Renting a flat - getting a puppy?

slobs

katebl wrote: »

so it's our own sofas that get chewed up..!(

I moved into a brand new house some years ago and got my first ever puppy. Within a few months it had eaten the doorstep (wooden), chewed at the back door, eaten it's way through several skirting boards/table legs/chair legs etc. The damage was incredible and it was only a smallish dog. It really isn't the case that they will just chew your belongings, they will chew anything they can get their teeth into!

Of course, i'm older and wiser now, so the 2 we have now were both in dog crates whenever left alone, until they got passed the chewing stage.

poppysarah

pinkshoes wrote: »

It's actually quite hard getting a rescue dog! They only give them to homes where someone is in all day, or out for a maximum of 5 hours at a time. Preferably no other pets, no children etc...!
.

Which to me indicates only someone who's home all day should have a dog. A puppy is very much like a baby (although you can leave it alone without social services getting involved) - in terms of needing attention, feeding and care.

Person_one

Get some rats! A good step between a hamster and a dog!

They're intelligent, they come when they're called, you can teach them tricks and spend time playing with them, they're most active in the evening when you're home from work. Loads more fun and interaction than a hamster but they don't need as much attention as a dog.

Fire_Fox

katebl wrote: »

Thanks everyone, we were hoping to rent for 2-3 years while we added to our deposit and then buy a house... We would be happy to offer an extra deposit and would have someone (a relative) who could spend time with the puppy during the day. We're also not averse to renting unfurnished so it's our own sofas that get chewed up..! I guess we may just have to hope a few more decent houses come up in our area - not looking likely though :-(

Puppies need someone around pretty much full time, or they will wee/ poo/ eat their way around the flat. When they are toilet training they need to go outside at least once an hour and you will still have accidents! Crating is fine for occasional trips out but not for daily use.

A puppy is as much work as a baby, if you both work you would be much better suited to a retired greyhound or a cat. Smaller independent rescues are more willing to look at individual circumstances than slap a blanket ban on all workers having a dog. With rented flats you need to get the written permission of the landlord to have a pet, and you may also need the consent of the freeholder.

Swan_2

Tiddlywinks wrote: »

You need to think of the practical issues of having a dog in a flat - lots of shared walls / floors / ceilings so the potential to annoy the neighbours with barking (all dogs do at times, even though owners say their dog is different)

yes, it's not only about damage

we have neighbours who have recently aquired a large adult dog which barks & howls while the owners are out during the day & also in the evening when they're out socialising (sometimes till 3-4am)
obviously they're unaware of this because they're not around when it's happening*

it has the run of the house & the noise can be heard in neighbouring flats & echoing in the common stair when it's in the hallway, the slightest noise, eg ... people passing in the street, cars parking etc sets it off

there are people in this block who work shifts, pensioners & people with young children, not to mention the residents in the flat below who are driven mad by hearing this large animal running around & jumping on & off furniture



*one neighbour has told them about the noise nuisance, to no avail
they're not the most approachable of people, so everyone's tiptoeing around them

but even if they were amenable to complaints, how would they tackle this problem???


please, please, think very carefully before taking a dog to live in a flat

moromir

Another matter is - it might be completely out of the Landlord's hands when it comes to a flat - some developments have regulations prohibiting pets - and even if they allow it - they're covered by that all encompassing clause 'not to cause nuisence to other residents by any means' (not the wording but near enough) which leaves you open to your Landlord suing you for the cost of the breach of lease notices they'll get from the managing agents of the block if the dog does start to make noise/leave mess anywhere.

BeccaBell

Don't have a Puppy while you are still in rented, especially not rented flats. Someone needs to be home all day with a puppy and they need big open spaces to run around in. Also if you had to move in a year you'd be devastated if you had to give up a creature your so attached to.
My suggestion if you want a pet get a cat. They make far less mess and appreciate it when you leave the house!

missile

IMHO it is not fair on the dog to keep it in a flat. If you cannot provide a suitable, safe, enjoyable environment then do not get the pet

Gwhiz

missile wrote: »

IMHO it is not fair on the dog to keep it in a flat. If you cannot provide a suitable, safe, enjoyable environment then do not get the pet

Agreed. My ex-wife wanted a dog for years, I only allowed her to when she left work and could be at home all day. Dogs are social animals and puppies need lots of hands-on coaching!