Keeping pets that are active and noisy like dogs in a compartmentalized building apartment or condominium is tricky business. Unlike living in single detached house where you can just let your dog go out to the back yard to play or poop, condos and apartment buildings have rules to follow. To be able to share the high rise spaces with your neighbors, here are some tips to ensure your dog doesn’t bother anyone.
1) Always carry plastic bags with you when you take your dog outside
Normally, dogs will poop first thing in the morning so it’s necessary to bring a bag so you can clean up your dog’s waste to avoid unwanted reprimands from your neighbors or police.
2) Keep dogs leashed
Dogs can only comprehend up to so many things you tell them to do and remaining in one place when they’re not leashed is definitely NOT one of them. So be sure to always keep them on a leash.
3) Use a short leash to help you to restrain your dog
Allowing your dog to jump on people is unsafe so keeping your dog under control is vital. If the leash is too long, you may not be able to restrain him when he sees a familiar person, smells food or decides to chase a bird or squirrel.
4) Do not allow your dog to approach people or let strangers pet him without permission
Strangers may approach your dog and ask to pet him/her. When that happens, your dog might bark or bite out of fear. Even though most dogs won’t harm a stranger, play it safe and tell strangers how to approach your dog before they pet him/her. Also, make your dog sit while people pet him/her.
5) Train your dog to refrain from jumping on people
Enroll yourself and your dog in a training school in order to learn how to control them. Dogs that jump on people will cause trouble and give you problems.
6) Teach your dog not to bark or growl in your condo’s shared spaces
When dogs bark, the decibel levels can be very unbearable and the sound can amplify in shared spaces. So train him/her not to bark in these areas, or train them to calm down and cease from barking in case they were surprised by something that caused them to stress out.
7) Maintain control in any given situation
If you meet a neighbor in the hallway of your apartment who has a dog with them also, grab the leash with your other hand and pull him/her closer to you. If both dogs are male, then they have a tendency to fight due to territorial issues, or if you have a bigger dog and your neighbor has a smaller dog, your dog may want to intimidate the other dog even for no reason.
8) Avoid making contact with another dog
Not all dogs socialize like humans do and since they also have some predatory instincts; they tend to become territorial, especially with new dogs that they’ve never met before. So it may be best to not introduce your dog to another dog lest you want to see them bite each other’s head off.
9) Always stand toward the back when your ride the elevator with your dog
Teach your dog to sit next to you every time you ride the elevator. Make him also keep his eyes on you the whole time until you get off and train him to only exit the elevator when you tell him to.
10) Train your dog to poop indoors
Train your dog to poop in a specified location in the apartment at scheduled times of the day (preferably in the morning) and be consistent about it. Mark the spots where you tell him/her to poop and make sure that it is either in the toilet, in the litter box, or near the kitchen where there isn’t any carpet. Praise your dog each time he does a good job and give him treats.
Do you work long hours and need someone to take your dog for a walk? TAILored Pet Services is here to help! Our professional dog walkers will keep your dog active and take him out for a walk. To learn more about our services, visit our dog walking page or call us at 425-923-7791.
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