Hi all Want to get some ideas for those who live in strata apartments and keep dogs - what breed(s) ? - siZe of your apartment ? (Sq meters, how many bedrooms , balcony size etc) - how many hours home alone a week and how does it cope ? - how many hours walking / exercise a day since it has no yard? - how did you get approval from strata? Did you not get approval and just not told them? Thanks
I've defiantly heard that one before, esp grey hounds and whippets which you wouldn't think being racing dogs.
We have a Maltese cross (see avatar!), 95 sqm, 2 bedrooms. He doesn't like going out on the balcony unless we are out there with him. He gets a quick walk in the morning before work, to relieve himself. Another longer walk after work (at least half an hour, more if the weather is nice) and then another quick walk before bed, again to relieve himself. He is alone during regular work hours, 9-5 kinda thing / 5 days per week, and doesn't mind it. He'll spend the day either sleep on the couch or in his doggy cubby house, until we get home. Didn't need approval, small dogs and other pets are allowed according to the by-laws.
Whatever you get, make sure you respect everyone living around you and don't get something that yaps or barks all day. Really easy way to piss off the neighbours.
I can recommend a pug for many reasons, one main one is they wuff if they really could be bothered rather than yap on all day like most white fluffy shoe brushes. Mostly then can't be bothered and sleep until you return. Then lookout!
thoguht I replied but my post didnt save.. Just wanted to ask what sort of complex do you live in? Im guessing its one of the new style strata blocks ? Old blocks like mine its a bitch to get approval for pets. Many townhouses we've been looking to buy are "pet-free" or antipet bullshit..
We went through this process a couple of years ago... It was a bit painstaking but we got there... - what breed ? We adopted a dog from a rescue shelter - he was a foxy cross. Only quite small which was good. Other dogs in our apartment complex were also mostly small - the largest dog was a Beagle. That was the dog that made the most noise and caused the most angst amongst residents. - size of your apartment ? We were in a 1-bed apartment - although it was large for a 1 bedder. Couldn't tell you the square footage. We got a dog door installed so that he could get out on to the balcony (there was no danger of him getting in to any trouble out there). On the balcony we set up some astro turf so that when he was home by himself he could go out and do his business if needed. - how many hours home alone a week and how does it cope ? Our dog wasn't left by himself too often as my ex was studying and so there'd only be small stretches that he'd be left by himself. There was a period where she was actually out for a whole day though this was rare. In the beginning, our dog had separation anxiety so he didn't cope too well. With a bit of care and training we were able to get this to the point where he didn't howl when he was left by himself. In the end he was as happy as rain to be left - we had set up an IP camera so that we could keep an eye on him and make sure he wasn't getting up to too much mischief or causing noise. - how many hours walking / exercise a day since it has no yard? Thankfully we lived in a good spot (across the road from Sydney Park). Our guy got two walks a day - a good 30 minute walk in the morning followed by about a half-hour to an hours worth in the afternoon (depending on weather). The requirements for exercise etc obviously depends on breed, but even the smallest/least active of dogs would need daily walks when living in an apartment. - how did you get approval from strata? Did you not get approval and just not told them? Definitely tell them and get approval, if required. It's not worth the hassle of playing outside the rules. In our complex they found out that there were a few 'unregistered' dogs and they were going to take the owners/tenants to tribunal to have the dogs removed. As I said, just not worth the hassle - do it by the book. In our instance too, the rescue centre would only let us take the dog once they received a letter from our Strata stating that we were allowed to have a dog in our apartment - in other words, they didn't want the dog returned simply because we technically weren't meant to have him.
Live in a high rise, in North Sydney that allows dogs. an enterprising uni student in the building runs a business washing and $30 for daily hour walks for smaller dogs plus scheduled vet trips by appointments etc. So there are pet friendly apartments around. Ps as for big dogs, there was one really old giant as big a pony lol.
They're extremely lazy. I've had two and one hardly barked at all, the other one would bark, but only when he was with other dogs. They're used to living in racing kennels, so they don't mind small spaces and they're already toilet trained. As long as you can give them a routine of sorts, they'll generally remain happy. I used to leave mine at home alone with the TV or some music on and they never tore the place up. To answer the OP: - Greyhound - 120sqm - Home alone 6hrs+ a day, he coped well, but sometimes had someone come visit him at lunch - 40min walk daily, he liked to go for a run on the weekend but only in a fenced area as they have no road sense and can often see small animals (eg dogs, cats) that are ages away and decide they want to run after them and play - I lived in a place that allowed dogs
Timely article for you: http://www.realestate.com.au/blog/top-tips-renting-pet/?pid=ref-rent-homepage-feature-1
If you own then the body corporate can't refuse any reasonable request. I've got a Cavoodle (at least that's what I think he is) in an 80m^2 townhouse with a small courtyard. He's alone on weekdays for 6-8 hours and doesn't seem to mind. He gets a short walk most days and then a 45 minute run at the dog park 2-3 times a week. I did get approval, I went to the meeting armed with information and was ready to argue the toss but nobody cared - most of the neighbours love him and give him a pat through the gate when they're walking past.
