# German Shepherd in an apartment?



## Dakari

Hello, I'm new on this forum and was looking for a little feedback from experienced GSD owners. 

I want to get a dog, and since I've been a kid, I just loved German Shepherds. My problem is that I live in an apartment, and I don't know if such a dog could do well in an appartment. Until now I've had mixed information on this issue, some saying they shouldn't live in an apartment, some saying they can, as long as you get them out on a regular basis. Just to give more info, I live in what I consider a pretty large aparment, and live right next to a large park, so going out for a jogg/walk isn't a problem.

I would also like to know, if a GSD can be trained to be ok alone at home for 6 to 8 hours.

A lot of people in my country buy dogs like GSDs, Huskies and Rottweilers and don't know what they are getting into. Don't want to be one of them so I would apreciate any help.


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## middleofnowhere

Many of us work full time. In my dog's old age, I like to come home at noon and when they are young pups (up to 4 mos of age or so) I like to come home at noon. I think with the last puppy, I only came home for lunch for a couple of weeks so that would have put her at 11 or 12 weeks old. With pups, crate training really helps a lot.

I've had large dogs in apartments, in rental houses too. You will want to avoid the park and other areas with heavy dog traffic until your pup has all his/her parvo shots (two weeks after really) but the location sounds great. You will be out there at least three times (more likely five) a day for 10 to 15 years. 

Getting a dog in some ways is similar to having a child. You never know what you are getting into until you are living it! Sneak around the forums a bit & you'll at least get the story - which I think is a lot different than knowing what you are getting into.


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## elisabeth_00117

Hi there!

I live in an apartment as well (large 4 bedroom) and we have 2 dogs and 2 cats here. 

I have never had a problem with my dog (Shepherd who lives with my parents about 3 hours away) when she comes to visit me for a few weeks. She is always exercised, more so actually then when she is at home, because you must walk them to go potty; not just open the back door, etc. They also get a TONNE more socialization, and it is a lot easier to get to know other dog owners for play dates.

When I brought Stark home (15 weeks old now) he did fine in a smaller appartment until we moved to this place. As long as you are doing what is necessary to excerise him, not let him destroy the rental property, being curtious of your neighbours both on the sides and below (running like a mad man - which WILL happen regularly) I see no problem with it.

I personally think our 20lbs girl is more energetic at times than our Shepherds. It all depends on how the owner handles the dog.

Good luck and I say GO FOR IT if you are ready!


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## marksteven

The main advantage i see for my dog in my house is being able to open my patio door and letting him out into a fenced yard for potty and play breaks at anytime. However some rooms are off limits so the size of this house is similar to an apartment. GSD.s do fine in apts and adapt well to their surroundings. I say go for it! as far as being alone in the house, mine is crated at least 8hrs daily mon-fri
while im at work with no problems.


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## elisabeth_00117

One great thing about our apartment company is that once your dog is fully vaccinated, lisenced and able to play nice with others they are welcomed in a fenced off play area especially for the dogs. It's almost an acre large and has trees, a small picinic table and benches for the owners. It's great!

I haven't taken Stark there yet even though he is now fully vaccinated (waiting another week or two) but Senna has gone in and played with the others. She loves it! It's great, not many apartment companies would spend the money for pets or allow them for that matter (outside of Ontario) so it's a great thing!


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## Sahria

Inara is only allowed on the main floor of our house which is about the size of an apartment. Our yard only has a picket fence around it so I never let her out by herself as she can easily jump over. The main thing is to keep them exercised with walks and play, and to stimulate them mentally on a daily basis. Crate training is by far the best way to go, we made the mistake of not having a crate right away and have some chew marks to show for it. It keeps them safe while you're away which is the most important thing. If you're ready for the commitment I say go for it because it's well worth it!


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## mandelyn

In Germany I lived in a 3 bedroom on the 4th floor with 3 big dogs. Letting them out into the stairwell, hiking down the flights of steps, and then out the front door every so many hours was rough. But neat too, because we lived on a dead end road that only had 3 buildings, and it was fields from there they could run through. I didn't even bother with leashes unless it was a quick pee trip close to the house. All the people in the building knew them, and it was funy when a door would pop open and the dogs check it out.. like "Hey! Can we come in?" On the other side of the small town was water ways and ponds, and everyone in town would take their dog there, so it was like an unfenced dog park. 

Here we're in a two bedroom on the second floor with private access to our own spot of grass, and there's a network of sidewalks for walking and a dog park two blocks away. They don't get off leash much unless we're at the dog park, but the space we have is working. I think you'd call this place a townhouse more than an apartment, there's a garage and yard for each unit.

Ideally I would like a 3 bedroom house with a large fenced yard. For days when it's raining, really cold, it's hard to muster up the willingness to dress warm and walk the dogs. In a house you put them outside, throw a couple balls while standing in the doorway relatively warm and just do that like 3 times in the day.

What you have to think about, is how much spare time you will have, and if you will really get out there and walk EVERY day after work regardless of how tired you are. On Fridays, will you spend 2 hours with your dog before going out, and then get up early Saturday to spend time with the dog? EVERY weekend?

What about in the winter when it's dark at 5pm, will you be out there walking?

Are you on the 2nd floor, where a inside came of fetch will tick off the neighbors below? Shepherds also scratch themselves, and their back knee thumps the ground. Who all will hear that? My neighbor can hear it, so I stop my dogs and send them to a carpeted area to do it. Think of Thumper the rabbit only it's a 60-100 pound dog doing it.

What happens in most cases, is after the newness of the dog wears off, people become lazy and they don't want to walk in the wintertime darkness, they don't want to spend their whole weekend with their dog anymore, and they realize that a house with a yard is best, so the dog is listed for sale/rehome with these house/yard demands of the new owner. 

You have to think about if after 6 months, you'll be just as diligent as when you first got the dog, and at 1 year... and at 3 years, and so on. 

With you working, you'll either need to take your lunch break at home to take a puppy outside, or start with one older than 5 months of age. Starting with an older puppy also means training begins as soon as the puppy arrives in your care. Or, you may be able to find an adult that's already trained. 

But there is nothing worse than a large, untrained, unexercised dog in an apartment who won't allow you to watch evening TV because it wants to play fetch or tug.

What do you want to come home to after work? A crying pup who wet in it's cage because it's too young to hold it the 6-8 hours? An older pup who greets you like you've been gone for weeks who now needs dinner, a brushing, a game, and an hour walk before you can feed yourself and settle in for the night? An older dog that greets you, eats calmly with you, then takes a leisurely evening walk with maybe a game of fetch afterwards? By older, I mean over 2-3 years old.

And the shedding, no one has brought that up yet? LOL... they shed and shed and shed. Daily brushing helps if you get a good professional quality brush designed for dogs with under coat. But you can't forget to factor in the additional house cleaning GSD owners endure.

And the water bowl... puppies will knock it over and attempt to swim in it. They'll string drool/water in a 5ft radious around the water bowl. They're drop food into the water bowl if you feed them near it. Depending on the space of the house/apartment, it will be obvious what sort of dog lives there.

But as far as companions go, if you're willing to put the time in they're way more intuitive to their owner than a lot of other breeds are. They know how to relax when they get older depending on what they were bred for. It's worth the mess, the work, the hair, the food/toy bill. But for some people it isn't, so that is what you have to think about.


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## pamela berger

The only GSD I can imagine being left alone in the house for 6-8 hrs at a time would be an older one who doesn;t require much exercise; but then again, will he be able to hold his bladder? Generally, I don;t think GSDs should be in apartments or left alone for 6-8 hours.


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## big_dog7777

> Originally Posted By: dogsaverThe only GSD I can imagine being left alone in the house for 6-8 hrs at a time would be an older one who doesn;t require much exercise; but then again, will he be able to hold his bladder? Generally, I don;t think GSDs should be in apartments or left alone for 6-8 hours.


While this is ideal, people need to make a living. Everyone that works should not be allowed to have a dog? Every GSD I've ever owned has spent 9 hours alone in the house on a regular basis. In fact, I did it with the two working line dogs I have now when they were 1.5 years old and 3.5 years old respectively. They had no issues holding their bladders, were not destructive and got plenty of exercise. Sometimes it was at 6:00 in the morning during the winter since it was the only daylight available - but not an issue. I now work from home, so they do not have to - but provided you are willing to exercise, train and spend time with a dog when at home it's really not a problem.


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## Dakari

Thanks for all the answers everyone. You have been helpfull.

Mandelyn raised a couple of very good questions, that I have some answers for.

First of all, I won't buy the dog, unless I am 100% sure.

As for leaving it alone, for the next year I will not be working full time, so I'll have plenty of time to play with him, and train him. Also, I can rely on my parents or even friends to spend a little time with the dog if I have to be away a whole day, which I don't expect.

As for the neigbours, I don't expect trouble. Many have dogs, that bark from time to time, but the walls are pretty thick so it doesn't bother anyone.

Shedding may be an issue, but from what I understand if they are brushed daily they won't leave as much hair around the house. 

I guess that my biggest inconvenience would be that I'd have to wake up a bit earlyer to walk the dog. But that's not a big deal. For me at least.


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## mandelyn

The hardest part is potty training, whether you're in a house or an apartment. Here's a scale of sorts that I've expected large breed pups to handle.

If you start with an 8 week old puppy, someone will have to be there every 2 hours to let it outside. If you start with a 10 week old, every 3 hours. And so on, until 5/6 months old, at every 6 hours. Everyday, every night. 

You can easily be overwhelmed with an 8 week old. Crying, accidents, sleepless nights until they adjust. It's hard on someone single who just can't make it back home in time to meet the potty training needs.

And the shedding... brushing helps. Instead of full rabbit sized clumps of hair, you get little gerbil sized clumps. LOL 2-3 times a year they blow their coat, brushing... well... if you do it 4 times a day you put a dent in what hair would have otherwise been on the floor. The daily shedding... remove all the black/white clothes from your cloest, choose carpet with several colors in it (think oriental patterns) and leather furniture where the hair doesn't work it's way into it. Invest in a vacuum with a pethair attachment, get a rubber broom for solid flooring.

As pups they really don't shed too bad. As adults... wow. Mine are house dogs (as they would also be in a apartment) and I spend about an hour a day on hair maintance... brushing the dogs, then the house. 

Think of it this way for daily needs...

1 hour grooming and cleaning
1 hour total of food prep, eating, cleaning bowls, refilling water, ect.
2 hours total walking/play/training split up into 1 hour or 30 minutes.
80 minutes total split into 10 minute outings for puppy potty breaks. Some of these will happen on the walks unless it's an 8 week old pup. They potty a lot!

Say 1 1/2 hour earlier wake-up in the morning, and 3 hours + after you get home. Reducing as the dog ages unless you get involved in an active sport or training sessions. Or maybe since I've had dogs for so long it just seems like the work is less.


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## MustLoveGSDs

> Originally Posted By: dogsaverThe only GSD I can imagine being left alone in the house for 6-8 hrs at a time would be an older one who doesn;t require much exercise; but then again, will he be able to hold his bladder? Generally, I don;t think GSDs should be in apartments or left alone for 6-8 hours.


The great thing about German Shepherds that we all know is how loyal and bonded they are with their people. They are the type of breed that would be happy living in a shack as long as they are with you. I have lived in numerous apartments while owning and fostering countless Siberian Huskies and German Shepherds and working full time. I can tell you that they almost always go to sleep in their crates while I am at work. Dogs are den animals by nature and it's good to give them a space to call their own..a space that they can retreat to to chill out or take a break. Most dogs love their crate and most can easily learn to love it. 

An adult dog should have no problem holding its bladder unless it is sick. There are also options for people in apartments who work like doggie daycare and dog walkers. Apartment life is only more of an inconvenience for dog owners, not the dog, but it is doable. You just can't be lazy 








I am living in an apartment now with my GSD and husky and I can assure you they are both very happy and healthy dogs. The dog park is 5 minutes away and they're lucky me and BF love being with them so they get to go everywhere with us...and they regularly hang out at rescue events.

It's not the size of your living space that matters at all...it is about how much time and energy and you can dedicate to the needs of your dogs. As you can see..my fosters had it made in my one bedroom apartment..I kept them well exercised


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## Dainerra

I agree.. after all, even if you have a HUGE yard, the dog isn't going to exercise itself. Stairs are a pain in the







, but if you life on an upper floor you already know that


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## Mandalay

> Originally Posted By: mandelyn They'll string drool/water in a 5ft radious around the water bowl.


 5ft? Is that all your dogs have made it?







Mandalay brought a whole mouthful of water from her bowl in the kitchen and dumped it on me while I layed in bed the other night. 
All I knew was that I was there sleeping, then I was cold and wet and Mandalay was looking at me.











> Originally Posted By: DakariShedding may be an issue, but from what I understand if they are brushed daily they won't leave as much hair around the house.
































Oh gosh that was funny. ...not as much hair!









One thing I have come to realize over the last (almost) year and a half that I have had Mandalay, is that I am pretty sure they shed their ENTIRE coats EVERYDAY and grow a new one while they sleep.


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## sitstay

> Originally Posted By: Mandalay
> One thing I have come to realize over the last (almost) year and a half that I have had Mandalay, is that I am pretty sure they shed their ENTIRE coats EVERYDAY and grow a new one while they sleep.


You know, I don't think truer words have ever been spoken/written ANYWHERE in the history of the world.
Sheilah


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## natalie559

I raised Penny in an apartment and I think it was great for socialization as we encountered all types of things and people. I came home from lunch to let her out and in the evenings we would go to a park where she could get off leash exercise. Just make sure your apartment allows GSDs and I would crate train a puppy to avoid unnecessary damage to the apartment.


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## elisabeth_00117

> Originally Posted By: sit,stay
> 
> 
> 
> Originally Posted By: Mandalay
> One thing I have come to realize over the last (almost) year and a half that I have had Mandalay, is that I am pretty sure they shed their ENTIRE coats EVERYDAY and grow a new one while they sleep.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> You know, I don't think truer words have ever been spoken/written ANYWHERE in the history of the world.
> Sheilah
Click to expand...

Oh, my.. I AGREE 100%!!!!


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## GSDBESTK9

> Originally Posted By: dogsaverThe only GSD I can imagine being left alone in the house for 6-8 hrs at a time would be an older one who doesn;t require much exercise; but then again, will he be able to hold his bladder? Generally, I don;t think GSDs should be in apartments or left alone for 6-8 hours.


LOL My dogs are left for up to 9 hours some times due to work schedule. They do just fine, no accidents. While they were puppies, I would come home at lunch time, but once they were able to hold it, they have no problems.


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## girlll_face

> Originally Posted By: dogsaverThe only GSD I can imagine being left alone in the house for 6-8 hrs at a time would be an older one who doesn;t require much exercise; but then again, will he be able to hold his bladder? Generally, I don;t think GSDs should be in apartments or left alone for 6-8 hours.


Since I moved to GA, I have been in an apartment/townhome type thing until I can find a house I really like. I actually think Belle's gets MORE excercise now, because I make a point of it to walk/jog her several times a day...when you have a yard, and you're tired, having a bad day, you just think, "Well, they got enough excercise in the yard." I definitely don't agree that a GSD cannot be happy in an apartment. It all comes down to how much excercise they get, and how much time their special person spends with them. 

Luckily, while I work my mom takes care of Bella for me. However, at night when we sleep, she EASILY holds her bladder for 6-8 hours, depending on how lucky I am. Finding time to sleep is really difficult sometimes. Haha. Sometimes even when she first gets up, she won't go to the door to potty for up to an hour still, after being in her crate all night. 

I think if you're ready to be a loving, devoted dog owner, a GSD could be your perfect fit. Like they said above, a Shepherd wouldn't mind even living in a shack, as long as it was with it's person.


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## doggiedad

i think a GSD can live in an apartment. an apartment or a small
house what's the difference? make sure your dog gets the proper
amount of exercise but your dog should get the
proper amount of exercise whether it's in an apartment or house.

we got our puppy at 9 weeks old. if we couldn't
be home with him we had someone come and take care of him
every two hours or so. my dog is 2 yrs. old now. now we have someone come in and take care of him every 4 hours if we're going to be away for a long period of time.

can they go 8 hours at home alone? i'm sure they can. i like my dog being very comfortable so i wouldn't leave my dog alone for
8 hours without care.
for that amount of time.


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## Stephanie17s

I dealt with the same issue before getting my GSD. I was so worried that my apartment wouldn't be big enough for a large dog. After months and months of research and changing my mind 1,000 times, and after almost getting a small ankle biter type dog, I changed my mind one last time, and decided to stop being crazy, and to do what I really wanted to do, which was get a GSD. I've always loved GSD's, and I know that even though they were more work than say, a Yorkie, they are the only breed for me. 

One thing to consider is future living arrangements. If you rent of course, there is always a chance you may not be able to find a new rental that allows dogs, or dogs that are so large. This is the reality of the situation. I would rather, and will if necessary, live in my truck before I give up my dog. But, perhaps this wouldn't work for you







I have already made arrangements with a family member who owns, that if something was to ever happen, the dog could absolutely stay with them until I found a suitable place. It's a nice cushion just in case. 

Now, I won't lie to you, it has been a heck of a lot of work raising a pup in an apartment. When she came home, it was potty breaks every 30 mins at LEAST! I have the top floor of a house, so it's only one flight of stairs, not too bad. I don't have a fenced yard, so there's no opening the door and letting her out. I have to go out there, rain or shine, 3pm or 3am, and take her out. But, a lot of people will tell you that in general, apartment dogs are much more exercised and socialized than dogs who have lots of property to roam on or fenced yards. I live in a small town, and Alexa gets 3 to 4 walks a day, so she is constantly seeing, smelling, and meeting new people, places, and animals. In my opinion, she is a very well socialized pup so far, and I think a lot has to do with the fact that we have had no choice but to walk her so much. And it's exercise for you! That's always a plus!









I would absolutely suggest you get a crate! 100% priceless in my opinion. I have been able to make it 7 weeks without a single destroyed item (I'm still waiting for the big, "OMG why wasn't I watching you!!!" moment lol), and minimal accidents. I can't speak highly enough of them. 

All in all, I think it is a personal decision. If you can honestly say that you can devote 1-3 hours a day exercising your pup (physically & mentally), being able to take him/her on potty breaks every 30 minutes while you are home, and dealing with a large, shedding machine in your apartment, then go for it. I have never regretted my decision.


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## DuckerThe

I hope this message gets seen 
So, I live in medium sized apartment along with my family. I am 1st highschool year and want a dog. I adore GS and now I want to get one. My questions are:
How much exercise do these dogs need on daily basis - walks and fetch
What do you mean by "mental exercise"?
Are they good family dogs?
Are they good for 1st time owners?
Can I leave them crated?


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## fhmjan10

mandelyn said:


> In Germany I lived in a 3 bedroom on the 4th floor with 3 big dogs. Letting them out into the stairwell, hiking down the flights of steps, and then out the front door every so many hours was rough. But neat too, because we lived on a dead end road that only had 3 buildings, and it was fields from there they could run through. I didn't even bother with leashes unless it was a quick pee trip close to the house. All the people in the building knew them, and it was funy when a door would pop open and the dogs check it out.. like "Hey! Can we come in?" On the other side of the small town was water ways and ponds, and everyone in town would take their dog there, so it was like an unfenced dog park.
> 
> Here we're in a two bedroom on the second floor with private access to our own spot of grass, and there's a network of sidewalks for walking and a dog park two blocks away. They don't get off leash much unless we're at the dog park, but the space we have is working. I think you'd call this place a townhouse more than an apartment, there's a garage and yard for each unit.
> 
> Ideally I would like a 3 bedroom house with a large fenced yard. For days when it's raining, really cold, it's hard to muster up the willingness to dress warm and walk the dogs. In a house you put them outside, throw a couple balls while standing in the doorway relatively warm and just do that like 3 times in the day.
> 
> What you have to think about, is how much spare time you will have, and if you will really get out there and walk EVERY day after work regardless of how tired you are. On Fridays, will you spend 2 hours with your dog before going out, and then get up early Saturday to spend time with the dog? EVERY weekend?
> 
> What about in the winter when it's dark at 5pm, will you be out there walking?
> 
> Are you on the 2nd floor, where a inside came of fetch will tick off the neighbors below? Shepherds also scratch themselves, and their back knee thumps the ground. Who all will hear that? My neighbor can hear it, so I stop my dogs and send them to a carpeted area to do it. Think of Thumper the rabbit only it's a 60-100 pound dog doing it.
> 
> What happens in most cases, is after the newness of the dog wears off, people become lazy and they don't want to walk in the wintertime darkness, they don't want to spend their whole weekend with their dog anymore, and they realize that a house with a yard is best, so the dog is listed for sale/rehome with these house/yard demands of the new owner.
> 
> You have to think about if after 6 months, you'll be just as diligent as when you first got the dog, and at 1 year... and at 3 years, and so on.
> 
> With you working, you'll either need to take your lunch break at home to take a puppy outside, or start with one older than 5 months of age. Starting with an older puppy also means training begins as soon as the puppy arrives in your care. Or, you may be able to find an adult that's already trained.
> 
> But there is nothing worse than a large, untrained, unexercised dog in an apartment who won't allow you to watch evening TV because it wants to play fetch or tug.
> 
> What do you want to come home to after work? A crying pup who wet in it's cage because it's too young to hold it the 6-8 hours? An older pup who greets you like you've been gone for weeks who now needs dinner, a brushing, a game, and an hour walk before you can feed yourself and settle in for the night? An older dog that greets you, eats calmly with you, then takes a leisurely evening walk with maybe a game of fetch afterwards? By older, I mean over 2-3 years old.
> 
> And the shedding, no one has brought that up yet? LOL... they shed and shed and shed. Daily brushing helps if you get a good professional quality brush designed for dogs with under coat. But you can't forget to factor in the additional house cleaning GSD owners endure.
> 
> And the water bowl... puppies will knock it over and attempt to swim in it. They'll string drool/water in a 5ft radious around the water bowl. They're drop food into the water bowl if you feed them near it. Depending on the space of the house/apartment, it will be obvious what sort of dog lives there.
> 
> But as far as companions go, if you're willing to put the time in they're way more intuitive to their owner than a lot of other breeds are. They know how to relax when they get older depending on what they were bred for. It's worth the mess, the work, the hair, the food/toy bill. But for some people it isn't, so that is what you have to think about.


Thank you! This helps a lot to get me to realize whether I am ready for a German Shepard or not.


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## NormanF

I live in a small apartment.

The key to owning a GSD is plenty of exercise every day. They have energy they need to expend.

If you don't have the time or the patience to walk your dog, get a cat.

A dog owner needs to devote a lot of time and attention and if you can't step up to the plate to do it, don't bother to adopt a dog.


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## Kaity

I raised two in many brand new condos. BE COURTEOUS. Invest in a dremel to keep nails short and never ever ever let them click. Clean up after your dog on the property. Always. Crate training can be a pain in the bum with a puppy, and your neighbours will get upset. Invest in a few area rugs/runners around to pick up noise, especially under the crate. It can be done, and done well. I had two very happy healthy dogs who loved to watch what was happening out the window a lot. I think they love their yard more, overall you can have a condo thats the same square footage as a home. Your dog doesn't care. I've been in 600sqft and 3000sqft and the dogs were by far, much much happier in 600 where they were always close to me.


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