Moving to a possible apartment - Page 1

I have an 14 month old GSD and unfortunately am going through a divorce and we are selling the house. The odds are pretty good that I may need to move into a 2 bdrm apartment. I found a couple that will actualy take GSD's. Obviously my choice will be a townhome or small house but with my budget and finding one that will allow a big dog, I have to remain realistic.

So my question is, would that be cruel having him in a 1000 sqft apartment? He spends most of the time indoors anyways and I walk him daily, so Im thinking it isnt too drastic of a change. Ive also started taking him on short runs with me. But I want whats best for him and would be curious to hear opinions as Ive also read where people think its cruel to have big dogs in apartments.

It's not the size of your home or yard, it's the interaction you have with the dog that keeps them happy. 

If it helps, I have been keeping GSDs for over 20 years - and had them intermittently

living with me in fits and starts for much longer than that - in some very small living

spaces.  One a bedsitter;  one a one-bed staff flat;  one a very small 2 bed apartment,

and my current abode, which is again one bedroom and about half the square footage

you mentioned !    And none of these has had its own fenced yard / garden.

Mine have lived long, good lives.   This is because I know what I am doing and am

prepared to take them out for walks about 4 times daily.  Some people find that too

much effort;  but then, they are the people who find much of what it takes anyone to

keep a large working-breed dog healthy and happy too onerous.   The last poster is

right, its what you can & do put into your relationship with your dog that counts far

more than the physical space.  Good luck in finding the right accomodation for both

you and your dog.

Thanks for the replies. That was my thinking. 

If there is room in the heart there is room in the home.

 

Margaret N-J

Skibike

If you want to rehome, I can do it for you. I live in a 3 level house in NYC with one dog who has access to all levels.

Sorry to hear of your circumstances, skibike. Good for  you for not dumping the dog. I am sure your dog would rather be with you in a smaller home than with a stranger. 

I have 3 big GSDs in a teeny tiny house, they are happy & healthy because we care about them & do what keeps them happy. That's the great thing about dogs, they don't care what you look like, what your house looks like, etc.; they just care that you love them!

jackie harris

My first GSD lived with me in a 1 bedroom apartment for nearly a year until I was able to find a house to share. She did just fine. There was a hydro right-of-way just across the road, where I could take her for off-leash walks, and I had a friend who would take her out in the middle of the day and walk her with her 2 dogs. The friend also baby-sat her niece. The niece learned to walk hanging on to my GSD's collar! 

I should qualify she was already 5 years old when I rescued her, and she was certainly not a high-drive dog.

I recently downsized from several dogs in a house in a suburban subdivision to one female in a large 1 bedroom apartment with faux wood vinyl floors.  I have found a place to let my girl run off leash which is only a 10 minute drive. There is an empty lot across the street where I throw the ball and do distance ob. There is a nice empty manicured corner of this large apartment complex where I do my IPO style ob. Plus I take her into the fitness center late at night and run her on the treadmill. And she loves to run the 3 story stairwells too! The apartment has poop stations and large park areas with winding sidewalks. It is well lit at night. There is a dog park with agility equipment. The residents tend to take turns using the park and don't let their dogs mix. When it's not cold, I wash her with the hose in the car washing bay. I also put her outside on the patio to get her daily dose of sunshine. 

When I lived in a house, I still drove 5 minutes everyday to run my dogs off leash to tire them out - that hasn't changed. The house did have more living space for multiple dogs to move around - larger living area and kitchen, but since I'm down to one dog the smaller apartment is just fine. The only negative thing about the apartment is that I have to get dressed and take her out on a leash to potty.