# Living conditions and dogs **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 11, 2013, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-conditions-and-dogs/658063 "2013-05-11T09:24:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2013, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-conditions-and-dogs/658063/41 "2013-05-13T14:14:03Z")
I think these people are in for a rude surprise. A working dog without a job will invent one, and it probably won’t be anything that humans find useful or funny. And yes, more than likely in the end it’s the dog that will have to pay the price one way or another. OP, I agree with the suggestion above that you get a jump on things and locate a good BC rescue or two. I also agree that the breeder needs to be hauled over the coals for sending a BC puppy into that kind of home! A semi-random question from a non-city-dweller: Will cabs or buses allow dogs? Because these people really need to take their new puppy to obedience classes, and I’m betting there isn’t one w/in walking distance. For that matter, how does one get a puppy to the vet without a car? Not sure if I want to know how all this ends up or not… ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2013, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-conditions-and-dogs/658063/42 "2013-05-13T14:48:46Z")
> [@saje](#): > > A semi-random question from a non-city-dweller: Will cabs or buses allow dogs? Because these people really need to take their new puppy to obedience classes, and I’m betting there isn’t one w/in walking distance. For that matter, how does one get a puppy to the vet without a car? In NYC Public transit permits dogs that are properly contained in a carrier. Cabs usually permit dogs out of carriers, but the don’t have to (other than service dogs which they must permit) As for the vet, my vet makes house calls for a reasonable fee, which is well worth it in many situations. If I need to go to his office, I take a cab, it’s about $5-10. In addition there are three vets including a 24 hour emergency/specialty practice, within 10 minutes walk from my home. Lastly I can use Zipcar. ---
**Author:** ![gracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@gracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracer)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2013, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-conditions-and-dogs/658063/43 "2013-05-13T14:56:48Z")
> [@saje](#): > > OP, I agree with the suggestion above that you get a jump on things and locate a good BC rescue or two. I also agree that the breeder needs to be hauled over the coals for sending a BC puppy into that kind of home! > > A semi-random question from a non-city-dweller: Will cabs or buses allow dogs? Because these people really need to take their new puppy to obedience classes, and I’m betting there isn’t one w/in walking distance. For that matter, how does one get a puppy to the vet without a car? > > Not sure if I want to know how all this ends up or not… The people I want to ask to start thinking about it are retired, live on a farm in a nature reserve and run a B&B. They have a a dog who recently lost his old buddy, and I know they are considering a new addition… I can just picture a pup “helping” them, rounding up the ducks, tearing around through the garden. If they’re not interested, I’ll ask them to ask around. Where they live is perfect, lots of farmers as well. No idea how they think they’ll manage without a car. Public transport does allow dogs, but for young, active dogs you really need a car. They always dramatically hurt themselves on a Sunday when the on-duty vet is miles away, it’s basically a doggy rule. Quick list of Jana’s Sunday Dramas: - Unseamed herself front to back by misjudging the barbed wire she jumped over. - Tried to eat a fish with a hook in it, pushing the hook through both her lip _and_ nose. - Ripped off two toe nails in a cattle grid and wouldn’t let us look at her paw. - Nearly killed by aggressive dog, puncture wounds in her neck. - Tried to make friends with bees. I remember they were Sundays (or weekends, at least) because we had to go to strange vets, way out in the sticks. You need a car for that stuff. Obedience classes… I haven’t dared ask. ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2013, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-conditions-and-dogs/658063/44 "2013-05-13T15:20:50Z")
Yep, I hear ya. I have multiple dogs, cats and horses. Emergencies almost never happen (or are found) at 11am on a weekday. From Friday 5pm on, that’s when something horrible will happen. Ye gods. Just thought about the time my GSD bloated (on a Saturday evening, of course). I had him in the car and on the way to the vet w/in minutes and I was terrified all the way that I hadn’t been fast enough. I can NOT imagine waiting for a taxi or trying to go by bus :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Minnie\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Minnie\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Minnie_Luna)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2013, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-conditions-and-dogs/658063/45 "2013-05-13T15:54:26Z")
My sister fostered a border collie a couple of years ago for the rescue we both volunteer for. The dog came from a row house with a tiny yard. The dog was given up because he was too energetic for his environment. He was crate-trained and very, very eager to please. He had a bit of a nipping issue when he was “ignored”. We called the trainer and eventually trained it out of him and a lot had to do with tiring him out. My sister has a small (1/3 acre) yard. She mostly took him to the local dog park where he could run in a huge yard with other high-energy dogs or just threw the ball for him for hours at another park. The thing about this dog that was different from the others she had fostered was that he would tire, take a little nap, and then be ready to go for another round rather quickly. He needed a morning walk, an afternoon hard play session and an evening play session and walk for him not to be bouncing off the walls. We adopted him out to a family with a very large fenced in yard and kids who he was happy to play with. He chases airplanes in the sky as they fly over his house. ---
**Author:** ![BottledBlondJeanie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/0ea827/32.png) [@BottledBlondJeanie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BottledBlondJeanie)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2013, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-conditions-and-dogs/658063/46 "2013-05-13T16:02:10Z")
Gosh \*\* gracer\*\*, that’s a hard thing to watch. My Catahoula/Austrailian Shepherd mix destroyed my backyard and many of the things inside despite at least 2 half-hour walks a day, a decently sized backyard and my other dog, his bff, as his constant companion. Plus training. He thought his name was “No (actual name)” or “Damnit (actual name)” until he was three. Perhaps you could secretly explore potentially suitable living conditions for the pup.when they inevitably find he’s not the right fit? ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2013, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-conditions-and-dogs/658063/47 "2013-05-13T18:39:12Z")
A former friend of mine got a JRT for her tiny 1 bedroom apartment. She lived alone and walked it twice a day. Not a good recipe for a hyperactive puppy of ANY breed, much less a JRT. She ended up surrendering it to the pound because it started shitting all over the place and she crated it during the day, leading her neighbors to complain about the whining/yelping all day long. Pretty goddamn tragic. She got it from a puppy mill, too. Not the brightest person I’ve ever met. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2013, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-conditions-and-dogs/658063/48 "2013-05-13T19:33:28Z")
> [@saje](#): > > A working dog without a job will invent one… I’ve never heard it put so succinctly. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2013, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-conditions-and-dogs/658063/49 "2013-05-13T20:46:04Z")
> [@NorthernBiker](#): > > I wouldn’t necessarily say big dogs should never live in an apartment. It really depends on the involvement of the owner and the breed of dog, not so much the size. > > If the owner is willing to shoulder the responsibly of making sure the dog has enough stimulation and exercise, the size of the living quarters don’t particularly matter. Having a large backyard doesn’t mean the dog is going to be exercised either. It is easy to take a dog to the park to find green areas. > > Some large dogs don’t particularly like exercise and would be happiest sitting on the couch ie large Mastiff evolved breeds. Others like sight hounds (Greyhounds etc) play really hard and then sleep. They don’t need constant exercise and do fine with 30-60mins at the dog park per day. Some small breeds like Jack Russell need a lot more stimulation then many large dogs. > > Small dogs are easier to ignore when their energy stimulation needs are not met, but it doesn’t mean they like being ignored any more than a larger breed. > > In short, I think you can provide any dog breed a good and meaningful life, in any living arrangement, if you are willing to devote the time. Retire racing greyhounds are a lovely example of a large dog that is fine in a small apartment, provided they get some walk and playtime. They are more overgrown cats than dogs, and by the time they retire, middle age and ready to settle down on the couch with the remote. ---
**Author:** ![gracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@gracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracer)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2013, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-conditions-and-dogs/658063/50 "2013-05-13T21:28:33Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > Retire racing greyhounds are a lovely example of a large dog that is fine in a small apartment, provided they get some walk and playtime. They are more overgrown cats than dogs, and by the time they retire, middle age and ready to settle down on the couch with the remote. My parents had a whippet in their student house. He wasn’t a retired racer, but a rescue. He loved all the attention of a large student house, but didn’t need much running. They had a sign by the door saying “pls leave leather coats outside”. Whippy had been abused by someone in a leather coat, and they scared him. It all worked out very well! ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2013, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-conditions-and-dogs/658063/51 "2013-05-14T02:34:58Z")
All I can say is poor pup! I grew up with rough collies, collie mixes and other herd dogs and there isn’t one that I’d want to keep cooped up in an apartment all day. There isn’t even one that I’d keep without a family or herd of sheep or goats. They’re just not cut out for that lifestyle. Find a rescue for, what in all liklihood, will only be six months at the most that the pooch lives with those morons. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2013, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-conditions-and-dogs/658063/52 "2013-05-14T02:44:07Z")
> [@saje](#): > > Yep, I hear ya. I have multiple dogs, cats and horses. Emergencies almost never happen (or are found) at 11am on a weekday. From Friday 5pm on, that’s when something horrible will happen. > > Ye gods. Just thought about the time my GSD bloated (on a Saturday evening, of course). I had him in the car and on the way to the vet w/in minutes and I was terrified all the way that I hadn’t been fast enough. I can NOT imagine waiting for a taxi or trying to go by bus :eek: Eh, plenty of people have pets and live a good long drive from the nearest vet. I can catch a taxi within 5-10 minutes and there are vets within a five minute drive of anywhere in the city. I think that’s better off than they guy who lives on a farm 20 minutes from town. ---
**Author:** ![Gleena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b3f665/32.png) [@Gleena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gleena)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2013, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-conditions-and-dogs/658063/53 "2013-05-14T05:51:19Z")
> [@saje](#): > > A semi-random question from a non-city-dweller: Will cabs or buses allow dogs? Because these people really need to take their new puppy to obedience classes, and I’m betting there isn’t one w/in walking distance. For that matter, how does one get a puppy to the vet without a car? For routine visits, we walk. Animals that are not service animals are not allowed on public transport in Sydney, which is stupid. So I carry the cat carrier or walk the dogs. For other issues (as in when my biggest dog’s knee was bad), I had access to a friend’s car. When I didn’t have a car, we used GoCar (like ZipCar.) Many taxis will take cats if crated, and some will take dogs but you have to ask. My vet also makes housecalls, but that’s gawdalmight expensive. Finally, if I just need to board them, the cattery and the kennel do pickups and drop-offs. ETA: My two big mutts, a pit X and a cattle dog X, do fine in my inner city terrace house, but - my husband works mostly at home, and they get two massive walks through the local park/wetlands every day, unless it’s belting down. Then they get a shorter trip. Our small courtyard is just for toilet duty and even then, the bigger one is so unshakeably housebroken he has to be ill to use it. They get two other smaller walks to a smaller, closer park daily for toilet and fresh air breaks. We make sacrifices to have them, so they aren’t miserable and neither are we, but we discussed it and it is a tradeoff in terms of time. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/living-conditions-and-dogs/658063.md?page=2)