A Non-Barking Low Maintenance Apartment Dog?
Jo: I’ve got my first apartment and my landlord allows pets both cats and dogs. My problem is that I can’t figure out the best breed for me. This is my situation, my apartment is pretty decent size and has a large front and back yard (no fence.) It’s located in a rural area and is on the top floor of my building. I’m a fairly active person, if I have a dog I can take for walks or a dog to just sit in my lap I’m pretty impartial. I would like a dog I can take places with me. I am also gone for 9 hours a day from 2 - 11. So I need a dog who is a minimal barker, can be unsupervised without tearing apart my apartment and who won’t feel couped up during the day. Maybe a breed that does well with cats so they can entertain each other while I’m at work. Can anyone make a recommendation on the breed of dog that may be best for me? I have no allergies, live alone with no children and want a dog around 24/7. Thanks so much!
Hi, Josh,
Well, it’s good that you posted such honest info about your lifestyle. I’m assuming that you would be looking to adopt an adult dog, not a pup? Would you be able to take time off of work or work a flexible schedule for a bit in order to properly socialize and train your dog?
Due to evolutionary behavioral and health factors, dog breeds are not all that okay with being alone for 9 hours a day. They are VERY social creatures, and they are a pack animal — happiest when when someone or another animal. Some dogs can adapt, but usually dogs that have been slowly acclimated to that length of time alone.
As well, there are no ‘breeds’ that are minimal barkers or less likely to be destructive. Both of those behaviors are traits that happen when a dog is under-exercised and/or under-socialized. The best dog in the world — who has never barked or chewed anything — can have days when it does both non-stop due to boredom, too little exercise and lonlieness. As well, there is no dog breed that ‘naturally’ does well with cats — successful multi-species households happen through the work of owners who carefully introduce and contition their pets to get along — and sometimes, even that doesn’t work.
If you’d really like a dog, might I suggest a Maine Coon Cat? They are large and VERY dog-like, while still retaining the self-sufficience that cats natually possess and dogs lack. Affectionate, clean, highly trainable, and remarkably low maintenance (their coat, although it looks like it might tangle a lot, remains fairly tangle-free because it’s staggered).
- Jo
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Thank you for this very informative article. Dog obedience is very important to dog owners and each one should know the proper measures to take to control them. Take a dog that keeps on barking for no apparent reason, this is one of the behavior problems that needs to be addressed. The bottom line is that a well behaved dog creates a happy dog owner.
Do you have something against dogs or something?
Well, Wayne… you’re correct to a point.
There are very few dogs that bark for ‘no apparent reason’. Conversely, there are far too many people who believe that normal dog behavior is ‘disobedience’ or ‘wrong’ just because it’s not the same as human behavior!
If you don’t address why the dog is barking in the first place, suppressing the behavior won’t do a darn thing in the long run. The behavior will only come back as soon as the suppressing element it out of the picture.
I agree with Jo, even though this post is old! I love my cat! He is leash trained, performs tricks, (clicker-trained cat! It’s great!) and he never barks! When he was a kitten, he earned the name PuppyCat because of his behavior! There was a lot of training and socializing involved early on to expose him to sounds, people, and new environments, but he is now a take-anywhere, do-anything kind of guy who loves trips to pet stores and visitors of any species in our house. I’ll admit, he does get catty once in a while, but in general he’s a great guy! Sorry - not up for adoption!