shakalaka wants a dog

[msommers]

Great Dane - perfect apartment dog.

[GOnSHO]

As someone who adopted a Great Dane thinking they are the perfect dog for a busy person... I was soooo wrong, I was under the assumption they were lazy and barely ever moved and were perfect apartment dogs. if they are, mine is a mutant, hah!

My dane is CONSTANTLY moving, even after a long run, dog park or play session in the backyard. pretty sure she has separation anxiety and wasnt trained very well in her first 2 years on this planet. I am now trying to fix alot of her bad behaviours.

As some said, I would look at fostering a couple times first to see if its something you can continue with on a daily basis and DEFINITELY not a shiba, they are one of the most stubborn breeds ever.

[sabad66]

i'll echo that apartments just aren't a good place for a dog. personally i think a pre-req for any dog should be a fenced yard.

[jdmXSI]

We have 2 shibas and lived in an apartment. They do take ALOT of work and I can vividly remember wanting to give both back to the breeder just before they turned 2 years old. Now, I wouldn't trade them for the world. Our girl is the sweetest thing ever and our boy is just a big oaf. We both took vacation time for the first couple weeks to get to know them and start the training process. Luckily our boy is super food motivated which helped a lot.

If I were you, call Laura at Koyote Kennels and have a chat with her. Then if that all seems good, go down there and see all of her dogs to see if you are a good fit personality wise. Just my .02

[J-hop]

How about avoid pure(in) breds completely?

[shakalaka]

Haha didn't think my one innocent comment was gonna become a thread of its own. Thanks for all the replies and comments and I quite frankly agree with all of them. The reason why we haven't pulled the trigger yet is exactly because we don't think it would be fair to the dog with our current lifestyle. So we are most certainly putting the animal first. As for background, I grew up around dogs until I was about 14 years of age. We had 2 dogs at the same time at one point. But this was also in India where we had hired help to do all the not so fun parts like cleaning up poop, going on walks when we didn't want to and basically only played around with the pets. But I loved having dogs growing up and would definitely like to have another one day even though I know how much work it actually is. We have had a doberman, a golden retriever (labrador) and a german shepherd.

But either way I am not clueless around dogs by any means but of course I understand with my current lifestyle I may not be able to justify having one strictly because of the dogs' own needs. I don't mind putting in the effort, but I can only do so much the time allows. I can take it to work a lot but not when I am in court and that can be a lot at times as well so there's no guaranteed schedule there. And totally agree with the breed being the right kind too - I've read up on Shiba Inu's cause the wife wants one and I know they are super energetic, so that is another reason why we haven't pulled the trigger yet. House will likely happen sometime this year and perhaps then we may be able to better justify it, but work timing isn't going to be any better.

It's a lot to think about - we are both dog people and love dogs but that reason on its own is certainly not enough to justify getting one.

[ercchry]

You have the means to hire people to pickup the slack though... either doggy daycare, or rover (Airbnb for dogs essentially)

[killramos]

Find a friend with a dog

[you&me]

I wanted to add something regarding dogs that might suitable for an apartment...

We have two miniature bulldogs. Our oldest is now 10 and he literally sleeps about 21 hours a day. Our youngest is about 18 months old and still has enough puppy-energy to be awake for a staggering 19 or so hours a day. Otherwise they're curled up on the sofa or by a sunny window. I do try and get them out for a walk daily, but both are totally healthy and content if they only get out for a few walks a week. And even though we have a large yard, and there's usually someone at home throughout most of the day, they're both content to only go out side maybe 2-3 times a day... In the summer, we'll kick them out of the house more, but they just sleep in the sun then

All of this contentedness has also made them both great with our kids. If children might be in your future, pet-kid compatibility should also be something that heavily factors into your decision.

All that said, I do realize that aesthetically, a bulldog and a shiba inu are about as different as can be...

[J-hop]

Ercchry said it earlier but I would start out fostering. It will give you a no strings attached (pretty much) way to determine what size and energy level you can handle. It will also give you valuable training opportunities depending on who you go with. I have fostered several dogs and it’s a constant learning experience.

99.99999% of the owner surrenders I’ve fostered have been because people were too optimistic about their capabilities and underestimated the level of lifestyle change a dog can bring.

I’ve also had the ‘privilege’ of seeing a wide range of behavioural issues how to handle them and how not to (César Milan).


I urge everyone to stay away from pure breds and buying from a breeder. Many have such restricted genetic diversity or are abominations (can’t breath properly/manage their internal temperature) that they are plagued with health problems. Go for a mutt and your wallet will thank you....

[Skrilla]

Get a Pug, ours sleeps all day. We rescued her from a mill and she's been great. Wife and I both work full time and she has the run of the house. I usually slip out of the office around noon to let her out, but she rarely does anything. Loves her 15 min walk in the evenings, and other than that just wants to sleep with you.

Coming from large breed dogs, this was a new one for me, but Pugs have the greatest personalities. Always believe in trying to rescue/adopt before getting a puppy if you can!

[GQBalla]

I have a 90 pound Dogo Argentino and she did absolutely fine in a 650 sq ft condo, granted she did get at least two hours of exercise a day though.

Once she was inside it was like a switch hit and she would be calm, randomly play with her toys or chew her treats.

A dog with a condo is definitely doable - as long as you put in the work.

My only real complaint is when they have to go late at night. Either run down the stairs or take the elevator half asleep.

[ExtraSlow]

You can find the objectively best dogs here: https://informationisbeautiful.net/v...e-top-data-dog

[killramos]

I want a GSD quite badly...

[you&me]

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You can find the objectively best dogs here: https://informationisbeautiful.net/v...e-top-data-dog

My poor bullys

FWIW, both have been entirely trouble-free of the expect 'bulldog ailments'... We're lucky I guess.

[Skrilla]

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You can find the objectively best dogs here: https://informationisbeautiful.net/v...e-top-data-dog

interesting reading the data, thanks!

[J-hop]

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My poor bullys

FWIW, both have been entirely trouble-free of the expect 'bulldog ailments'... We're lucky I guess.

I feel bad when I look at dogs like English/French bulldogs. I don’t get the appeal, when I look at them I see something out of deliverance/hills have eyes. A certain asthetic was desired that required massive physical deformation through selection of defects and maitaining those defects in the gene pool. They can’t breathe right, can’t regulate their temperature properly, often have malformed jaw structure, can’t run properly.

[msommers]

Everytime I research a breed, it seems like every fucking one has hip dysplasia issues.

That chart is odd, I really don't understand their scoring lol. Somehow a Pug, a dog that can barely breath on its own is not near the bottom. I love pugs but fuck, seriously. And Corgis and Dachshunds, dogs that defy physics and really should break in half when they start walking score pretty well. Then a Bernese is well below all of those. Like wtf

[R-Audi]

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I feel bad when I look at dogs like English/French bulldogs. I don’t get the appeal, when I look at them I see something out of deliverance/hills have eyes. A certain asthetic was desired that required massive physical deformation through selection of defects and maitaining those defects in the gene pool. They can’t breathe right, can’t regulate their temperature properly, often have malformed jaw structure, can’t run properly.

From an owners perspective with a 10yr old Bulldog:
Pro:
-Low Energy ( short walk around the block is plenty)
-Excellent with kids
-affectionate

Cons:
-Drools
-Sheds
-Snores
-Can have health issues. (We had a knee replacement)

[bjstare]

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Great Dane - perfect apartment dog.

Worst advice of the thread right here (unless trolling, if so carry on).

My brother in law got a great dane, because he's lazy, etc. but the dog is actually not well suited to that lifestyle. That, plus the fact that due to their size they have a ridiculous rate of health problems and reduced lifespan....PLUS the hair and drool? No thank you.