my two JRTs for about half their lives, it worked out fine but i have always exercised them well and they have never had their barky side indulged from a pup so they arent noisy at all.

Good luck with your new dog x
 
Tiddlypom said:
I was thinking this, too. There’s a blanket ban on pets at the purpose built block of flats that son no 1 is moving into. No idea how common that is.
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My late parents' flat was in a complex that was originally owned by a private housing trust. There was a rough split of 75% that were privately owned, 25% still rented out by the trust. The ban applied whether they rented or owned their own. (Though having said that, the ban was regularly flouted.)
 
IrishMilo said:
I don't understand the train of thought that you need a house for a dog to be happy. They don't amuse themselves by running up and down the stairs all day! As long as they get walked they tend to sleep in one spot.
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My nana bred dogs for decades and would never sell to anyone in a flat ? her reasoning was that flats didnt have (private) enclosed gardens and access straight out the back door (especially if not ground floor ha ha).

So I guess some people/breeders hold that sort of opinion?

She bred chihuahuas as well so not like they needed a particularly large area for a leg stretch ?
 
IrishMilo said:
I don't understand the train of thought that you need a house for a dog to be happy. They don't amuse themselves by running up and down the stairs all day! As long as they get walked they tend to sleep in one spot.
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This made me laugh. My yorkie x jrt takes a ball to the top of the stairs and lets it bounce down - very amusing for him. The other one stands at the top and shoves her head through the bannister railings to bark at anyone in the hall
 
Tiddlypom said:
I was thinking this, too. There’s a blanket ban on pets at the purpose built block of flats that son no 1 is moving into. No idea how common that is.
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Very common in new builds in London. Less likely to be an issue where a house has been split into flats as they probably haven't put together complex leases in place.

Our block has a covenent that says no animals at all in the building. Also leases can have some quite strict rules about noise. It only takes one person to complain and the freeholder/management company have to do something about it.
 
My first house was a ground floor flat and I got my first dog, a working lab, when I lived there. I did have a teeny garden direct from the kitchen which is obviously useful for toilet breaks.

But it’s really not about how big the house is or isn’t. It’s what you do with the dog in general that makes or breaks it.
 
I have a greyhound and a jr x chihuahua in a ground floor two bed flat.
Works fine,we just have to be careful with communal hallways/garden gates getting left open.

We have dog contracts, and if the garden gets a mess, which is often does as 4/6 flats have dogs and are useless at picking up mess. Gardeners refuse to do grass/maintenance and we end up doing it but it’s no big deal really.

Have to agree, it’s my little guy that ends us in trouble for noise, but upstairs neighbour have poms so it’s usually one starts the other off ??‍♀️
 
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