Trafalgar's Profile

Preface: To my mind, the very worst part of dog ownership is the fact that every dog lover feels they have the right to tell the rest of the world what they SHOULD or SHOULD NOT do. Therefore a discussion like this comes along and every Sally & Sue feels she has the right to tell others where they ought to get a dog, what kind of dog they should get, what age the dog should be, etc...etc...etc....

My opinion on the good choices for apartment dwellers is as follows, but let me hasten to add that my opinion is simply that - an opinion.

In my experience the more populous a breed the more variable the temperaments of the individuals of that breed. Therefore one would need to be more vigilant in evaluating the individual if one gets a dog of a popular breed (say a Yorkie for instance).

Second - doing well in an apartment is more a result of the lifestyle of the owner - and whether they can get the dog out for enough exercise and stimulus.

Also, all dog breeds that tend to bark a lot would probably be bad bets for those with neighbors on the other side of a wall....(Shelties, Schnauzers, Dobermans and others come to mind).

Personally, I've known many different successful apartment dogs. As a child my family lived in France for a year - in an apartment and we brought our Standard Schnauzer with us. She did very well - but there was a mum and four kids to keep her amused.

In Queens, NY we had family friends with 2 Newfoundlands in an apartment.

My sister lived in an apartment in Chicago with a Chow Chow. It was a perfect fit for her (although a nasty creature to strangers).

There was an Irish Wolfhound that lived in that same building. The owners had no problems, except that that breed is so short lived that it was too old to do the stairs by the time it was 6 - so waiting for the elevator was the only option for it's walk.

I've known many a standard poodle in Manhattan and always thought they were great apartment dogs (even though, like most folks I don't like the look).

I also have a friend with a drop dead adorable Pembroke Corgi who is a perfectly sweet, sociable, healthy individual purchased (hold your breath people...) from a PET STORE- who is a great apartment pal. BTW: He is nicer than any Corgi I've met and I've met many from "reputable breeders" and many from "rescue". Go figure.

Sorry for the long post.

Good Luck!