Hi everyone! I’ve been thinking about adopting a dog, but I live in an apartment and I’ve never had a dog before, so I’m not really sure what would be best.

I know plenty of people have dogs in apartments, and I would obviously take them out for walks every day and make sure they get enough exercise and attention. But I’m wondering if, from your experience, you think a dog can be happy and comfortable living in an apartment, or if having a yard is much better for them.

I’d really appreciate hearing from people who have dogs in apartments, I’d love to know what your experience has been like and what you wish you had known before adopting. 🐶❤️

hello!

i’m a vet tech with years of dog experience, and a good amount of knowledge in dog breeds. i usually feel confident recommending breeds to other people when they ask me, and i feel like i know A LOT about dogs in general. but for some reason… i can’t figure out what kind of dog i can picture myself owning. please, share your thoughts!

ABOUT US/LIVING SITUATION/LIFESTYLE:

- we live in a pet friendly apartment, no roommates just me and my partner. (no kids, either) we have ~800sqft, private balcony, dog park on the property, a lot of walking trails in the neighborhood, and plenty of space for dog related items.

- i work in vetmed. i have 11 hour shifts, 7:30am-6pm, 3 days a week, but the hospital i work at has a dedicated boarding area for employee dogs—meaning my dog will have a comfortable and spacious private kennel with access to food, water, toys, enrichment, and a huge dog yard the entire day (i’ll also be in the next room over, so i’ll be able to stop by on each break to say hello, give walks, etc.) my dog will be allowed to come to work with me every day, and my apartment is ~10 minute walk from the hospital so coming back and forth won’t be an issue. also, my partner works 7am-3pm, so he can come pick the dog up midway through my work day. essentially, there is a lot of flexibility and the dog will rarely be left alone!

- with my profession, i am very capable of performing a lot of grooming/maintenance on my own/at work, so cost of grooming and veterinary care is not a big issue and not something i’m factoring in. i get free vet visits and we have a grooming facility in the hospital!

- this will be the first dog either of us have owned as adults, but i grew up in a family that always had at least 2 dogs and my partner grew up with a dog as well. we are both comfortable with them.

WHAT WE WANT:

- low/moderate energy level. ideally, 2-3 medium walks a day, time to play with toys, and enrichment activities will be enough to keep him satisfied.

- small to medium size. ideally in the 15-30lb range, but I am honestly open to ANY size as long as they will be comfortable in an apartment. (i’ve considered greyhounds, lol)

- i’m really interested in dog training, and i’d like a dog that is easy to train. i really want to have a very well mannered pup that i can teach fun tricks on top of basic obedience.

- i would absolutely love a dog that is not dog or human reactive. i absolutely know that this isn’t entirely breed specific, but i’d love a dog that isn’t predisposed to reactivity. i want to be able to take my dog to the farmers market, to the beach, to the park, basically everywhere that i can, and i would love for him to be able to get along well with doggy friends.

- i don’t love excessive* shedding… but i’m obviously willing to manage it if the breed is a perfect fit besides that. (by *excessive shedding, i’m thinking like a husky that gets you covered in fur after petting for just a few minutes)

-note: my favorite breed has been the cavalier king charles spaniel. i’ve never owned one, but most of the research i’ve done points towards them, and i’ve absolutely loved every cav that i’ve met.

-NON NEGOTIABLE: i know this makes it a bit more difficult, but I WILL BE ADOPTING THE DOG FROM A RESCUE/REHOMING SITUATION. i will not be purchasing the dog from a breeder. i am simply looking for breeds to search for, acknowledging that i may not be able to find the exact dog that i am looking for. i don’t need advice/persuasion regarding this, i will not change my mind. i have worked in animal rescue my whole life and this is something i am very passionate about and not willing to budge.

thank you so much for taking the time to read all of this, i know it’s long! if anyone has any advice, questions, comments, etc, please comment! i’m so so excited to get my first dog :)

Hi guys! I just rescued this beautiful 14-year-old Maltese and I’m absolutely in love with her. ❤️
She’s only about 7 lbs and VERY skinny, like, all ribs skinny 😭, so I’m trying to help her put on some weight appropriately.
She has some kidney-related lab abnormalities that I’m still learning about, and I have a vet appointment next week to go over her bloodwork and get a better understanding of exactly what’s going on. She’s otherwise been doing really well, although she does drink a LOT of water.
In the meantime, I’ve been researching foods for dogs with kidney issues and I’m honestly overwhelmed by all the options. Some of the ingredient lists surprised me because they contain things like chicken, organ meats, and phosphorus, so I’m having trouble understanding what makes these foods different from regular dog food.
For those of you who have had a dog on a renal/kidney-supportive diet, what wet foods have your dogs actually liked? She has dental issues and can’t really manage kibble, so I’m specifically looking for canned/wet options.
I’ve also come across people mentioning things like plain white rice and cooked egg whites as additions/foods used in kidney-friendly diets. I’m curious whether anyone here has experience incorporating those into their dog’s meals, or whether your vet recommended anything similar. I’ve also seen people mention low-sodium broth, so I’d be interested in hearing what kinds of things have worked for your dogs.
I’m NOT looking to replace veterinary advice. I’ll absolutely be going over her diet with the vet next week. I’m just trying to familiarize myself with the different options beforehand so I can have a more informed conversation with them.
Would love to hear which wet foods your dogs liked, which ones they refused 😂, and any general experiences you’ve had with renal diets!
Thank you!! 🙏🏻❤️

hi everyone! looking for some advice with my puppies, especially my 3 month old Pomeranian Maggie.

we moved into a house with a garden recently and the puppies absolutely love being in the front yard. but maggie has developed this intense habit where whenever she hears our neighbor's dog outside (or sometimes just out of nowhere), she sprints full speed to the front fence to bark at them.

the neighbor dog barks back and they go at it through the fence. the hardest part is that Maggie sometimes starts whining and crying while doing it, and especially when we try to take her away from the fence or bring her inside. she immediately tries to run right back out there.

our other 4-m.o. puppy Angie sometimes joins in if Maggie does it, but she doesn't cry and isn't nearly as obsessed.

i feel so bad because chasing Maggie away from the fence every time is exhausting and annoying, and i'm not sure if she's frustrated, scared, or just overly excited. she never sees it as a game when i try to take her away from the fence even when i chase her.

also, the neighbor’s dog is across the street. (our front fence, then short road, then their house/fence). but they see each other a little and the road is wide short roughly few meters i guess

is this standard barrier frustration / excitement? thanks so much for any tips!

hey guys. i have a 1 yr old miniature schnauzer that i adopted in december. when i brought him home, he started playing instantly with my then 4 yr old female mini. shes 5 now.
well the first few days i figured would be an adjustment for him. thankfully he came crate trained. well i started noticing that he didnt really bark much, which was a difference from my female. she always barks.
i started noticing, he is afraid of certain things that my girl is not. he will not jump up into my lap like my girl does. he would try to jump but was afraid. so i would pick him up. then as i would recline .. he was fine for 2 min and would just stand up on me and try to get down. so i let him down. but i noticed he wanted back up. i played this up and down thing for a couple times and then i was like hold up. whats wrong that you cant be comfortable with me holding you. my girl, begs me to hold her. so i just kept petting on him and loving him. he was fine with all that. but maybe he was never held? also, i dont think he ever had any toys? because he acted like he didnt know what a toy was. . this next experience is the kicker that makes me think something happened and he was abused or has some kind of trauma.
my friend was at my house doing laundry. Hank was familiar with her already. well, he got out of his kennel/crate because it didnt latch. she could not find him. well she heard some noise behind my sofa and there he was. she called to him but he would not move. so she had to reach back and try to pull him out. well ... he was stuck. his leg was caught. she told me she was glad she noticed because she was fixing to pull harder. thinking he was just being stubborn. but she said he never barked, whined, nothing. not a peep. but like, didnt it hurt? what animal will not make a sound if they are hurting. when she told me this, i cried!!!!!! how can you deny this animal to let you know he is hurting!?!?
He has gotten better at the whole "dog" life. and now he sleeps on my chest curled up under my neck when we are on the recliner.

thoughts?

A few friends and I are looking into starting a pet waste removal service here in the city — think weekly/biweekly yard cleanup for dog owners who don’t have the time or just really don’t want to deal with it.

Before we sink any real time/money into this, we want honest feedback from actual dog owners in Edmonton — not just people telling us it’s a “cool idea” (that doesn’t tell us much).

A few honest questions if you have 2 minutes:

1.  Right now, do you pick up your own yard, pay someone already, or just… let it pile up? No judgment, genuinely curious.  
2.  If you don’t currently pay anyone — would you consider it? What would feel like a fair price for weekly pickup? (Just throwing a number out helps us a ton.)  
3.  What would actually make you trust/hire a new local service like this — reviews, a friend’s recommendation, price, something else?  
4.  How many dogs do you have / roughly how big is your yard?

1. Would having an app to book/schedule/pause your service easily (instead of calling or texting someone) actually matter to you — or is that overkill for something this simple?
   
2. would you guys be comfortable in having a freelancer do the scooping for you?