Ask any City Dwellers and they will tell you that apartment living has its own perks, low maintenance costs, exclusive amenities like gyms, pool or Jacuzzi but also community spirit. But if you are planning on having a dog living with you in that apartment, you better make sure you have thought long and hard about the best dog breed that thrives in apartment living.
So, is there the best dog breed for apartment living?
Yes! Dog breeds like a Pug, Bichon Frise or Chihuahua are among the best dog breeds for anyone living in an apartment and here’s why? Most dog breeds who adapt to apartment living well are:
- Low Energy Dog Breed Types
- Fairly calm and happy to remain indoors longer than other dog breeds.
- Not habitual barkers
- Obedient and affection-craving that borders possessiveness.
So, if you have been thinking of buying or adopting a puppy while living in a rented apartment, it may not be as straightforward as you thought. And for other apartment dwellers, it’s not just the landlord they have to think about, choosing an ideal dog breed for apartment living is crucial too.
Because we know too well that it can be a difficult decision to make on which dog breed to actually adopt, we have put together this resource to help you decide.
Surprisingly, fewer people than you might think actually know that some dog breeds are not suitable for apartment living. But for those who know or have been through this before, they just get on with choosing the one dog breed that is apartment friendly.
Don’t panic though because here, we have made life a bit easy for you by listing the top 10 best dog breeds for apartment living, so all you have to do is choose the one you like the most. But before we take a look at these dog breeds, let’s first look at the best ways of selecting the right dog.
How to choose an apartment-friendly dog breed.
If you ever dare choose a dog breed, there can only be a few key traits to consider as you pick your fancy. And if you are a complete newbie to selecting the best dog breed, here’s what to look for in your dog breed type:
- Dog breed size,
- Dog breed weight and height,
- Dog friendliness,
- Dog breed talents,
- Dog breed intelligence ranking index,
- Dog breed trainability
And if you care even more about dog life expectancy and health issues, you can throw those in there as a part of your dog breed fact-finding research.
Choose a dog based on their size
As we said before, not all dog breeds are suitable for apartment living and large dog breeds are the ones mostly not apartment-friendly because they require more living space and a back yard where they can play.
So, small dog breeds are the ones suitable for apartment living, they will have enough room for themselves and will feel comfortable too. I can’t stress enough that even if you’re buying a small puppy, you must make sure it’s not a large dog breed type, rather get one that won’t grow to be too large for your apartment.
Choose a breed based on its temperaments
Choosing a calm, quiet and well-reserved dog breed is advised. It should as well not have too much energy that will require you to take it for walks every now and then. Yes, small dog breeds are mostly apartment-friendly but not all of them have calm, quiet and low -energy temperaments.
Make sure you Choose a quiet dog breed
When living in an apartment, it’s obvious that you will be surrounded by close neighbors so choosing a very quiet dog breed that is not very sensitive or does not react and bark to every sound, or noise is very important so that you stay in good books with your neighbors.
There are other dog breeds who are suspiciously curious at everything including your neighbor’s TV noise! Make sure you avoiding buying guarding dog breeds because they are the ones very sensitive and will react to every movement and sound.
– Select a dog that is sociable: Apartment living means a large range of noises and people so a sociable dog is more suitable for apartment living, it will be easy or it to socialize with other people and other animals too.
Now let’s look at your potential dog breed to pick if you need an apartment living friendly dog from this list of the top best dog breeds for apartment living:
1. The pug
Pugs are the most sought after dog breed for most families that live in apartments. They are the type of dogs who love to curl on a sofa with their owner and enjoy cuddles why watching a movie on Netflix or sipping a glass of wine.
The pug is a dog breed that has origins in China, it has unmissable distinctive physical features that include its wrinkly, short-muzzled face and a curled tail. This dog breed ticks a lot of boxes for anyone living in an apartment.
For example, pugs grow to be about 19 lbs but can also easily pile up on the pounds if you overfeed them and will weigh more than that. These dogs love being with its owner and will follow them around and even want to sleep on their bed, it is very affectionate, loyal, loving, obedient and easy going too.
Even though the breed loves indoors, it is very important to take your pug for walks every day, and 45 minutes daily walk split in between routine morning and evening walks is recommended!, This exercise will help them stay fit, healthy and happy though they spend the most of their lifetime indoors.
As indoor loving pets, pugs demand an intense grooming regiment as a requirement for this breed and I can assure you that it’s pretty high when you compare with other small dog breeds.
For a start.,the Pug dog’s coat requires daily brushing because it sheds in clumps like nobody’s business! Their unique face that is riddled with facial wrinkles all over it’s face also need to be cleaned on daily on the skin folds in order to remove dirt and debris that can trigger yeast growth.
Apart from the list of chores and upkeep costs, Pugs are an ideal dog breed for those living in shared apartments. And the reason why this dog is suitable for apartment living is that it loves being indoors, it is very calm and doesn’t have too much energy so it doesn’t really have the time to run around causing a mess like large dog breeds.
No wonder that the pug is on our top list as the best dog breeds suitable for apartment living also because of all its wonderful temperaments, it is very gentle, calm and doesn’t bark without any good reason.
So, Are Pugs good apartment dogs?
Yes! Pugs are good apartment dogs as they are low energy dog breed, who do not bark without a reason and are also a small dog breed that loves indoors than outdoors. So, with traits like quietness, low activity demand, small size and amiable temperament, Pugs makes a good apartment dog breed to pick.
2. Bichon Frise
If you live in an apartment complex, you will love Bichon Frise dog breed! They are a cute small dog breed with origins in America, and a lot of dog lovers are very fond of this breed because of all its awesome temperaments.
If you have multiple pets, then the Bichon Frise is ideal for you as it is a docile pet dog who will get along with everyone, including other animals like felines. The dog loves being around it’s owner and if left alone for a long time, it will suffer from separation anxiety.
The Bichon Frise loves being indoors but still it has a lot of energy so make sure you take it out for walks every day as it is also good for it’s health. Also take it to the dog park where it will be able to socialize and play with other dogs.
The dog doesn’t have much grooming requirements because it’s coat barely sheds, but they do need daily brushing to their fur from mating. A monthly bath is advised in order to keep the dog’s coat looking white and clean.
The dog is also known for being child-friendly, but the children too must be taught ways to handle the dog and avoid doing things that may make it angry and aggressive.
This dog breed is apartment-friendly because of it’s small size and also the fact that it’s very calm and quiet. If you live in an apartment, obviously you have close neighbors so they wouldn’t appreciate noise from your furry friend.
3. Chihuahua
The Chihuahua is known to be the smallest dog breed in the world and has origins in Mexico, it weighs 3 to 6 Ibs and therefore perfect for apartment living. The dog is also known for being very intelligent, affectionate, obedient and they are fast learners too.
The breed requires low maintenance, it does not she’d much so brushing the coat once in a week is appropriate.
The dog is sometimes noisy but not too much to the extent that it may disturb the neighbors but they have a lot of energy and will at least require a 20 minutes walk every day, this will also help it stay healthy. Another reason why this breed is apartment-friendly is that is very sociable and got lovely temperaments.
4. Poodle
Poodles make great apartment living ideal as they are a medium-sized dog breed with low Maintainance and if you are wondering about the origins of this dog breed, its ties are linked back to Germany where it was bred for hunting purposes.
However, with its amiable temperament, overtime it became recognized as a great family companion. This dog breed is known to be one of the best-behaved and even- mannered, making it very suitable for apartment living.
It is very intelligent, skillful and has the ability to learn things quite quickly. Yes they are a bit big and they are skinny and fall under most apartments’ weight limits. Other reasons why this breed is excellent for the apartment living is that it is well reserved, quiet, calm and very sociable. Poodles love being pampered and that is offset with their low activity demands.
They do not have high amounts of energy so they don’t need regular exercise. Their grooming requirements are pretty high because they she’d a lot.
5. Shiba Inu
This dog breed originating in Japan is best known for its fun personalities, pointy ears and it’s agility. This dog breed is medium in size, has a coat that doesn’t shed much and also has amazing temperaments.
The Shiba in dog breed is apartment-friendly because it’s very calm and quiet in nature, it’s size is just perfect and it’s sociable too. It has medium exercise needs, medium grooming appointments because it doesn’t shed much and it’s said to be great with children. The dog is not noisy at all and will not bark or make noise when it’s unnecessary.
6. Chinese Crested
This dog breed had origins in China, it is a small-sized breed known for being very kind, intelligent, loyal and affectionate. It has medium grooming requirements because it is hairless and must be bathed after a while. The dog breed is said to be great with children. Its Exercise requirements are low because they will tire out after about 15-20 minutes of playtime and want to go back to their den.
7. Boston Terrier.
This dog breed has origins in the United States of America, it’s got a short smooth and slick coat that comes in colors such as black, white, brindle and white. The Boston Terrier is best known for being intelligent, loving.
Friendly, lively and obedient. Yes the dogs got a lot of energy but will soon get tired just after a few minutes walk, they prefer indoors because they love lazing around.
They are very awesome for apartment living because they are calm, quiet and very sociable. The dog is also known for being great with children of all ages.
8. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
This is a small dog breed that has origins in the United Kingdom, it weighs 13 to 18 pounds and stands 12 to 13 inches tall at the shoulders. This dog breed is known for being very friendly and eager to know everyone who crosses it’s path. The dog is also very loyal, affectionate and enjoys being around it’s owners most of the time.
This dog breed is apartment-friendly because it is very calm, quiet and does not just bark when it’s unnecessary.
9. English Bulldog
This is a medium-sized dog breed with origins in the United Kingdom and England, it is a muscular hefty dog with a wrinkled face and s distinctive pushed nose.
The breed is known for being loyal, obedient, friendly and docile, it weighs 18 to 25 kgs and stands 31 to 40 cm tall. The English bulldog is a sweet dog suitable for apartment living because of all it’s wonderful temperaments.
It’s also very well reserved, calm and quiet, it prefers being indoors sleeping on the couch than anywhere else.
The English bulldog has medium grooming requirements, it’s coat must be brushed once a week because it does not she’d much, the wrinkles on its face must be cleaned daily with a damp cloth.
10. A Bitza
This is a medium-sized dog breed with amazing temperaments and it’s great for apartment living because it’s quiet, well reserved, obedient and does not make unnecessary noises.
