I want a medium to larger sized apartment dog but...?

Question

I want an apartment dog, but my circumstances and demands are admittedly difficult:

-I have a 9 to 6 job

-I have no experience owning a dog (even though I absolutely love them and go out of my way to walk and care for my friend's dogs)

-I'm a bit of fascist when it comes to dogs, meaning I would like a pure bred. maybe I need to be more flexible here...

-additionally, I'm not fond of toy dogs. again, maybe some flexibility here is needed.

-I particularly love demanding breeds (beagles, Shetland sheepdogs, whippets, greyhounds, basset hounds). All these dogs are social, which I love. but could they withstand an empty apartment for 9 hours.

Although I will be gone for 9 hours, I'm bored out of mind when I get back. I would def. channel all my energy towards the dog when i'm not at work.

so could i make it work with any of those breeds listed above. would it be inhumane.

thanks for any replies.

Answer 1

What do you mean by 'demanding' breeds? As a full time worker you're going to want an adult dog that already has experience beign alone during the day and also ideally find a pet walker who can walk your dog mid day if you cannot.

As a sheltie owner i can tell you that you'd need to spend about 2 hrs exercising your dog at night if you work all day. Shelties are very high energy and i recommend an activity that works their mind and body like agility or flyball or herding. Keep in mind that greyhounds are actually couch potatoes. They run fast over short distances but are not known for their endurance and prefer to spend their time lounging.

The fact is that most of us must work and our dogs must spend time alone waiting for us. it is not inhumane to do this but make sure that you do not expect too much from the dog in waiting to go to the bathroom and make sure that you spend lots of time exercising the dog after work and on weekend.


If I were you, i would start going to AKC shows and looking at breeds, talking to breeders and finding out about the real characteristics of each breed. By finding one that is not high energy you can find a dog that could be content waiting for you to return home.

Answer 2

I currently have 2 dogs. (a Bullmastiff 4yrs and a Rotteiler 13months) We live in a house, and have a fairly large fenced in back yard. My husband and I both work full time. Weather permitting, we do leave the dogs in the yard with adequate food/water/shelter). But because we live in Mass, that is not so many days out of the year. It is a lot of work and communication between the two of us to make sure we're home to take the dogs out, and for a walk. The simple errand after work has to sometimes get put off. Also, our 13 month old Rotti is a 125lb puppy. He needs to run, jump, and play off leash. He's still a total goof troop. I guess I'm saying all of this leading to my answer I 'think' is best for you. Big dogs get big before they are out of the puppy stage, and can cause big destruction. There is a HUGE maturity difference between our 2 dogs. I could give a list of the things that were eaten, wrecked, etc from both dogs from puppy stage to about 2ish. SOOO...I would suggest adopting a dog over the age of 2. Most big dogs are of the working breeds and have lots of energy. Of coarse any dogs need exercise and whatnot, but I think you'll have a lot better luck with an older dog. Also just remember that getting any dog while renting, that if you move you have to find another place that will accept (big) dogs. Good luck!!

Answer 3

We own a beagle and honestly we prefer that breed over the others. He is a pure bred AKC certified. Its a good thing WE got him because he would have been the WORST hunting or show dog! LOL He thinks he is a human boy. Anyways beagles are a demanding breed and they prefer a lot of attention. The thing is if you are willing to give the dog a lot attention at night then they would be pretty happy! Have you thought about paying a dog walker to help split up the day? A dog can't be left alone for nine hours without needing to go outside. Not to mention if you get a puppy they go potty every two hours at first!! How does your boss feel about having pets in the office? You should ask about that also. Again beagles can get into and out of just about ANYTHING but they are my favorite breed.

Answer 4

I would suggest a Greyhound. They don't need as much exercise as you may think. I know many people who have these loving dogs and say that they most like sleeping on any piece of soft furniture. Adopt a retired one. These dogs are deserving of a loving home after their days on the racetrack.


I suggest that you hire a dog walker/ dog sitter to give it exercise while you are at work because they can become destructive if left alone for too long. Most reputable dog sitters have a reasonable price tag. Make sure that you check their reputation before putting your dog and house keys in their care.

Hope I helped and good luck with whatever dog breed you choose.

Answer 5

-I think it is possible for you to own a dog. I would NOT recommend a puppy with your current schedule (training issues), but I think you could do many breeds of dog easily, purebred or mutts.

-I don't recommend some of the dogs you have listed (the shetland, greyhound or whippet) because you cannot be there with them for a large part of the day and their exercise requirements are extremely high.

-The basset should be ok. I have a basset and she does just fine.

-Also, if you have money for a dog walker/dog sitter, you could probably get away with something more energetic (since the dog walker can take your dog out while you are at work).

-If you want something socialable (ie: dog park) I'd look into a retriever (however they have a very high exercise demand).

Here is a site with a little quiz that you can take and see all the dogs that would fit what you want (apartment, size, energy level, etc.). http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/search.htm
You can also view "apartment suitable dogs" here: http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/apartment.htm
You never know, you might find a small dog you like.
If you find a dog you like, look on http://www.petfinder.com/ to see if there are any in shelters/rescue groups near you. They do have purebred available (often), and it would be cheaper than what you would pay through a breeder. You get to save a life! They also have some hybrids (and you often can't even tell!)

Answer 6

If you are dedicated, any breed could work. There are nannys who come and let dogs out and dog walkers for people in your situation. I would recommend an adult breed, check out your local shelter and explain your situation. You probably want a more laid back dog so they don't destroy the house while your gone and can have the whole place to run around or nap in. Kenneling for that long is very cruel. Bassets are notoriously lazy dogs, and surprisingly so are greyhounds, just make sure they get excersise when you are home.

Answer 7

Here's the deal. I used to think the same thing until my friend who works in animal rescue said this: What is better, sitting in your apartment all day or sitting or sitting at a shelter?

Go to a local shelter or go to petfinder.org and you can find a trained, housebroken PURE BRED dog. This way you don't have to worry about a puppy messing up your home.

Please consider pet adoption as your way of finding your new dog. I did this and I adopted a 4 year old (I had special needs as I needed a house broken, non-chewing, cat friendly dog) afghan/border collie mix and he is the greatest dog in the world.

Please don't go to a breeder. You can get ANY PURE BRED you want at adoption.

And Doglvr is right on the money there. We would have adopted a former race greyhound but the are not always cat friendly. But everything he/she said about them is true.

Answer 8

Don't you think it would be a bit unfair on a dog to be shut in an apartment for 9 hours a day, five days a week? Dogs need a lot of attention, loving and walking, every day and not just at weekends when you'll be at home!

Answer 9

I can see your dilemma. 9 hours is a long time for a dog to be alone.

Greyhounds make amazing apartment pets. Mine can hold her bladder for up to 12 hours, as she has stubbornly proved in inclement weather. They're less prone to barking and need little in terms of exercise making them ideal for apartments. They are extremely gentle and easy to manage making them ideal for first time dog owners.

Retired racing greyhounds are accustomed to being kennelled for long periods of time. At the race track, they are often without human companionship, but always in the presence of other dogs.

Many people get a pair of greyhounds, so they will be happy while their owners are at work. Does your apartment allow mulitple pets? That just might be a workable solution for you.

Most greyhound rescues "foster" the dogs before they adopt them out, so they can assess each dog's personality. That way, you can ensure you are getting the best match for your situation.

To find a greyhound rescue in your area, just type "greyhound rescue" in your search and you'll have several to choose from.

Answer 10

I can't help but think this is a trick question.

You don't need a dog, you need a goldfish.

Dogs are outside creatures which are meant to live in packs. Nature has spent thousands of years carefully designing them to live OUTSIDE in large groups of other dogs, not inside, and alone.

I understand you are bored when you get home but I can't help but think that to get a dog in your situation would be the height of selfishness.

No dog can withstand being alone inside for nine hours a day without slowly going insane. People do that to dogs, but they fail to notice that their dogs are slowly going crazy. I am serious.

Please get a fish or something. Please.