Pros and cons of keeping a dog in an apartment

pros

Having an animal in the house is always a joy, especially if it is a dog that is loving and faithful to its owner. It is for this reason that many people get a pet. What other advantages are there of such a solution?

A sea of joy for a child . Dogs are very cheerful, grateful and cheerful creatures who love children very much and behave at ease with them, completely trusting them. By becoming a friend to your pet, the child becomes more responsible, especially for older children who can walk the dog, play with it and feed it. Active games are very useful for children, considering how difficult it is to captivate them and force them to leave the game on the computer, the decision to get a dog has undoubted advantages, because this way you acquire a faithful and devoted friend for the child.
Great exercise in the morning . Those who cannot get themselves up in the morning and force themselves to go for a run will immediately forget about laziness and sleep if they have a dog in their apartment. In any case, he needs to be walked, and the more often and more actively this happens, the better.
Development of responsibility . Often, young couples, before becoming parents, first get dogs and this is right, since this is the only way to find out whether the girl and guy are ready to change their way of life and sacrifice their daily routine and personal life in order to take care of someone else . As soon as you start living with a dog, the illusion that it is just a fluffy creature that needs to be fed food and taken outside a couple of times disappears, since a dog requires attention and care, just like a child.
Love for nature . If a person goes outside on his own, he is unlikely to greatly appreciate the beauty of nature; it’s a different matter if such an outing into nature is carried out with a pet. Jogging, active games, walks near a river or lake will become a fun daily activity.
Benefit for health . Many people claim that they started running and spending active time in nature only after they had a dog in their apartment, and this is very beneficial for the cardiovascular system and strengthening the immune system.
Real friendship . The main difference between a dog and other pets is that it is always happy with its owner and always waits at the doorstep for his return. The dog is always ready to support and listen, even if he cannot enter into a verbal dialogue, but after you tell everything to your furry friend and pet him, it always becomes easier.

Do you want to adopt a dog, but are unsure whether you should? Answer 10 questions

If you have already read the article about us, then you know that I have had a Labrador at home for almost two years. For all those who want, dream, or plan to adopt a dog, this article is a must read.

Let me start by saying that I am a cat person. All my life there were cats around, and in practice I had little understanding of what a dog was. At the institute, I dreamed that when I started living in my own apartment, I would get myself a fluffy red or gray cat with an insolent face.

Later, I even decided that I would call him Sheldon (hello TBV lovers) But my dreams collided with a harsh reality, namely the fact that my husband is allergic to cats! But not for dogs...

For almost two years, when he sighed dreamily and said that he wanted a dog, I said that this would not happen, that I would not walk with it, that I did not need such a horse at home, and that this insidious man would take a small Spitz or a pug refused. He wanted a Labrador and no one else. But time passed, and the idea of adopting a dog ceased to seem so crazy, and, to be honest, home is much better, warmer and more comfortable when you have a beloved pet.

And so on December 25, 2013, my husband and I went to choose a dog. More precisely how... We didn’t choose her, but she chose us. One playful girl immediately tried to climb onto my lap, I hugged her and realized that - she! Let's take it! They named our girl Chewbacca, or Chewie for short, and if you are smiling knowingly now, it means that you have watched Star Wars.

Why am I telling all this? I want you to understand that I do not have any experience in raising a dog and living with her, that I also had doubts, and I thought for a very long time before I decided.

I scoured the forums about Labradors, read the description of the breed and still wasn’t quite prepared for the difficulties ahead, so I wrote 10 questions for those who seem to want it, but are still unsure whether to adopt a dog or not.

Do you work 12 hours a day and live alone? If yes, then I would not advise you to get a dog. She will not be at all comfortable spending whole days within four walls.
Are you ready for a child to join your family? The question was asked in all seriousness. When we got Chewie, we didn't sleep well for the first 2-3 nights, she whined, so I moved her bed next to the bed and petted her almost all night, that's the only way she stopped crying.
Are you ready that until your pet has all its vaccinations, you will not be able to walk outside, and your morning will begin with you first carefully looking at the floor, and only then putting your feet down from the bed. And yes, when you go to the toilet at night, you will need a flashlight. Well, no one can deny the fact that until you teach your dog to do all his business outside, you will have to walk quite often. Personally, at first we went 5-6 times a day for sure. And in a snowstorm, and in the rain, and early in the morning, when you really want to sleep longer. Can you handle it?
Are you ready to train your dog? Since I had absolutely no experience in raising dogs, I’ll be honest, the first six months were incredibly difficult for me. I didn’t understand what she wanted from me, why she was behaving so badly, and why the hell this black bastard chewed off my wedding shoes, which I didn’t even have time to put on. Then we found a trainer, started training once a week, and then I realized one simple truth: the owners are almost always to blame for the dog’s bad behavior! Once we started practicing, it became much easier! Now we have an almost perfect dog. If the owners weren't so lazy, it would be absolutely perfect.
Are you willing to spend money on food, bowls, collars, leashes, toys, treats, veterinarian, vaccinations, etc.? First, roughly calculate how much money it will cost you, and then think.
Are you ready to lose some of your things? Of course, there is an option that you will have a perfect, obedient dog, but this is unlikely. During the period when Chuya's teeth were growing, we lost 5 pairs of shoes, she gnawed on two sofas, two pillows, 5 spatulas for cooking, a couple of books, one colored pencil, she even gnawed off a stool, and this is not the whole list. That's why I'm glad we took our lady before we did the renovations. Now pah-pah-pah, all this is in the distant past, but sometimes, very rarely, we still steal shoulder blades.
Have you thought about where you can place your dog if you are going on vacation or just leaving for a couple of days? Overexposure, friends, family? And don't forget to discuss this issue in advance.
Are you ready for constant communication? I'll explain with my own example. What has always attracted me to cats is their autonomy. If they wanted, they came, if they wanted, they left, they don’t tyrannize me every minute. When we got a dog, I finally understood what the main difference was. She constantly followed me! I had a feeling that Chewie kept saying: “Oh, great, mistress, you’ve come, let’s play!” “And let me touch you with my paw so that you look only at me all the time?” “Come on, I’ll steal your sock so you can follow me around the apartment?” “oh, are you going to the toilet? Let's go, I'll see you off! "I'm the kind of person who just needs to be alone sometimes, so that no one will touch him, distract him or interfere with him. And this applies not only to animals, sometimes I also need a break from people, so for the first six months or a year it was really hard for me. She demanded a lot of attention, and sometimes I had the feeling that she seemed to be doing nothing, sitting at home all day, but it felt like she was unloading the carriages. But, I can please you, now there is no such problem. I had already gotten used to it and loved this attention from the dog, and after a year she became much calmer and matured sharply.
Are you ready for wool in your home? She will be everywhere! There are two stupid periods, before winter and before summer, when the dog actively changes its coat, on such days I collected a whole scoop of wool from just one room. In fact, you can fight this, the main thing is not to be lazy, brush your dog more often and you will be happy.
Do you understand the degree of responsibility and the fact that the animal is not your cute funny plush toy? More precisely, a puppy is, of course, cute and funny, but it is a big responsibility, and, alas, I myself have already encountered a situation several times when people take a dog, do not care for it at all, then whine that their behavior is terrible, disobedient, disgusting. animal, and after 3-6 months they try to place the dog in another family. Thank you, at least they don’t throw it away.

I’ll say right away that everything listed above is just my experience, I’m in no way imposing anything on you and I’m not claiming that I am the ultimate truth.

Do you have dogs or cats? Or someone else? I wouldn’t mind moving into my own house and adopting another Labrador. I also really like pugs and French bulldogs. A! And please wrap my Maine Coon and a bag of allergy medications for my husband right away.

Minuses

In fact, some of the advantages of having a dog in an apartment are, for a certain number of people, also its disadvantages, since every coin has two sides.

Spending time on walks and active games . The dog will not sit in the apartment all day, this is harmful to its health, so the owner will have to find time to walk it before work and after returning home, and this despite fatigue or a bad mood.
Increased responsibility . A dog needs good care; buying expensive food for it and sometimes brushing its fur are just a small part of the duties that need to be performed. Water procedures, walking, games, cleaning, care during illness - all dog owners face this.
Financial expenses . You need to spend money not only on buying a pet, but also on purchasing a sleeping place for dogs. Vitamins, veterinary care, treatment, toys, clothes for winter walks, food, shampoos - all this requires significant finances.
Damage to property . Adopting a puppy is a big test for an apartment, or more precisely for the furniture and other interior items that are in it. When a puppy begins to grow teeth, if he is not weaned off this in time, he can chew not only his toys, but also wallpaper, a sofa and chairs. As soon as you leave your pet alone or without paying enough attention to it, you should prepare for the fact that you will have to spend money on replacing furniture.
Constant cleaning . Dogs are very active and playful creatures, so you should get used to spilled food and clothes being pulled off the edge of a chair. Also, do not forget that after each walk your pet’s paws must be thoroughly washed, otherwise you will have to wash the floors throughout the house. You should also remember about disinfection, especially in apartments on the ground floor, where fleas can easily get in. Therefore, it is very important to try to wash the floors in the hallway especially often and with the addition of household chemicals.
Patience . Teaching a dog commands requires a lot of attention; even if you turn to a dog trainer, you will have to spend 20 minutes a day training the dog, otherwise he will not obey his owner. Dogs are creatures with their own character and habits, so you have to develop a separate approach to them, because there is nothing more valuable than friendship between a pet and its owner. At first, during training, the pet may not obey and may ignore commands, so it is very important at this moment to show sufficient patience.

You get more exercise.

ISTOCK
While other pets also have a positive impact on your health, dogs have the added benefit of being walked and played with many times a day. This means many dog owners get 30 minutes of exercise a day, which reduces the risk of heart disease.

Is it worth getting a dog in the apartment where the child lives?

Much depends on the age of the child, of course, it is best to get a dog from the age of 5 , when the child already understands that this is an animal, that it needs to be looked after, that it cannot be carried around like a toy, that it needs to be fed and walked. If the relationship between a child and a dog is built correctly, friendship will appear between them, and such relationships have a beneficial effect on psychological and physical development.

In order for a child to grow up responsible and responsive, it is important that he has someone to take care of, besides, it will be much easier for parents, since the baby will be busy playing with the dog, the main thing is that the right breed is selected, since not all dogs are suitable for living in an apartment with a child. For example, the German Shepherd is known for loving children, but it cannot live in a small apartment, since this dog loves movement and cannot sit still, it constantly needs space to play. The best options would be Yorkshire Terrier, Chihuahua and Pomeranian.

YOU ARE MORE RESISTANT TO ALLERGIES.

While dog dander can be a trigger for people with allergies, growing up in a home with a dog reduces the likelihood of children developing allergies during their lifetime AND the benefits can begin during pregnancy; A 2021 study published in the journal Microbiome found that bacterial exchange occurred between women who lived with pets (mostly dogs) during pregnancy and their children, regardless of birth type or whether the child was pregnant. breastfeeding, and even if the animal was not in the house after the birth of the child. These children had two bacteria, Ruminococcus and Oscillospira, which reduce the risk of common allergies, asthma and obesity, and they were less likely to develop eczema.