# Is it cruel to keep a dog in a flat?



## Set_Nights (Sep 13, 2010)

Assuming that someone is in most of the time and it gets regular walks OR is put into dog day care so that it is only really spending evenings and nights there?


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## Nicky10 (Jan 11, 2010)

No as long as the dog has plenty of outside exercise and games to keep it busy I don't see it as a problem even for something like a collie.


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## SuperSimoholic (Sep 16, 2010)

Unless it's kept in all day then it shouldn't matter how big your house/flat is or weather or not you have a garden.


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## Nanuk2009 (Sep 8, 2010)

Nooks is a flat and he's happy, he gets plenty of walks and at least 2 hours in the off lead dog park in the evenings to socialise and thats daily. But thats not to say he wouldn't mind if I had a garden lol If the dog is kept in a flat with someone who's dedicated to them, Then IMHO no its not cruel. It drives me insane when you get rescue centres that won't rehome a dog to someone in a flat because they don't have a garden, cause then perfectly healthy dogs get put down, because of a bias which omits ideal owners that could give loving forever homes to these dogs.


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## Acacia86 (Dec 30, 2008)

I am undecided on high level flats but ground floor flats i see no problem with! Some houses are smaller internally than some flats! I once years ago lived in my (beloved!) flat and it had huge rooms i think the lounge was about 16ft long by 13 or 14ft wide!! Which is big for a flats lounge over here. Yet my house is a fair bit smaller in the lounge.

P.S The reason i say that i am undecided with higher level flats is because going up and down countless stairs so many times a day is not good for some breeds/individual dogs bones and joints etc.


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## Nicky10 (Jan 11, 2010)

If the flats have a lift then that wouldn't be a problem


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## Starlite (Sep 9, 2009)

Nope I lived in a flat for 6mths with 2 chihuahuas and a malamute, but i spent more time out than in admittedly


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## Acacia86 (Dec 30, 2008)

Nicky10 said:


> If the flats have a lift then that wouldn't be a problem


It would if the lift stopped working and you had to try and carry a 7/8 month Ridgie up and down each time  !! You would need to be a coming up body builder to do that!!

Just thinking this from my point of view! Always easy enough as puppies or if you don't think about it! :lol:


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## happy dog days (Sep 23, 2010)

Not at All!
Keeping your dog stimulated, in good health and well exercised is all you have to do.


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## Bellasmaid (Aug 18, 2010)

Not in the slightest. I had a ground floor flat before I moved to my current house and I had 3 GSD's there.


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## tinaK (Jun 12, 2010)

I live in a flat and Clover is just fine.. but it's me who wants a garden


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## ArwenLune (Jan 3, 2010)

I really like this article - it's BC specific but I think a lot of it goes for any dog in a flat. Attention and dedication is more important than having a garden.

That'll Do Border Collie Rescue


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## ClaireandDaisy (Jul 4, 2010)

No it`s not cruel. My dogs only use the garden as a toilet - or occasionally to go and shout at cats . The only problem comes when the owner is out for long periods, but that is a problem with a house too.


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## Sophiex (Jul 27, 2008)

No, although obviously, there will always be some exception to the rule. I'd imagine it would be quite hard work with a dog in a flat, especially when toilet training a pup but each to their own.


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## holly1 (Aug 10, 2010)

I previously lived in a house,but the relationship broke down,so I had to find somewhere to live,that I could afford on my own. It was a 'no pets allowed' all over my town.
I wrote to the local paper,front page news,and my landlord let me keep him.I took him to work,as I worked in an old peoples home, and the gardener let him follow him around.He loved it!
If I couldnt have kept him,I would have had to give him away.Sorry,but I wouldnt do that to him.A dog is for life.
Here we are a few years ago,it was.


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## Nanuk2009 (Sep 8, 2010)

I like that article. I think that sums up that there misconception of dog owning in anything other than a house with a big garden is a bad thing. There are people that think as they have a big garden that its all the dog needs and don't bother walking it. Theres going to be people out there that would think I'm cruel for having Nooks in a flat regardless of the miles of walking he has in the mornings and the good two hours or more of off lead time in the dog park in the evenings


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## sid&kira (Oct 15, 2009)

I dont think its cruel as long as the dog has exercise 

Kira only goes out in the garden to toilet, the rest of the time we're home she sleeps :lol:

I know Nanuk and he is a well looked after, well exercised dog, and a very happy one, I would never judge someone's ownership skills based on their living arrangements :thumbup:


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## ArwenLune (Jan 3, 2010)

I wish I could make my parents understand it though - my upstairs neighbours have two dogs and don't take very good care of them, and my parents see them as an example of why dogs don't belong in flats. While I'm pretty sure that if those people had a garden, the dogs would be no better off. It's an owner problem, not a flat-or-house problem.


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## nfp20 (Jun 29, 2010)

A dog is a pretty versatile animal all they really need is you, food, water and somewhere comfy to sleep when it comes to living space. Two of mine lived on Sussex Uni campus with me for nearly 3 years in a family flat which was no bigger than a postage stamp and with all my things from the house I had moved from there was a huge lack of space. 

Like others have said I rarely spent any time there beyond eating and sleeping and both dogs curled up, I did have crates up for them on top of a half a double bed that had draws in it to make the most of the space available and above them lived the birds I had to breed and monitor for my course along with any seagulls and pigeons the children brought me that had falled out of the trees and needed a bit of tlc for a week or so. I think at one point I actually had about a foot of space as a corridor it really is surprising how little space a person actually needs.:thumbup:

Add to that travelling around on our jollies they are happy to sleep in the back of the car, tent, caravan, b&b, pretty much anywhere so long as they have you.

The problems occur when you dont walk them regularly and if they are barking which can cause a nuisance to your neighbours but a well exercised and settled dog won't do that.

I would much rather in some respects give a dog to a person in a flat with a small patio garden than an estate because it is far too easy for people to just let the dog out the door, do no training and assume that running around the grounds is good training and socialising for a dog. It makes you lazy.


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## Lady3131 (Nov 26, 2009)

My Pom lives in our one bed flat in central London and she probably gets more exercise than most dogs I know who live out in the country! 

She has our undivided attention, goes to three training classes a week and gets at least two outings a day. We also love to walk everywhere so she's often nice and sleepy by the evenings. 

I did wonder about whether it was fair or not for a dog in our flat and plan to get a place with a garden as soon as my finances allow for it, but I have to admit she seems very content. 

I think if you are dedicated enough and your job allows you to be flexible then there's no reason why not. My fear however is that many flat owners don't think about the dogs needs before getting one and this leads to noisy and sad dogs :frown:


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## Nanuk2009 (Sep 8, 2010)

I was at a village fair a couple of months ago and met a guy who worked for a rescue centre and we had a nice little discussion on the subject and although in general principal he's against dogs being in flats because of a few that wouldn't look after them properly. He agreed that it shouldn't be generalised but taken on the merits of the individual persons applying to rehome. I said it in an earlier post, but there are too many dogs that get put down for want of a good home that are being disregarded because of misconceptions that homing in a flat is cruel and that they need a garden to run around in. If someone is serious about a dog they will make time to walk and engage their pets regardless of where they live.


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## cutekiaro1 (Dec 15, 2009)

its not at all cruel if the dog suits your circumstances. We rescued a little dog from the streets and we were in a first floor flat. Mum was never at home, im not joking when I say she took him out every hour of the day, walked him round the streets no end and he even had a following of drunks who used to feed and care for him when he was on the streets. They used to look after him while mum popped to the shops.

He loved being in a flat, when we moved to the house he didnt really like going in the garden and still preferred his walks to do his business :thumbup:

here he is looking sad that he was in a flat :lol:


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## Burrowzig (Feb 18, 2009)

What dog? What flat?

You can't make geralisations about this. It's down to the individual dog, owner, flat and location. I think it's cruel to keep a cat in a flat (Cat in a Flat, there's a new one for Dr Seuess)!


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## PinkEars (Jun 4, 2010)

Lola and I were in a 1 bed flat for ages and its not cruel as long as they have company and go for enough walks and toilets that the dog needs. I am now in a house with a garden but she isnt aloud upstairs because we have cats so she has the same amount of space really. The garden she likes but rarely goes to the toilet in it as she has got used to toileting on walks and we live 30 seconds away from fields... I personally think it depends on the dog, the owner and not really the building itself as long as its clean and safe.


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## Braighe (Jul 2, 2010)

If the dog gets plenty excercise there is no problems. They are very adaptable and its just what they are used to.

We live in a house, with a large garden that Braighe goes in and out of all day. My daughter lives in a 3rd floor flat, and when we go to visit her he just doesn't seem to get it. Its not that he wants out, but he seems to think he is upstairs and wants to go back down again:confused1:

He is perfectly happy in the flat, just a bit confused


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## pon (Sep 14, 2010)

not at all ... as long as your dog is getting plenty of love, good food and regular exercise appropriate to the breed then i really don't think it matters if it's a flat, maisonette, house or mansion.


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## newfiesmum (Apr 21, 2010)

I know someone who keeps two german shepherds in a flat. He is retired and spends a lot of time walking them! But they seem to be happy enough. I wouldn't want to housetrain a dog without a back door with garden to get them out quickly, myself.


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## Cleo38 (Jan 22, 2010)

I live in a flat & have Toby (GSD/Lab). The rescue centre weren't put off by this at all as Toby had previously lived in a flat so it's not as if he was coming froma place with acres of land.

The only problem I would say so far was the stairs (he recently had a stiff shoulder which was causing him abit of pain). We only live on the second floor (converted dairy) but I was concerned that this would impact his shoulder but my OH quickly remedied this & constructed a non slip ramp that Toby could walk on! 

We are moving to a house (hopefully next couple of weeks!) so circumstances will change. I wouldn;t continue living in a flat that wasn't on the ground floor with a large dog who was old mainly due to toilet issues but maybe some people can make this work.

I did get fed up of comments at first, mainly from my OH's sister who seems to think that letting her JRT out int he garden (the size of a postage stamp) constitutes a walk! 

I think as long as you consider the needs of the dog you can make things work, it's just a question of putting a bit of effort in, getting the right dog & planning for any problems you may have.


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## Colette (Jan 2, 2010)

Personally I think the anti-flat thing is downright ridiculous. Do people really think dogs place value judgements on certain types of home the way people do? Flat bad, terrace ok, detached rural good????

Seriously, a dog in a normal kennel and run combo (wether in its own home or at a rescue / boarding kennels) would have far less space and home comforts. And all those dogs who are left shut in one small room or worse a crate for an entire working day every day? 

I've personally known plenty of people with huge spacious homes and large gardens, whose dogs were confined to a few limited areas only - yet I've also known large active breeds (a GSP for example) live great lives in 2 bed flats.

I think it totally depends on the dog and the owner and the flat in question. Some dogs do need a bit more space, either physically because of size or because of thir indoor activity levels. Others really only use their indoor space for sleeping, cuddles etc so makes no difference how big it is.
Obviously a ground floor flat with a garden is going to be more practical than the top of a high rise, but lack of garden should certainly not be a serious problem. Consider how many dogs don't get walked at all - I think its about 1 in 4 if I remember rightly  A lot of people assume that so long as the dog gets to potter around and pee in the yard then it doesn't need much else - at least dogs in flats get taken OUT a few times every day.

Don't get me wrong - there are the idiots and chavs who buy a status dog of some sort (rottie, staff / pit type / husky etc) and keep it in a tiny high rise flat, leave it alone all day and fail to exercise it. But to me - the bigger issue is getting the wrong dog for the circumstances, not providing the dog with the company, mental stimulation and exercise it needs and NOT the fact the home is a flat rather than a house that is the problem.

I am a firm believer that any sort of home can be a great home for the right dog / owner combo - inc flats, working homes, other pets, kids, first time owners, etc.


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## Maiisiku (Feb 20, 2009)

No I think it's fine. I don't think I'd be too keen on the top of a highrise, but 3 floors up would be ok I think (for me personally) I'd be worried Yuri would get HD going up and down stairs. But I would make it work if I had to as he's for life. When we move to the US we might have to live in an apartment but we are hoping to find a house rather than an apartment. But if we do have to spend some time in flats I'm sure he'll be fine as long as he gets his walkies and his wee wee breaks.


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## Guest (Sep 23, 2010)

In a nutshell! NO


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## cav (May 23, 2008)

As long as the dog gets plenty of walks i dont see a problem


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## dogandbone (Apr 21, 2010)

I lived in a second floor maisonette when I had my first dog (and soon afterwards got a second dog) and moved to a one bed flat some years later - the dogs were perfectly happy in both! I even lived in a caravan for 3 weeks once!


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## Happy Paws2 (Sep 13, 2008)

No, we had our first Briard when we was in a flat, we moved to our bungalow when she 12 months old.


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## the melster (Mar 20, 2010)

Bo is a very active dog and she lives in a first floor apartment and always has done. She does agility and obedience 2 nights a week. She spends the mornings at home with me and the afternoon at work with hubbie. She has plenty of room and goes downstairs to the grass whenever she wants.

I personally don't think the size or position of your property is important at all its what you have to offer the dog.


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