City Dogs – How to Choose Your Puppy or Dog If You Live in the City
Are you longing to have a dog, but you live in an apartment or your home is small?
And do you also live in a town or city, and think that you can’t have a dog because you don’t have a yard or garden for them to get out and play?
These are real concerns, if you want to have a dog and be sure that he is healthy and happy. It’s very hard to have a big dog in a small space. They need to get outside and run, or at least get a long walk, every day.
The answer could be getting a smaller breed dog. But not all small dogs like living in small places. Here are breeds of good city dogs that are ideal for living in small homes and apartments.
Some dog breeds, including ones that are big, medium-sized and small, can be very stressed when they live in small spaces, there are a lot of city noises and crowds of strangers, including a lot of dogs they don’t know.
City dogs need to be comfortable with all these things: traffic noise, sirens, trucks and busses, busy sidewalks, lots of other dogs at the dog park and lots of strange smells.
Dogs Don’t Like to Be Left Alone a Lot
Another problem for many city dogs is that their owners are away from home for longer. People who live in cities may need more time to travel to and from their jobs or school.
There are also lots of things people enjoy doing in cities, like going out to movies or plays or restaurants. Dogs left home alone a lot can become very anxious.
Dogs are a type of pet that want to spend lots of time with their people. They need time every day to be with you and they need at least one good walk every day.
If you don’t have much time – or any time – for your pet, you might want a city cat. They can happily live indoors their whole lives. They don’t need other cat friends. And they don’t mind being on their own most of the time.
Something else you should know about having a good apartment dog is that you must go to puppy school or dog behaviour school together. This is so your pet can learn good manners, like not barking all the time when you’re not home.
Or peeing on the carpet. Or grabbing your food out of your hand or off your plate.
Here are some small breeds of dogs that seem to enjoy living the city life with their owners.
Chihuahuas are a small breed. They tend to be happy and relaxed dogs, but they do become very attached to one owner, and like most small breeds, can be aggressive to other family members and guests who visit. You can prevent this problem, or solve it by taking your dog to puppy school.
Chihuahuas are intelligent dogs that are easy to train.
Dachshunds can be very small, miniature or standard in size. They can have smooth hair or long hair. Their coats can be black-and-tan, red or brindle. But all of them are playful and fun. They are hounds, so they wander away if they get off their leash.
They also eat everything, so you must be careful about their food.
Dachshunds can easily get to be fat, which might seem funny but is very sad. A fat dog will not have as much energy, will be in pain, develop illnesses and won’t live as long as if she is a healthy weight.
French Bulldogs have a name that sounds like they are ferocious. But they are easy-going and very affectionate. They like to get along with everyone, including people and other dogs.
Pugs are another apartment-sized dog you might enjoy having in your small city home. Like French Bulldogs, their flat faces and very short noses mean that on hot days they can have difficulty breathing. They need to be in air-conditioning in hot weather.