I know you guys are getting sick of me but...

I want to be 100% sure on which breed I want for when I move into my apartment. So far A butterfly dog is my choice, but lately i've been having second thoughts. Im in Love with big dogs. Iv been spending the last couple days with my cousin and he owns a german shephred ... wow, what an amazing dog, playful, looks amazing and knows all his comands, just a great dog in general. I'd love to own one but in an apartment.. yeeeeeeah.. that wouldnt really work. So guys and gals Im here to ask you hopefully my last question for a while ( since ya'll are so sick of me already =P )

This is what im looking for : !

Medium - Big dog
Low - medium energy, I dont want havoc in my house
Likes to play but knows when to calm down,
easy to train, ( since it will be my first dog)
Low- Medium shedder.. High shedders like a yellow Lab are deff a no no
Not excessive barkers

I highly recommend you getting a nice dog breed book tells you everything about each breeds, go to dog shows talk to dog breeds so on. So you can get a clear picture of what breed type of dog you want in near future

I've had a Rottie in an apartment, mind you I did have permission to have him there, and MOST landlords won't give that permission out, and it was temporary until I bought a house. Big dogs do need a little more room than most apartments have to offer. However, dogs like Rotties tend to care more about their people than they do about their surroundings. I do have friends with GSD's, and I couldn't imagine those dogs being happy being stuck in an apartment. A good compromise may be a Dobie, but you'd have to ask others here who have Dobies. From all that I've read, they tend to be happy, like a Rottie, as long as their people are there, they're not a true working dog, like a GSD, so they're not so easily bored, I'm sure they're rather easy to train, much easier than our Min Pins, and I can't imagine that they're excessive shedders.

Seek out the people here who know about them. The big concern would be that they can be a little aggressive and try to become the boss, so they may not be a good choice for a first time dog owner, but I'm sure there is somebody here who can point you in the right direction as far as they're concerned.

If I had to live in an apartment again, I'd definitely prefer my Rottweiler to my Min Pins. He was so quiet that none of the neighbors ever realized he was living there, whereas with the little guys, the neighbors 5 blocks over would have known they were there. But then again, landlords don't tend to be very educated on dogs, so chances are, you will be limited to a little dog.

Also, check into retired Greyhounds. They're about as sweet as you can get, they don't tend to be destructive, or noisy in any way, and they seem to adapt well to apartment life from people that I've talked to. They love to run, if given the chance, but if it's going to be a collar and leash type of dog, you shouldn't have to worry about that. Once again, though, talk to people about that particular breed and tell them your situation and see what they think.

I'm not sure what breed/s to suggest, but I'm sure there are lots of dogs out there who fit your criteria. Hopefully someone else will be able to help. I was thinking maybe a Greyhound, but they aren't known to be easy to train and I don't know enough greys to know if they're playful or not. Lol, the ones I know only seem to sleep.


This isn't anything against you/meant to offend you, but Dobermans most definitely are a working dog, and pretty much all of the Dobies I know get bored easily and do need lots of exercise and mental stimulation. They're happy with their people, yes, but they are not couch potatoes. I've had both Rottweilers and Dobermans, and everything I read about both made them sound similar, but the Doberman is a far more active, easily bored dog. I don't find them really similar at all actually, having lived with both. And yes, Dobermans can be very easy to train, but they are a ton of work, especially when they're young. That being said, I do know people who have Dobermans in apartments and they do just fine, but they are out and about a lot.

No offense taken, and that's why I said that they need to talk to dobie owners. I have my preconceived notions of them, and I don't want anyone to ever even begin to think that I think I'm an expert on them, or any other breed, whether I've had them for 10 years or 2 years, but that goes back to any advice on a dog, I love my Rottie, he's perfect for me, I love my Min pins, they're also perfect. I extremely love the looks and personality of a dobie, there's no way I could fit one in with my life at the moment, but, if I chose to do it, I'd ask people here, like you, and that's what the original poster needs to do. As far as my 4 Min Pins are concerned, I don't think you could find 4 dogs more different from each other, Apollo is a lover, Zeus is a big time lover, Athena wants to kill everything she comes across, and Maya WILL kill everything she comes across, she finds mice that don't even seem to exist before she finds them. Pee Wee, (Apollo) has caught mice, he plays with them for a bit then gets bored, let's them go, and they run away. Athena finds them, and kills them then leaves them alone, Maya finds them, then basically harrasses them until they die of fear. She really makes a point of having them hate their last moments on earth. They're all Min Pins, so it just shows the difference in personality, even in the same breed.

I would also recommend going to a dog show. I would say a miniature poodle, but they can be noisy for an apartment. Since it's your first dog, i wouldn't get a young puppy. Also, puppies do need a lot of energy, time, and attention, no matter what the breed. A young adult dog would be a good choice for you.

How about an american pit bull terrier? A young adult from a rescue or shelter will be evaluated, so you can find one suitable for a first-time dog owner. They're playful, but not overly energetic, know when to chill out, etc. The shedding isn't terrible (at least not on the ones i met) at all, they're not overly loud, they're medium-large sized, and very trainable.

Also, a retired racing greyhound would be a good apartment dog, but i do think they shed quite a bit (not sure on that one)

Well,

I'm not too fond of Greyhounds, I dont know what it is they just rub me the wrong way...

The dogs will get plenty of exercise, daily run everyday, plenty of play senssions etc. So dont think they will just be laying on the ground 24 hours a day. No no no =)

I just want one that can be mellowed out, but also playful, so yeah basically like you guys said, so i can convince a land lord and so the neighbors wont go bananas =)

Retired greyhound gets my vote...always will.

Don't believe the myth about them being hard to train...they're not. They are, however, ridiculously smart and super stubborn. What that translates to is this: Traditional obedience methods bore them, any positive method of training will do as long as the lessons are kept short and super fun. I would suggest getting a book on clicker training and the book "Playtraining your Dog." Playtraining was developed by the author specifically for her greyhounds, and she has advanced obedience titles on her dogs.

Playful? Sighthounds? Those two words are meant to be together. You'll never find a dog more clever at making you enjoy being with them. They understand "hide and seek" and love it when they "find" you. They love to play.

Knowing when to stop play? They are known couch potatoes.

Shedding? They don't shed any more than any other breed.

I think they're great apartment dogs. They rarely bark, they can sleep all day when you're not there, they're always ready for an outing and they're sweet without being too "in your face."

Dobermans are a HIGH energy, highly intelligent breed. They're NOT a good "starter breeder", they pretty much demand owners with highly developed leadership and training skills. They are a true working dog, and will become problematic without a job...bored dobermans get themselves into big trouble.

It's easy to teach a doberman something, but it can be difficult to perfect it-they like to try out all the options and put their own spin onto things. And frequently they outsmart their owners.

This isn't a breed that would ever enjoy widespread success in just any pet home.

I havent' read through the entire thread.. but..

Have you thought about taking a look at whats at your local shelter at all?

if you aren't interested in showing a dog, a rescue might be a good idea

If not, make sure you get a pup from a quality breeder with credentials and proper testing on their dogs before settling on one.

I think a shelter dog might be a good bet, too. For one thing, you can find a mellow dog, already an adult, that could already be used to apartment life. You need something that is not noisy, so the little yappers might be less of a good choice than a quiet larger dog with less energy. Many adult dogs would really be grateful for a home, as they are often passed over in favor of the cute puppies. You could be saving a life. And, it's never too late to train a dog!

I'd suggest a shelter pooch or rescue if you know a specific breed your looking for.

While I do think GSD's can adapt to just about any type of lifestyle, they are BIG shedders, and if you aren't careful in selecting (or having one selected for you), you could end up with a very high energy, off the wall bouncer )

If you do like the GSD's, I'd suggest looking into rescue for an older dog that has been temperament evaluated..There are alot of shepherds that are "go with the flow" types, but alot of high energy ones as well.

I lived with two HUGE gsd's in a 30 x 30 house along with 2 cats and some birds, for 8 years..granted I did have a yard, but living space was tight, but no one seemed to mind. )

Good luck in your search
diane

I mean its not just GSDs its basically any bigger dogs that im interested in