1. Bichon Frise or Maltese - Minimal if any shedding, friendly, low exercise needs (Bichon tends not to bark) Con: Lots of grooming
2. Chinese Crested - Low exercise needs, minimal shedding Con: Can be protective or timid (Hairless is sensitive to cold)
2. Poodle (any size) - Easy to train, minimal if any shedding, extremely friendly (toy breed has low exercise needs) Con: Lots of grooming (Standard needs lots of exercise)
3. Pug or French Bulldog- Low exercise needs, don't tend to bark a lot, friendly, laid-back Con: Health issues, especially breathing problems
4. Chihuahua, Pomeranian or Papillon - Take up little space, low exercise needs, lap dogs (Pomeranian and Papillon are easy to train) Con: Very yappy
5. Shih-Tzu or Lhasa Apso - Low exercise needs, minimal shedding Con: Hard to train
6. Mastiff or Great Dane- Laid back, calm, friendly, minimal grooming, don't tend to bark Con: Big, need a couple walks a day, prone to health issues
7. Greyhound or Italian Greyhound - Calm, don't tend to bark, minimal grooming Con: Needs walks everyday with a leash, or they could take off chasing something (Italians tend to be timid)
8. Basset Hound - Minimal grooming, low exercise needs, laid back, calm Con: Stubborn and can be howlers
9. English Bulldog - Minimal grooming, laid back, calm, don't tend to bark Con: Very stubborn, prone to health issues
10. English Toy Spaniel or Cavalier King Charles Spaniel - Don't tend to bark, low exercise needs, calm Con: Lots of grooming and shedding
I didn't put these in any particular order. I lived in an apartment with dogs so these are pros that I considered were helpful for what to look for; a calm, quiet, friendly dog that doesn't shed much or need a lot of exercise. Calm to not be annoying in a small space. Quiet to not annoy the neighbors. Friendly, so as not to get in trouble with neighbors when going outside. Low shedding so as not to have to clean so much in a small space. Low exercise, well obviously have no yard. I had a Papillon and a Cocker Spaniel in the apartment I lived in. I wouldn't recommend Cockers because they tend to pee out of excitement and have separation anxiety that translates into crying.
EDIT: I just looked at the other answers, two dogs that were mentioned that I don't recommend are Dachshund and Yorkshire Terriers. Dachshunds can be yappy and can have fear aggression if not properly socialized. They're stubborn and hard to train. They also need a lot of exercise because they're prone to many problems if they get overweight. Yorkies are very very hard to potty train and need to go out often and they're yappy. I automatically ruled out any dogs that were prone to make potty messes.
A lot of small dog breeds can do well in apartment living, though be sure to thoroughly research each breed and take into consideration the breeds traits. For example if you live in an apartment building with other tenants I would refrain from breeds like the Beagle and the Basset Hound, they are howlers . I would steer clear of extremely active small dog breeds like the JRT and the Papilion unless you are able to give that dog its recommended exercise requirements.
Though with all apartment dogs, as long as you can give the dog daily exercise for at least an hour every day ( lengthen the walk time if need be depending on breed) then they can and will do fine.
Giant breed dogs are excellent apartment dogs. They are low energy, so their favorite sport is lying around like a rug. Look up Mastiffs, Great Pyrenees, Saint Bernards, etc. Try local rescue groups like Big Dogs Huge Paws where you not only have the opportunity to rescue a great dog - but they post informative articles on dogs with their temperaments showing they are great for apartments and small spaces.
A well-trained dog makes everyone happy, including his owner. Take a little time training him, and you'll never regret it; you'll always have an obedient dog by your side. Go here http://onlinedogtraining.enle.info/?718s
For the potty training: Try taking her out every hour on the hour and don't bring her back inside until she potties! And as soon as she finishes pottying give her a tasty snack and reward and praise her. The best way to potty train is to prevent accidents, so if you can, get some pet scent remover and clean your house from top to bottom. Wal-Mart has some stuff called "OUT! Natural" and it works very well. It smells like lemons and herbs and it also removes stains. Then, if you can, get pee-pee pads. LOTS of them. Line your entire floor with them if you have to securing the seams with scotch tape. Only replace the ones she potties on daily. Leave the rest. After while you can start removing them one at a time until there are only a few left. It sounds complicated but it works. Most people use this trick for small rooms like a bath room or bedroom they have to leave the dog in when they go somewhere. Sooner or later she'll get down to just pottying on one pad, and then you slowly move it a few inches towards your door every day. Then move it outside. You should never punish a puppy for pottying in the house, only prevent it, and reward them for going in the proper place. And don't clean up the mess when they're watching. It's like a mind game for them.
For the chewing: Get her rawhide toys, bones, Greenies, rope toys, balls, squeaky toys and anything else you find at the store that's made for dogs and she might enjoy. Give her 2 or 3 a day, and rotate them so she only has the same ones for a day or two and she won't get bored with them. I understand you're against physical punishment, but really you should try using a loud newspaper or paper towel roll (that's empty of course), or an envelope with the plastic window thing in it. Just something that makes a lot of noise but doesn't cause pain. I found the envelope works best. Keep a very good eye on her at all times, and when you see he headed for something she shouldn't have tell her NO! If you can stop her before she gets to it that really speeds up the training. If not it's okay, just tell her no, and if she doesn't respond, tell her a second time and follow up with the paper.
For the crate training: It's best to work on this when you leave the house and no one is around. Doing it at night keeps everyone up and it's just annoying. Put her in the crate, and cover it with an old blanket so she can't see you leaving. When you leave it doesn't matter how much she cries, she'll take the hint that crying won't get her her way. And whatever you do, never ever ever let her out of the crate while she's crying. This enforces the behavior and you'll never get her trained to sit there without crying. If you can't get her to quiet right before you take her out, make a loud noise like clapping your hands and as soon as she's quiet you can let her out.
I hope it all works out for you... if you need any more help feel free to e-mail me. I can look up some of the sites I got my training info for you. Oh, and Bull Dogs are very stubborn by nature, they take longer than some breeds to catch on to and respond to training.
Small dog that is nice. Small so he doesn't take up a lot of space, and nice so he doesn't bite anyone else. But remember, the smaller the dog, the smaller the bladder. When my weiner dog goes outside. He will pee everywhere. Mailbox, car, tree, large rocks, wooden poles. Everything. And he pees 50+ times before he wants to go back in.
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
1. Bichon Frise or Maltese - Minimal if any shedding, friendly, low exercise needs (Bichon tends not to bark) Con: Lots of grooming
2. Chinese Crested - Low exercise needs, minimal shedding Con: Can be protective or timid (Hairless is sensitive to cold)
2. Poodle (any size) - Easy to train, minimal if any shedding, extremely friendly (toy breed has low exercise needs) Con: Lots of grooming (Standard needs lots of exercise)
3. Pug or French Bulldog- Low exercise needs, don't tend to bark a lot, friendly, laid-back Con: Health issues, especially breathing problems
4. Chihuahua, Pomeranian or Papillon - Take up little space, low exercise needs, lap dogs (Pomeranian and Papillon are easy to train) Con: Very yappy
5. Shih-Tzu or Lhasa Apso - Low exercise needs, minimal shedding Con: Hard to train
6. Mastiff or Great Dane- Laid back, calm, friendly, minimal grooming, don't tend to bark Con: Big, need a couple walks a day, prone to health issues
7. Greyhound or Italian Greyhound - Calm, don't tend to bark, minimal grooming Con: Needs walks everyday with a leash, or they could take off chasing something (Italians tend to be timid)
8. Basset Hound - Minimal grooming, low exercise needs, laid back, calm Con: Stubborn and can be howlers
9. English Bulldog - Minimal grooming, laid back, calm, don't tend to bark Con: Very stubborn, prone to health issues
10. English Toy Spaniel or Cavalier King Charles Spaniel - Don't tend to bark, low exercise needs, calm Con: Lots of grooming and shedding
I didn't put these in any particular order. I lived in an apartment with dogs so these are pros that I considered were helpful for what to look for; a calm, quiet, friendly dog that doesn't shed much or need a lot of exercise. Calm to not be annoying in a small space. Quiet to not annoy the neighbors. Friendly, so as not to get in trouble with neighbors when going outside. Low shedding so as not to have to clean so much in a small space. Low exercise, well obviously have no yard. I had a Papillon and a Cocker Spaniel in the apartment I lived in. I wouldn't recommend Cockers because they tend to pee out of excitement and have separation anxiety that translates into crying.
EDIT: I just looked at the other answers, two dogs that were mentioned that I don't recommend are Dachshund and Yorkshire Terriers. Dachshunds can be yappy and can have fear aggression if not properly socialized. They're stubborn and hard to train. They also need a lot of exercise because they're prone to many problems if they get overweight. Yorkies are very very hard to potty train and need to go out often and they're yappy. I automatically ruled out any dogs that were prone to make potty messes.
Bichon Frise
Chihuahua
Pug
Poodle (Miniature and Toy)
English Bulldog
Dachshund
Lhasa Apso
Shih-Tzu
Yorkshire Terrier
Italian Greyhound
A lot of small dog breeds can do well in apartment living, though be sure to thoroughly research each breed and take into consideration the breeds traits. For example if you live in an apartment building with other tenants I would refrain from breeds like the Beagle and the Basset Hound, they are howlers . I would steer clear of extremely active small dog breeds like the JRT and the Papilion unless you are able to give that dog its recommended exercise requirements.
Though with all apartment dogs, as long as you can give the dog daily exercise for at least an hour every day ( lengthen the walk time if need be depending on breed) then they can and will do fine.
Pug
Bulldog
Dachshund
Bichon Frise
Chihuahua
PoodleLhasa Apso
Yorkshire Terrier
Shih Tzu
Italian Greyhound
Giant breed dogs are excellent apartment dogs. They are low energy, so their favorite sport is lying around like a rug. Look up Mastiffs, Great Pyrenees, Saint Bernards, etc. Try local rescue groups like Big Dogs Huge Paws where you not only have the opportunity to rescue a great dog - but they post informative articles on dogs with their temperaments showing they are great for apartments and small spaces.
A well-trained dog makes everyone happy, including his owner. Take a little time training him, and you'll never regret it; you'll always have an obedient dog by your side. Go here http://onlinedogtraining.enle.info/?718s
For the potty training: Try taking her out every hour on the hour and don't bring her back inside until she potties! And as soon as she finishes pottying give her a tasty snack and reward and praise her. The best way to potty train is to prevent accidents, so if you can, get some pet scent remover and clean your house from top to bottom. Wal-Mart has some stuff called "OUT! Natural" and it works very well. It smells like lemons and herbs and it also removes stains. Then, if you can, get pee-pee pads. LOTS of them. Line your entire floor with them if you have to securing the seams with scotch tape. Only replace the ones she potties on daily. Leave the rest. After while you can start removing them one at a time until there are only a few left. It sounds complicated but it works. Most people use this trick for small rooms like a bath room or bedroom they have to leave the dog in when they go somewhere. Sooner or later she'll get down to just pottying on one pad, and then you slowly move it a few inches towards your door every day. Then move it outside. You should never punish a puppy for pottying in the house, only prevent it, and reward them for going in the proper place. And don't clean up the mess when they're watching. It's like a mind game for them.
For the chewing: Get her rawhide toys, bones, Greenies, rope toys, balls, squeaky toys and anything else you find at the store that's made for dogs and she might enjoy. Give her 2 or 3 a day, and rotate them so she only has the same ones for a day or two and she won't get bored with them. I understand you're against physical punishment, but really you should try using a loud newspaper or paper towel roll (that's empty of course), or an envelope with the plastic window thing in it. Just something that makes a lot of noise but doesn't cause pain. I found the envelope works best. Keep a very good eye on her at all times, and when you see he headed for something she shouldn't have tell her NO! If you can stop her before she gets to it that really speeds up the training. If not it's okay, just tell her no, and if she doesn't respond, tell her a second time and follow up with the paper.
For the crate training: It's best to work on this when you leave the house and no one is around. Doing it at night keeps everyone up and it's just annoying. Put her in the crate, and cover it with an old blanket so she can't see you leaving. When you leave it doesn't matter how much she cries, she'll take the hint that crying won't get her her way. And whatever you do, never ever ever let her out of the crate while she's crying. This enforces the behavior and you'll never get her trained to sit there without crying. If you can't get her to quiet right before you take her out, make a loud noise like clapping your hands and as soon as she's quiet you can let her out.
I hope it all works out for you... if you need any more help feel free to e-mail me. I can look up some of the sites I got my training info for you. Oh, and Bull Dogs are very stubborn by nature, they take longer than some breeds to catch on to and respond to training.
Small dog that is nice. Small so he doesn't take up a lot of space, and nice so he doesn't bite anyone else. But remember, the smaller the dog, the smaller the bladder. When my weiner dog goes outside. He will pee everywhere. Mailbox, car, tree, large rocks, wooden poles. Everything. And he pees 50+ times before he wants to go back in.
I have two Shih Tzus. They would be great for an apartment.
Stuffed ones are the best for apartments.