Whippet in an apartment

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Wantawhippet

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Please some advice on whippet puppy ...
Have wanted a whippet for ages and am now in a position to give one a loving and caring home (freelance working from home) so whippet will rarely be alone. Also adult family members (keen to be part of whippet's life) living with me and nearby.
Planning a move to rural area but cannot do this until next year. Would like to have whippet settled in family by then, with the prospect of a second whippet after moving. Currently living in a very large first floor flat with easily accessible outside grassy area in SW London (3 parks within 10 minutes walk).
During my extensive research a couple of websites suggested whippets suited to apartment life (as long as getting necessary exercise). However, would welcome opinion/advice from whippet owners as far as the few few months goes - house training and so on? Will have a male dog and very keen to do everything by the book - training, socialising, nutrition and so on.
 
Having had whippets from puppies, I have to admit that personally I would struggle with house training one from a 1st floor flat. But actually I would struggle with house training any pup from a 1st floor flat.

Have you considered an older ‘Rescue’ whippet that is already used to living in a home? They are adorable dogs who I agree would fit the lifestyle if they had sufficient exercise, it’s just the puppy idea that I would find a problem personally
 
I had three in a first floor flat, 20 years ago. We were, however, right on a dog-friendly beach, so I treated that as my back garden.
I had no trouble with toilet training. I just had to be really on the ball with watching for signs that they wanted to go.
We did move to a house with a big garden not long after number three arrived ?
 
It's harder work without a garden but not impossible. My mum has rescues and hasn't had direct access to a garden for 40 years, all have done fine. Pups might need a bit of legging it fast in your arms at times but I see no problem.
I think it was MM on here who had a GSD go and live in a flat and he thrived.
Maybe puppy pads would help at the tiny bladder stage? I don't use them but whippets seem to be such clean dogs I'm sure they would master it.
 
As long as you can deal with the house training it will be fine. As mentioned an adult rescue may be a good option.
I don't think a well exercised dog cars how big or small the inside of a home is as it's just a sleeping and relaxing so a certain for them.
A friend has a medium sized terrier cross and a large Wolf hound cross in a first floor studio flat when she had to flee an abusive relationship, she also had a a baby under a year old, she just took the dogs out four or five times a day.
 
twiggy2 said:
As long as you can deal with the house training it will be fine. As mentioned an adult rescue may be a good option.
I don't think a well exercised dog cars how big or small the inside of a home is as it's just a sleeping and relaxing so a certain for them.
A friend has a medium sized terrier cross and a large Wolf hound cross in a first floor studio flat when she had to flee an abusive relationship, she also had a a baby under a year old, she just took the dogs out four or five times a day.
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ah but to be pedantic - those dogs were already house trained? I moved to a house with no garden with my two young house trained whippets and it wasn’t a problem- a pup starting from scratch would have been very different IMO ?

Personally - and it is a VERY personal thing, I completely understand that people feel very differently! - the idea of puppy pads revolt me. Why ever would you want to say to the poor pup that it is “OK” to pee inside when that isn’t a behaviour you would ever want to encourage or continue? You are setting the poor little sod up to fail IMO

I apologise to everyone who uses puppy pads, this is just my personal opinion ? (**hides quickly under parapet**) ?? xx
 
Ditto the others - it'd be a ballache in so far as house training, but if you can stop working every half hour or so until the pup has some control then it may well work.

At least two of our family dogs have lived in flats when the younger Ds went to uni. They were fine, though they were house trained before they left the house with the big garden.

Your pup will need to learn to be alone for short periods. The only angst about a flat is the neighbour's response if there's any noise.
 
I struggle to see why house training in a flat is different to a house? We go out every 20 minutes when they are small, whether we lived on the moon or in rural Essex.
Rescues often aren't house trained, or regress with being rehomed.
I have never used puppy pads but never say never to a suggestion! It is whatever works for people. I akso hope that no one tells a dog off for peeing insiude, be it an adult rescue or a pup.
Squee I know you never use food as a reward for anything and are very disdainful of people that do, you have to remember all dogs, all people and all situations are different.
 
Clodagh said:
It's harder work without a garden but not impossible. My mum has rescues and hasn't had direct access to a garden for 40 years, all have done fine. Pups might need a bit of legging it fast in your arms at times but I see no problem.
I think it was MM on here who had a GSD go and live in a flat and he thrived.
Maybe puppy pads would help at the tiny bladder stage? I don't use them but whippets seem to be such clean dogs I'm sure they would master it.
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Well remembered . Yes I did sell a pup to a flat, in London too as it happens . She was probably the first of the litter to be fully house trained due to her owner being very on the ball , so if you are prepared to be very proactive it shouldn't be a problem. Though having had whippets I would say GSDs do generally house train quicker .
 
Clodagh said:
I struggle to see why house training in a flat is different to a house? We go out every 20 minutes when they are small, whether we lived on the moon or in rural Essex.
Rescues often aren't house trained, or regress with being rehomed.
I have never used puppy pads but never say never to a suggestion! It is whatever works for people. I akso hope that no one tells a dog off for peeing insiude, be it an adult rescue or a pup.
Squee I know you never use food as a reward for anything and are very disdainful of people that do, you have to remember all dogs, all people and all situations are different.
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Simple why it isn’t the same as house training with a quickly accessible garden surely? I’ve known many hundreds of puppies, but not one puppy who can hold on while you take it down a flight of stairs or two to reinforce the point that it should be done outside!

As for me being “distantful” about using treat rewards, you clearly haven’t read any of my posts about Miliie’s scent work training! Not saying you should have done of course, what you read is up to you, but they clearly demonstrate the use I’ve made of treat rewards when appropriate. Quod Est Demonstrandum ?
 
Squee said:
Simple why it isn’t the same as house training with a quickly accessible garden surely? I’ve known many hundreds of puppies, but not one puppy who can hold on while you take it down a flight of stairs or two to reinforce the point that it should be done outside!

As for me being “distantful” about using treat rewards, you clearly haven’t read any of my posts about Miliie’s scent work training! Not saying you should have done of course, what you read is up to you, but they clearly demonstrate the use I’ve made of treat rewards when appropriate. Quod Est Demonstrandum ?
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A lot of books/forums/trainers advise having a puppy sleep in your room for the first few nights, so they don't go from being with littermates to completely alone with strangers and in a different environment. You can hear them easier when they need the toilet, so obviously you'd have to travel downstairs with pup in arms. I personally didn't do this but I know it's quite common so a pup can hold it, and will probably quickly pick up the process especially if food reward is involved.
 
SAujla said:
A lot of books/forums/trainers advise having a puppy sleep in your room for the first few nights, so they don't go from being with littermates to completely alone with strangers and in a different environment. You can hear them easier when they need the toilet, so obviously you'd have to travel downstairs with pup in arms. I personally didn't do this but I know it's quite common so a pup can hold it, and will probably quickly pick up the process especially if food reward is involved.
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With all due respect.....you are quoting what a book says should happen....I’m giving evidence of 30 years of what actually does happen? ?
 
A friend of mine has two Tibetan Mastiffs. The young one is now 3.5 and she has had her from 8 weeks. She lives in a ground floor flat. There is a garden but she has two doors to negotiate to get out there. I think her pup was house trained quicker than my collie in a bungalow with free access. It can be done, you just have to be on the ball and philosophical about accidents.
 
I've never owned whippets but I see no reason why it would be impossible to housetrain a pup whilst living in a first floor flat. My parents' house is such that you have to go down a flight of stairs from the living area to outside; yes, housetraining a young pup was perhaps more difficult but by no means impossible. I learned to keep a very close eye on puppies for the first few months and for the first weeks I would scoop them up and carry them downstairs and outside to avoid accidents on the way out.
 
My aunt has kept dogs in flats all her life, usually first floor but her most recent pup (a staffie if that makes any difference), she got while in her current apartment that is 6th floor, central Lausanne, and there is no lift. So yeah, she basically spent a lit of time running up and down stairs for the first few weeks!
 
DabDab said:
My aunt has kept dogs in flats all her life, usually first floor but her most recent pup (a staffie if that makes any difference), she got while in her current apartment that is 6th floor, central Lausanne, and there is no lift. So yeah, she basically spent a lit of time running up and down stairs for the first few weeks!
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Goodness. That's some dedication. I'm impressed!
 
Good luck - I am a first time whippet owner and besotted with the bugger......a breed I would thoroughly recommend! And he toilet trained very quickly, the only issue we had (and still do), is that he doesn't like going out to toilet in the rain!
 
Well, here's the thing- I would say it sounds like more work than having a rural setting, and no stairs. But neither you nor the pup will know that, and I'm sure you'll make it work. London is also probably going to have loads more socialisation opportunities- I struggled a bit and ended up driving him to dog friendly parks so he wasnt a total horror
Two things that struck me- is the apartment carpet of hard flooring? Nothing more wince making than watching whippet puppy have a mad session skidding around on slippy floors? And its not unusual for them to prone to car sickness, so you might need to factor in car trips if you normally dont use a car in London
You do know photos are the law here, if you get one :)
 
I know they aren't exactly the same but having tried and failed to rehome a greyhound for our local greyhound rescue I'd hang on till you move to somewhere that isnt a flat, the rehomer was happy to accept it may be more work and had done all his research. I appreciate the greyhound was an adult but equally no prior experience of home life, very clean in kennels. Something spooked her and she started to get stressed going back up and into the flat via stairs or lift, not sure if it was noise/being up a height (2nd floor) or something else. Greyhound now lives in half an acre of garden and is much happier.
 
L&M said:
Good luck - I am a first time whippet owner and besotted with the bugger......a breed I would thoroughly recommend! And he toilet trained very quickly, the only issue we had (and still do), is that he doesn't like going out to toilet in the rain!
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Fizz was totally house trained until her first winter, she then started putting her front feet outside and peeing on the kitchen floor. I ended up following her round the a golf umbrella. As an adult she has stopped that game but does wait until she's busting then pee pretty much inches from the door then dives back in ?
 
leflynn said:
I know they aren't exactly the same but having tried and failed to rehome a greyhound for our local greyhound rescue I'd hang on till you move to somewhere that isnt a flat, the rehomer was happy to accept it may be more work and had done all his research. I appreciate the greyhound was an adult but equally no prior experience of home life, very clean in kennels. Something spooked her and she started to get stressed going back up and into the flat via stairs or lift, not sure if it was noise/being up a height (2nd floor) or something else. Greyhound now lives in half an acre of garden and is much happier.
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My local branch failed to rehome a rescue greyhound to someone who lived in a flat because the greyhound couldnt work out how to walk up and down stairs......
 
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