My apartment doesn't allow pit bulls?

Question

My boyfriend and i are talking about getting a dog. We have done a lot of research, and we are now able to afford ALL the costs that come with a dog. The only problem is that our apartment has breed restrictions. This includes German shepherds, rotties, chows, akitas, mastiffs, dobermans, and pit bulls. Well i found my perfect dog, and he is an American bulldog mix. So i went to the landlord and asked her if an american bulldog would be okay to have. She replied by saying "Well...American bulldogs are actually pit bulls" Which is not true. So we continued talking, and she said that i can't get any dog that resembles any of the restricted breeds. And these happen to be a lot of my favorite breeds. Because of this i think we are just going to wait the 8 months until our lease is up. What are some of your favorite large breed dogs that don'e resemble these breeds? What do you like about that breed? I will still probably wait, just want to make sure i'm not missing any other great breeds.

I am going to adopt an adult dog from an animal shelter, so if you have a great mixed breed dog the suggestions are welcome.

Yeah, i am now kind of wishing i didn't ask about ABD in the first place. Because i really had my heart set on this dog. But i didn't want to adopt this dog, bring him home, become VERY attached to him, then send him back to the shelter because of neighbors complaints, or because the landlord didn't allow this breed.

Answer 1

Actually in 1998 Canada and I believe the United States pulled that NO PET policy. Legally a landlord cannot refuse pets. When you are looking do not mention you have a pet. Once you moved in and they notice, they cannot evict you. If you are paying rent, bills etc. You are legally entitled to have a pet. It is just like buying a car from a dealer, you will have monthy instalments to pay, and it would be like your car dealer saying you cannot smoke in your car that you own. So there is an example. They also cannot ban certain breeds....it is discrimination. Just like saying to someone, you can't live here cause you Chinese, Black, Gay.....anything down those lines. Good Luck

Answer 2

If you get a dog that physically resembles a pit bull, you're going to have to deal with all the associated pit bull restrictions, even if your dog isn't actually a pit bull.

I'd suggest just getting a mixed breed that doesn't resemble any of the bully breeds at all, or any of the other breeds restricted by your apartment. The shelter should have lots of other great dogs to choose from. If your heart is totally set on a bully breed mix, you may just have to move somewhere that will allow you to keep him.

My favorite large breed dog is a mixed breed, a Lab/Shepherd mix. Since Labradors are such a popular breed, there are usually a lot of Lab mixes in shelters. Labs are usually perceived as being gentle dogs, so you shouldn't face too many restrictions against having a Lab mix.

Here's a good article about adopting a shelter dog. I'm glad you're thinking of getting an adult - I got my dog from a shelter as an adult, and she's a great dog.
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=1405&S=1&SourceID=47

Answer 3

The American Bulldog most definitely is NOT an American Pit Bull Terrier or an American Staffordshire Terrier. Unfortunately, many people don't understand this.

I would personally wait the 8 months until you're out of the apartment and find somewhere else to live that will let you have the breed (and the size - at 80-100 pounds, American Bulldogs are over many weight limits!) that you want.

Answer 4

Stafford-shire Terriers are NOT Pit bulls. Pitt Bulls can be and are great dogs! Extremely smart, great with kids and easy to train, not to mention loyal till death. It is my belief that no dog will love you or protect you more than a pit. That being said, I would wait it out. Pit bull dogs are some of my fave breeds along w/ Old English Sheep dogs and Pomeranians. All completely different I know. A dog is only as good as his owner trains him. Don't forget that. And don't let prejudices against a wonderful loving dog keep you from owning one. My ex BF had a Pit and it changed my mind about them. He was the sweetest, most loving, well-behaved dog I have ever encountered. My Faves are the white pit bull's. So beautiful and clean. Get a PIT, raise it to be obedient, well-trained, loving and loyal. Prove to people how wonderful Pit Bull's really are! If you love the breed, you love the breed.
Also, when looking for a breeder make sure that the conditions are humane and clean. Make sure the breeder has papers on his dog's (both mother and father). This will guarantee it's authenticity. I think that is very important when getting a Pit. Make sure it is a pure bred Pit Bull. Get it as a puppy so you make sure it has a great temperament.
There are some great books at Pet Smart as well that will help you with your quest. Good luck. :-)

Answer 5

I ran into this in apartments when i had a pit bull. Even if you don;t have a pit bull, the resemlence is enough for them to say you can't have the dog. I think the main reason behind that is for the other tenants who may "think" it is a pit bull, complain, be nervous, or whatever other silly thoughts people have with these amazing dogs.

You could look into a boxer, they are awesome dogs.

Otherwise, just go to the shelter and tell them what type of lifestyle you have, and they can find you a great match, breed aside.

Good luck!

Just to add, i moved 6 times when i had a pit bull. If an apartment complex has policies, you need to abide by them. If you don't, it will only add to more issues.

Answer 6

An American Bull dog is NOT a Pit. I would explain to the landlord ABD's aren't on any do not insure lists and that by insurance standards are not considered a "dangerous" dog. Also, if breed restrictions specifically says, "pit bull" and is in writing, then you have no reason to believe that your American Bull Dog can't be there. Also, when a city prohibits certian dog breed, such as the APBT, they will use language like, "Pit Bull type dogs". This does not inculde the American Bull Dog. Your landlord is wrong.

Answer 7

Actually, she is right. The american bulldog is a staffordshire terrier - the same thing as a Pit Bull. The term Pit Bull is slang for APBT - american Pit bull Terrier. The APBT is recognised by the AKC. The AKC also recognises the american bull dog - as a hybrid of an english bull dog and a Pit Bull.
Don't get me wrong - these are great dogs.
Try visiting the PBRC.Net website to check out adoptable Pit Bulls. Better to adopt that buy from a backyard breeder.
Wait until your lease is up - or ask your landlord if a Boxer would be OK - boxers are great dogs too - also a bully breed - and share the look and attitude (silly and sweet) of a Pit.
Good Luck!

Answer 8

We adpoted an adult dog from the local shelter. As a pup she looked like a pure Lab...well as she grew up the started taking on some "pit-like" features. We were worried at first because of everything you hear about pit's. But she has turned out to be an awesome dog! She can be VERY hyper (she's only about 8 months old), we walk her at least 4 miles a day to keep her calm. We also had a German Shepard/Golden Retreiver mix that was a great dog. She had the colorings & fur of a Shepard but the body of a Golden. German Shorthair Pointers are great big dogs too : )

Answer 9

sounds like you want a large dog the best types are golden retrievers and labrador retrievers they are very gently love people but are protective. they won't let intruders in. the type you are talking about can be a big problem and that isnt' good. if you are gettingolder dog in SPCA then those are best most likely they are also house trained and make good pets and need a home. also border collie can be good also. but why big dogs? there are so many smaller breeds that could be ok such as a chihuahua older one could be just great for you and great to save from dying in a kennel. there are all sorts of smaller dogs they are all fixed and ready to go. there is also nice breeds that you dont' have to worry about some dogs those breeds you mentioned above are restricted in some states and considered scary and wont allow them or you can't buy house insurance in some states.

Answer 10

I once had an elderly lady for a friend. She had a wonderful little dog. A mix of some sort. She had the dog trained well and it behaved very well. Learn here https://tr.im/liHoN

She kept an uncovered candy dish on her coffee table with candy in it. The dog was forbidden to eat the candy. When she was in the room observing the dog he did not even appear to notice the candy. One day while she was in her dinning room she happened to look in a mirror and could see her dog in the living room. He did not know he was being watched. For several minutes he was sitting in front of the candy bowl staring at the candy. Finally he reached in and took one. He placed it on the table and stared at it, he woofed at it. He stared some more, licked his chops and PUT IT BACK in the bowl and walked away. Did he want the candy, oh yeah. Did he eat it? Nope. They can be trained that well but most, I'll admit, are not trained that well. When I was a young boy, maybe 5 years old. We had a german shepherd. He was very well trained also. My mom could leave food unattended on the table, no problem. She would open the oven door and set a pan roast beef or roast chicken on the door to cool. No problem. He would not touch it, watched or not. But butter? Whole other story. You leave a stick of butter anywhere he could reach and it was gone. He was a large shepherd so there were not many places he could not reach. Really, I think the number of dogs trained to the point they will leave food alone when not being supervised is very small indeed.
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Now if we are talking obedience training, not food grubbing, that is a different story. Way back when I was first learning obedience training one of the final exercises was to put our dogs in a down/stay and not only leave the room but leave the building for 15 minutes. The only person that stayed was our trainer, not the owners. Most of the dogs in my class did not break their stay, which would be an automatic fail. I'm happy to report my dog was one of the ones that passed.

Answer 11

I'm actually replying to Pamela D who wrote that "pit bulls are the worst dogs to have". This is incorrect - there are NO bad dogs, only bad owners.

Pit bulls can be loving and joyous dogs. They can be friendly and a pleasure to be around IF trained properly. Bad owners use these dogs for dog fights. Some abuse the dogs to make for good watch dogs. And as such, these poor animals have a reputation for being horrible dogs. They can be if not trained or treated properly. But this is true even for the smallest of dogs.

Still, given the current stigma associated with these animals, I suggest you look into other breeds. If you are willing to consider medium to large breeds, look into Dalmatians or Golden Retrievers. Both can be loving and loyal. Dals are very protective of the house and very loyal. Goldens bond very tightly to their owners and are very loving. With one of these breeds, you get a more accepted pet, while still having the love and/or protection you desire.

Good luck!