acd puppy in an apartment?

[augustus_33ad]

@rebel4god87 was crate training difficult for you?

 

[rebel4god87]

@augustus_33ad At first! But all in all not too bad. Just need to be consistent and not let them cuddle in the bed. We are able to be a little less rigid and can let her sleep in the bed once in a blue moon. I feel like the kennel is actually good for her bc she feels like she doesn’t need to protect anymore.

 

[loverofthelamb]

@augustus_33ad I commented on another comment but figured I’d reply to the main thread as well. If you aren’t able to give the puppy a crazy amount of exercise, it will be unhappy and could possible destroy your house. I rescued my cattle dog at a few months old, and for the last 8 years we’ve off leashed hiked 3-5 miles a day, 5 days a week. He could go 5x further given the chance. If you want to take on this pup, make sure he gets tons of outlets, ie exercise, and mental stimulation. Depending on where you live and your dogs obedience, you can hire someone to hike/walk your dog daily. Very expensive though. Also, I got my dog as a puppy and my cat still hasn’t forgiven, 8 years later. He’s very stubborn though.

 

[any]

@augustus_33ad Where you live really doesn’t matter whether it’s a van or a farm. How much time will you be able to spend exercising her or providing mental stimulation? Obviously if you’re on a farm this is easier to do bc you can be pretty passively involved. In a small place, you’ll need to participate more.

Snufflemats are great (or diy your own towel puzzle) and sniffing exercise supposedly is more tiring than physical. Crate training also a must when they’re young. They’ve gotta earn the right to be free!

 

[hairykid34]

@augustus_33ad I raised my ACD from 8 weeks and lived in a 1 bedroom apartment in the City with no backyard for the first two years. We had to go on multiple walks every day or run him by fetching a ball, or a frisbee at a local park. These dogs are super smart so they’ll learn how to behave in a small apartment you just need to make sure you keep them physically active and mentally active (with puzzles or games like hide and seek) when can’t.

If you can’t work from home or aren’t willing to find a sitter on somewhere like Rover maybe consider a different breed though.

 

[margretta]

@augustus_33ad Don’t.

 

[carina2111]

@augustus_33ad I did this. We crate trained our buddy and worked him out all the time—morning, lunch, night, and weekends, and mostly had no incidents. (Some chewing damage, but any puppy can do that).

If you’re available to exercise your dog (fetch at the dog park) at least twice a day, plus create training and some daycare for socializing, you’re fine!

 

[loverofthelamb]

@augustus_33ad I commented on another comment but figured I’d reply to the main thread as well. If you aren’t able to give the puppy a crazy amount of exercise, it will be unhappy and could possible destroy your house. I rescued my cattle at a few months old, and for the last 8 years we’ve off leashed hiked 3-5 miles a day, 5 days a week. He could go 5x further given the chance. If you want to take on this pup, make sure he gets tons of outlets, ie exercise, and mental stimulation. Depending on where you live and your dogs obedience, you can hire someone to hike/walk your dog daily. Very expensive though. Also, I got my dog as a puppy and my cat still hasn’t forgiven, 8 years later. He’s very stubborn though.

 

[mirt]

@augustus_33ad My rescued ACD and her sibling went from 2.5 acres in Texas to a 1200 sqft townhouse in Pennsylvania without a fenced yard.

As mentioned elsewhere here, routine is crucial. We have regular walk times, both for exercise and "sniffy" walks. We play with toys in the basement. They eat at the same times each day. We go to bed and get up at the same time every day. Including weekends.

The transition was hard. The first couple of months - in summer - were particularly difficult. But once she settled into our new routine, everything normalized. She doesn't act out and she's happy. That being said, I sometimes have to go to extraordinary and inconvenient lengths to maintain their routine and ensure enrichment. If you're committed to that, it'll be fine.

 

[jeremiah99]

@augustus_33ad There are always recommendations about extreme activity. Yes they need exercise, training, how to be a partner, and they need to be a huge part of your life. Take the pup with you all the time. Let the pup follow you indoors, talk to the pup. Teach crate training, teach their boundaries, teach quiet, teach how to chill and turn off. For every minute you elevate and teach drive, exercise, play, tug, fetch, teach the same amount on how to chill in and out of the house. Balance in everything. If you are up to raising and getting thru the puppy shenanigans then you can probably be ok.

When you walk your puppy think about it like a job. Have a goal in mind, walk with purpose, convey that attitude to your puppy. Be confident, not pulling the pup around, not admonishing every step. Just walking with a dog out on a leash doing as they please invites trouble because pup isn’t paying attention to you, self rewarding with distractions, sniffing, alerting to other dogs and people. Walk with some speed, relaxed, light voice, reverse directions often. Praise, treat, make it pleasant to be with you and adventurous, expect great behavior. Later after fully trained on following your commands, with breaks for sniff and play only when you say, you can tailor how you want your activities to go.

So much goes into your attitude, and your desire to make a great companion out of your dog. Constant stimulation is not the answer. I’ve had stockdogs, sometimes several at a time, for all my life. Many years I had stock, goats, ducks, chickens, horses, sheep. They had chores, when a dog has a job, and you rely on them, they are as happy as happy can be. Make a chore for your pup, picking up things you drop, holding an item for you, teaching them to stand foursquare while you lean on them to adjust a shoe or sock. To them, anything that you teach that helps you makes them feel handy, and we all like that right? They can adapt and adjust to just about anything as long as you love them, train how to be good dogs, and make them part of your everyday life, include them in everything possible. Don’t force them to like other dogs or people, but just to take the them in stride as everyday obstacles and distractions. I never say a person can’t, but can if they are dedicated to making that pup an integral part of your life.

 

[shelly48]

@augustus_33ad Hey! In the same situation as you. My guy is 18 months now, we brought him home at 12 weeks. Baby gates are a must, ACDs need boundaries. I’d strongly recommend a house leash for the first few weeks so you can quickly interrupt any chasing of the cat and reinforce that it’s not appropriate. If you’re getting your dog from (hopefully) reputable breeder, I’d also talk about their line and what they’re breeding for. My dog’s breed breeds to the standard and routinely shows her dogs in confirmation (with lots of wins), but doesn’t select for the super high working drive. He’s still a dog that requires a lot more exercise and mental stimulation than most other dogs are, but he’s not totally crackhead insane like some working heelers would be in an apartment. The best advice I can give you, expect to turn your life upside down for the next 1-2 years. They need a lot of training and stimulation. People will think you’re crazy, but it’s worth it on the other side. Make sure you want your life to revolve around your dog for at least a year or more before committing to an ACD.

 

[puddintain]

@augustus_33ad We got our ACD as a puppy in an apartment - by mistake. The dog was a rescue (the pups had been abandoned, so no history) and the puppies looked much more terrier like than ACD. When we got her I thought she would be a JR mix of some sort, so it was a surprise watching her grow....and grow.

Overall it wasn't too bad. Up early for walk 1 which is the big run of the day, then an afternoon stroll and an evening wander. She zoomies in the apartment now and again, but mostly spends her time sleeping and lounging and snuggling. Oh and if someone is outside the door, she makes her displeasure known loudly - very protective of that door.

She eats 2x a day, but is pretty picky with her food and has "eating" days where she'll pack in whatever we give her, and picky days where she'll barely touch her food. We used to worry but now when she's eating we just give her more that day. Not sure that's an ACD thing or not - she has a varied diet and eats a mix of kibble, tinned dog food and fresh cooked chicken/beef/lamb + veg and table scraps where suitable. Unlike every other dog I've ever had she doesn't like raw meat or organ meat, even cooked. She will eat a juicy bone now and again though. Chews like a bastard and I suggest getting her a deer antler or such early - it's now her favourite thing along with a plastic action figure (for dogs) she has that's tough enough. Everything else she's eviscerated including ropes, "tough" dog toys, shoes, and the legs of an antiques chair in our family for years. The anti chew sprays were good early on, but it took a while. Toilet training was probably longer than other dogs I've had BUT I think she was a VERY young puppy when abandoned and I give her leeway for that. But once she got it, no issues after and if she has belly ache, she signals early to go out.

While she no longer nips, like ACD's in general she's still very 'mouthy' so you'll need to get used to that. She sleeps anywhere in that classic "passed out on my back drunk" pose, and is reluctant to go to her bed when it's lights out at night that reminds me of when my kids were young, trying to detour into the bathrooms or kitchen as I try and round her into her basket. She's too active at night to sleep on our bed.

We used to have a black lab and he was much more suited for our laid back lifestyle and apartment living in general. Also a lot smarter than the current doofus in letting us know what was what and would sleep longer on our bed and more quiet than we were. But we love her and she's a great dog.

Overall I personally wouldn't have actively sought out an ACD for an apartment as it's a ton of work early on, but it's worked out. Good luck if you go down that route!