Advice on living arrangements.

[brittnicole]

Hi everyone!

Some of you may or may not remember my past posts about our rescue Mopar. We took him from a bad situation, got him heartworm treatment etc. , and he's doing absolutely wonderful now. He's on thyroid medicine and almost like a new dog now with all the energy he should have always had. Anyways, we had decided to keep him but given our living arrangements (we ended up accepting we are most likely going to move to a one bedroom apartment) and already having Hunter our 1.5 year old Lab, we did ultimately proceed with going through the Lab Rescue of Florida and finding him a forever home. Though he is the absolute sweetest dog we have ever had the luck of meeting, in his adoptive home he began developing signs of resource aggression, which we had never seen before with him. After spending a couple weeks fostered by the rescue's wonderful behaviorist, the resource aggression did not improve and he did end up being kicked out of the rescue program. We took him back in, of course, and he has shown us absolutely no sign of resource aggression since being back. Maybe he trusts us, I'm not sure but it's completely nonexistent. Our problem now is we are moving into a one bedroom apartment next month. The apartment does allow us to have both dogs, and we will be close to the complex's dog park but I'm feeling uneasy about keeping two full grown labs in such a small space.

Unsure what to do, I just want the best for both of them. I wish the rental market in Florida wasn't so expensive right now :/

[emma_Dad]

I have a friend who has 225# of dog (3 lab mixes) in about 750 sqft apt 1bed 2 bath. So I think you could do it.

As long as they get the required exercise they should be fine. You could always teach them that the house isn't a place for rough play and running around

[Maxx&Emma]

I don't see any reason why you can't make this work. Plenty of exercise outside and having their people will keep your dogs very happy. I have no doubt you can do this!

[brittnicole]

They are already good together, but since Mopar has been back with us have we noticed a significant increase in his energy level and Hunter senses it and can be quite annoying to him. He's patient with Hunter but it's going to be hard to get them to stay calm inside. Any advice on what I can do to make it easier would be appreciated. Hunter is kennel trained, but Mopar isn't. Behavior-wise Mopar is perfect though and is usually calm until Hunter decides it's wrestling time or when he chases the cat (which is another new behavior since regaining his energy).

[ZoeysMommy]

They will be just fine in an apartment even if its a studio as long you provide an adequate amount of exercise. Space is not required for dogs but exercise and mental stimulation is.

[Maxx&Emma]

You could crate train Mopar, it is never too late. Start by feeding in the crate, randomly tossing high value treats and a special/favorite toy in to the crate. Also Google "crate games" for some fun ideas. Make time for outdoor play at dog parks or any area that is securely fenced. (Tennis courts work really well in a pinch!) Long walks, hiking, swimming, fetching, etc will help tire everyone out. I normally spend 2+ hours outside with my 2 daily playing in the yard, walking, etc. They are just fine with that. If you have friends with dogs you can do play dates or look in to a doggy daycare place. There are many things you can do to keep them exercised and luckily you don't have to deal with cold, snowy winters, that is a huge bonus!

[Maxx&Emma]

Great point Zoeysmommy! Mental exercise is wonderful for tiring a dog. There are lots of great puzzle type toys for this, you can play hide and seek as well. These things will absolutely help.

[ZoeysMommy]

Before we moved into our house we were in a tiny 2 bedroom condo which was basically only a 1 bedroom because my 4 senior cats needed there own space away from the dogs. I had 4 dogs, and it was upstairs which made it even harder and all 4 dogs were happy as can be.

You simply need to control the living space, strict rules for indoor play, separate crates for the dogs, and a good routine.

It wouldnt matter if i lived in a 5000 square foot home or 500, they will all be at my feet anyway, space is irrelevant to dogs, like i said its really not a requirement, quality over quanity

[brittnicole]

Thanks a lot everyone for the responses so far. It's refreshing to hear it wouldn't be cruel to keep them in such a small space. I've been listening to my boyfriends brother (the one who locked Mopar outside for six years) have the nerve to lecture us that we need to rent a house with a yard and it's crazy to bring two dogs and a cat to an apartment. If it weren't for him neglecting Mopar we wouldn't even have two dogs! We are doing everything we can to incorporate Mopar into our lives and we have spent thousands of dollars already saving him, unfortunately financially at this time we aren't able to afford a house in a decent, safe neighborhood.

That became a bit of a rant but so much going on is just causing me too much stress and this man and his wife drive me nuts!

[brittnicole]

It wouldnt matter if i lived in a 5000 square foot home or 500, they will all be at my feet anyway, space is irrelevant to dogs, like i said its really not a requirement, quality over quanity

Thanks so much I can absolutely relate to this since no matter where we are they are never more than arms reach away!