I recommend something with some kind of hound in it because they tend to be very, very chilled. My friend has an enormous dog(his shoulders reach my waist - the dog’s, not the friend’s), part hound, part other stuff, and he is very relaxed, quiet etc. They lived in a van together (friend + huge dog) for four years and then in a tiny apartment (friend + partner + huge dog) and were all very happy.
I recommend a hound - or a mixed breed with hound in it - because they tend to be very, very chilled. My friend has an enormous dog (his shoulders reach my waist - the dog’s, not the friend’s), part hound, part other stuff (horse?), and he is very relaxed, quiet etc. They lived in a van together (friend + huge dog) for four years and then in a tiny apartment (friend + partner + huge dog) and were all very happy.
I dunno, I had a dog that was part hound, part something, who beat the Labs for spaz value.
Hounds can often be louder (they love howling at everything!), which might not be the best for an apartment building. A lot of them are still bred for hunting too, so they sometimes just as high energy level as a Border Collie or other working dog. But every dog is different…that’s why it is good to spend some time with a dog before you bring it home.
Every hound is different too. I have 2 black & tans here who are the calmest, nicest dogs. When it gets dark they crawl on the bed, and put themselves under the covers with their heads on the pillow. Very very cute.
But on the flip side I have seen some hounds who I would not want anything to do with. Stubborn, loud, and they mark on everything.
I think Laurasia and Magayuk are referring to scent hounds. Greyhounds are sight hounds. The variations of hounds have different habbits and temperaments.
I have a scent hound/spaniel mix and she’s pretty spazzy. She’s stubborn, she eats anything she can get her mouth on and will knock stuff over just because she wants to. Those are her negative qualities. She’s also got the most personality of any dog I’ve ever met, likes to snuggle under the covers with me, works REALLY hard to please me and rarely barks. (That last thing is unusual for a scent hound.) Mostly, I think she’s spazzy and incorrigible because she’s got a high energy level and is intelligent. Scent hounds were bred to work in packs and make decisions independently of their owners while on the hunt. Mine really likes making decisions, but unfortunately makes the wrong ones most of the time! I try to exercise her a lot because that helps, but she could run for hours and still keep going.
I’m a big fan of hounds in general and plan to always own at least one, but for the most part I don’t think every scent hound is designed for apartment life. My next dog will hopefully be a retired racing Greyhound.
Please think about a mixed-breed, older dog from a humane society! Many mixes have the best qualities of their respective breeds and have the worst qualities (i.e. spazziness) tempered out. Human Societies and shelters are full of Lab & Golden Retriever mixes.
If you really want a purebred, though, you might want to look into a Flat Coated Retriever. They look like big black or brown Golden Retrievers. It’s a rarer breed so you’re not going to have problems with overbreeding. I have a friend who owns two and she lives in an apartment. She got her first from a Flat Coated Retriever rescue society, and then her second from a breeder. She says they’re really mellow but athletic & fun dogs. However, they are Retrievers, so you really have to exercise them, just like Labs & Goldens.
My daughter had a large dalmatian which was a beautiful show animal she fostered for a could of years for the lady who took a bunch of them to dog shows. She suddenly takes off to another state, calls all the foster dog keepers and says they are yours. My daughter kept her in a crate when she was out of the house to go to work and sometimes came home for lunch and sometimes not. Finally dies of cancer. No mor dog(s) for now.
I have a 11 # shih tzu named Princess. Sleeps most of the day and all of the night. has the run of the house all the time whether any one is home or not. Can hold it all day while at work, but if i’m at home she will ask to go out as necessary.
Wouldn’t replace her but have NO plans to get rid of her either!
Apartment dog? PLEASE don’t get one that barks every time you walk past the door of the apartment it’s in.
I don’t know a lot about dogs, so I don’t know whether this is normal behaviour, or whether the dog’s sense of territory hasn’t been trained to exclude the hall, or what, but it’s really annoying. You’d think that tenants trying to sneak a dog into a “no pets” building would want to be a little more cautious about this…
BrianS, it sounds as though you are in a much better position to start with, and thanks from all us other apartment-dwellers for coming to the boards to ask advice. 
My daughter had a large dalmatian which was a beautiful show animal she fostered for a could of years for the lady who took a bunch of them to dog shows. She suddenly takes off to another state, calls all the foster dog keepers and says they are yours. My daughter kept her in a crate when she was out of the house to go to work and sometimes came home for lunch and sometimes not. Finally dies of cancer. No mor dog(s) for now.
I have a 11 # shih tzu named Princess. Sleeps most of the day and all of the night. has the run of the house all the time whether any one is home or not. Can hold it all day while at work, but if i’m at home she will ask to go out as necessary.
Wouldn’t replace her but have NO plans to get rid of her either!
That barking when left alone thing is probably separation anxiety, Sunspace.
Some dogs just sort of develop it when they’re in a new situation or when their owner’s schedule changes. I took two weeks off work to move across the country last year. My (apartment approved) dog didn’t bark when I left before I moved, but she did after, once I went back to work. So, for the first 2-3 weeks of work, I spent a lot of time pretending to leave and then coming back in to tell her “No!” I was lucky and that worked really well. Anyway, it could be the people sneaking dogs into your building didn’t have this problem before. But, that doesn’t excuse them for wrecking your peace & quiet or doing the illegal dog thing.
Plus, if you were a dog and you were constantly being shushed so the landlords don’t find out you’re there, you’d probably need to bust out & bark once in awhile. That has to be a tense situation for the dog! Bad owners! Bad owners!
Also, BrianS, I wouldn’t go for spingears’ suggestion of a Dalmation. Her daughter was lucky, as Dals are NOT good for first time dog owners. They tend to be high-strung and need someone who really knows how to train dogs well. They are beautiful, though, and make great pets if you know what you’re doing.