I want to get a dog in my apartment for security reasons mostly. How do you prevent him from...?

Question

destroying your stuff when you're away? I need the dog to be in the apartment when I'm off running errands, because I work from home and I can't afford to be robbed and lose my livelihood. But if the dog destroys my equipment I am ruined also. So, how do you have a guard dog, but safeguard the property from dog damage?

Answer 1

Most adult dogs are fine. I have two great little watchdogs for adoption that only want a few toys fro themselves. Check with rescues. Rescues can let you know about the personality of each pet. Or get a crate.

Answer 2

A dog will provide the protection you are looking for but it will need to be trained. A well trained protection dog will run you about $5,000.00 to $15,000.00. A puppy will chew everything in sight, so a puppy is out of the question beside it will take about year before you can start any serious protection work and about 6 months more for the training.

If you are not afraid of dogs go to the local humane society and see if they have any aggressive dogs up for adoption. But it sounds like you don't have experience with dogs and you could get bit.

I think you have the right idea but you don't have the experience to train and handle an aggressive dog.

As a Master Dog Trainer Specializing in aggression training I don't think it would be a good idea for you to get a dog for the purpose you want one for. Unless you have the time to take it to a trainer and go through the training yourself so that you can handle a dog that has had aggression training. There is far more to it than most people think.

Please, take my advise as well as some of the others on this site and get you a good alarm system. It will be cheaper and you won't be posing a threat to others with an animal you don't know anything about.

Answer 3

I would check a local shelter for dogs. My German Shepard mix is a great guard dog and doesnt chew any thing. I would not get a puppy because it will go through teething and could possibly chew up everything. Just make sure what ever dog you get you need to let it know the boundaries of what is off limits. Like if you have a computer that has a lot of things you dont want it to get a hold of then you make it to where if the dog goes near it, it gets scolded, or we have on our dogs to keep them out of the cat litter, invisible fence has indoor zones that give you a disc that you place in the area you dont want the animals in. Then you put on the collars that give off a shock (the equivalent of you shuffling your feet on the carpet and touching something metal) when it comes within the zone. It works really good unless you forget to turn it off or the batteries die (which it has a tester to tell you they are dying). Just an option. Good luck hope this helps

Answer 4

It kind of sounds like you might want an alarm system. I have two dogs. Dogs naturally destroy stuff when you are away or my puppy does it because she's either bored and wants attention or lonely. She is naturally a guard dog too much of one if you ask me. I got her @ 4 months and just recently after we adopted her she started barking at people coming in the house or my apartment and barking @ strangers outside.

It seems nice to have one because they alert you, but it also seems inconsiderate because you live in an apartment and you don't know how it would effect your apartment neighbors. Everytime my dog barks I wonder how my neighbors may take it upstairs and below, thankfully they think she's so cute and they don't mind the noise (so far).

At times it's nice for when I'm walking her @ night (it gets dark around 5pm here) and I'm in my yard and someone is near me she alerts me by barking @ them. But honestly dogs really want a lot of attention and if you are worried about you stuff being destroyed then pehaps it's best to not get a dog.

I know my puppy already broke my key off my laptop, my older dog who I have had for 2 years peed on my comforter once, and my puppy destroyed my down comforter by peeing on it. I don't get upset or mad about them destroying stuff since it's I can replace these things (except my laptop has accidental insurance that covers this).

That's another good thing to perhaps insurance your items with renters insurance since something may happen you might want to be covered. Good Luck.

Answer 5

No matter what type of dog you get for whatever purposes you need it for, you have to train it. Kennel or crate the dog for 2 or 3 months anytime you leave the house. Reward him when he doesn't "go" in the kennel / crate, or tear up anything you give him in the kennel. Eventually he will learn that he is rewarded for not tearing things up, or going to the bathroom on the floor. If that doesn't work for, seek out training literature on the type of dog that you're going to get. I've had pit bulls, & rottwiellers, and have found helpful literature for both types of dogs at local pet supply stores.

Answer 6

First off you can go to a dog supplies store and buy a spray that u put on your furniture so it won't eat or chew on the furniture. there is such a thing! also if you are just going to get your mail or going next door for a short while you could put your dog in a cage and see how well it does. then you could start leaving it out. gradually. you could also leave the t.v on or a radio to keep it company while your gone.

Answer 7

make sure to give them lots of toys and you have to teach them not to chew on your stuff so when they go near it hit them in the nose and tell them "No." This will take a while to do but it would be well worth it but with a dog you can't bring new friends over because the dog might get out of control so I would go with a burglar alarm.

Answer 8

Sounds like your knowledge of dogs is extremely limited. The dogs who would be good guard dogs do not do well with a novice owner, nor would they be suitable for apartment living. Get a good alarm system.

Answer 9

If you need the dog for job related purpose, get the trained protection dog from trainer. Most trainers will match you and a dog, based on your situation and your personalty. In this case, the price of dog and expense may be tax deductable.

Answer 10

Wow...tough question. I have read articles describing the behavior you are referring to. The reason pets destroy things while you are a way is that they go ape shi* cause there best friend has left them......Dogs have no sense of time....whether it be 1 minute or 5 hours...they go nuts...........Depending on the dog size.......You may have to buy baby gates...to limit his access to a certain area of the house...or rearrange your whole apartment so that he may not destroy what is valuable or important. But then..........theres is always obedience school $$$$