Am I being unrealistic? (ACD in Apartment)

[bubby348]

@thanushpoulsen Also check out Project Freedom Ride! They bring pets from overfull shelters in Texas to homes in the PNW - this is how I adopted my cattle dog mix! He was in an overfull foster home in Texas during the pandemic, and Project Freedom Ride drove him and a bunch of other pets from Texas to sites in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho so that they could be adopted to loving homes!

I’ve found that PNW rescues have the strictest requirements - my husband and I lived in a townhouse and worked from home and still didn’t qualify. We found our boy and have been happy for 4 wonderful years!

 

[roonwit]

@rabecca Seconding this - I've had herding dogs for decades, have a good sized yard, no children, am a responsible owner, my dogs were all well cared for, we'd lost our last one at 12 yo due to lung cancer, but did everything we could with palliative care. I've also fostered many dogs in the past.

I still got declined from several rescue programs. I had glowing refernces from non-family members, and my vet. I was even looking for 1-3 yo and was okay with heart worm positive, and other manageable diseases (my prior pup had pancreatitis that we managed, and my older pup has mobility issues that we were giving shots and pills for.) Both on and off paper I was exactly what a rescue says they look for.

I know they work hard to ensure the dogs end up in the best homes, but I kind of feel like sometimes they go a bit too far - maybe as a result of being burned in the past. They can push it to unrealistic requirements.

 

[kendawg]

@rabecca I had rescues giving me issues before I got my dog, and I had a full fenced in back yard, but one side was shorted because I was next to a greenbelt. When I got my dog, he definitely put his feet up on it, but never tried to hop it (almost though when a coyote ran by lol)

 

[horified1]

@thanushpoulsen It sounds like you’ve done your research and have a good plan that could definitely work for a heeler. Thank you for choosing to adopt!!!!

Perhaps try a rescue instead of a shelter. They sometimes have more flexibility and can use more discretion. I’m not super familiar with heeler rescues in WA, but Corgipalooza in Oregon works with herding breeds, although I don’t know how often they get heelers. Herding Haven in Utah comes across heelers all the time and will work with dedicated adopters to adopt dogs out of state. Feel free to message me about Herding Haven if you would like an introduction.

 

[thanushpoulsen]

@horified1 Thank you! I will check out Corgipalooza first as it is closer, but will definitely message you about Herding Haven if it makes sense for me!

 

[monicaduncan]

@thanushpoulsen Going to be honest these places make it WAY too hard to adopt a dog. I get the wanting to make sure they go to a good home and won’t be used for anything abusive or nefarious but just because you live in an apartment does not mean you cannot give that dog an amazing life. And having their own human and home is FAR better than going from foster to foster or being stuck in a kennel at the pound. I say do/say what you need to, to get your dog. Just know you are making a commitment to that animal and it’s YOUR family from that moment onwards. Maybe this is unethical… I’m not going to argue the point. Let’s get a dog adopted to someone who can love and care for them.

 

[thanushpoulsen]

@monicaduncan Ha, thank you. I feel the same way, but wanted to check myself as I've never owned the breed before and don't know what I don't know. I agree, I think I need to advocate a bit more for myself. I know this dog will go to a loving home who will put him/her first in most ways, and am fully prepared to be exhausted, lol. It would be so worth it!

 

[monicaduncan]

@thanushpoulsen It’s is so worth it. I’m going through a health scare with my girl rn. (She’s 15 and still a bossy little thing) and seeing her exhausted and tired when we were still walking 2-5 miles several times a week is hard. These are high energy dogs for their entire lives. They mellow out some around 5 but my girl would chase a ball till she couldn’t breathe up until she couldn’t see them anymore. The ball/prey drive is GREAT for training though. If they love the ball they will do anything for the ball… anything… roll over… army crawl… high-five… probably drive a car lol. Lots of socialization and it needs to be ongoing… heelers are kind of known for not enjoying other dogs but if you keep up with it- it’s manageable. And if you can manage having a silly, bossy, house gremlin that wants to be right next to you at all time you’ll have an amazing, loyal friend that would take a bullet for you. good luck OP your dog is out there

 

[thanushpoulsen]

@monicaduncan I feel you on the aging of your dog. My partner brought a border collie/beagle to our relationship when we got together and he was a super active, awesome guy. He passed last year at the age of 15 and it got rough watching him tire so easily, and not be able to play as long/hard and have to skip the hikes towards the end. I feel your struggle, and sure that she loves all of the time you've given her and continue to give her. Thank you for the info and reply

 

[barryman]

@monicaduncan I was thinking this too. I would rather see a happy dog in an apartment then wasting away in a shelter for the rest of their lives.

 

[monicaduncan]

@barryman Absolutely… like hey if we could all afford houses with green lawns we probably would. That’s just not realistic though and the most import thing is pairing the dogs with people that love and can care for them. The important things are: is that dog safe? Is that dog fed? Is that dog loved? Is that dog cared for? If you can check those boxes is it better than the dog not having a person!

 

[musicoceanview34]

@thanushpoulsen You might also consider fostering first! It’s a great chance to get your foot in the door with a rescue, see how realistic your planning is when the rubber hits the road, and most importantly help a few dogs along the way!
My partner and I are in a very similar situation and have fostered 4 dogs with Doggone Seattle. It’s been extremely rewarding, and has shifted our understanding of the type of dog that will be the best fit for us (and vice versa). Can’t recommend it enough!
PNW Cattle Dog rescue is a great organization, as is Doggone Seattle if you’re on the west side of the state.
Good luck!

 

[thanushpoulsen]

@musicoceanview34 Hey, great idea! I'd have to talk to my partner first, but this could be a great option. And thank you for the recommendation, I've seen PNW Cattle Dog but not Doggone so I will check it out. Thank you!

 

[childofone]

@thanushpoulsen You're fine. Our ACD (Juno) lives a very similar life, other than going to the office with my husband a couple days a week instead of their WFH routine. She's a happy, friendly and well-exercised pooch even though she's not loose on a ranch or in the backyard all day. Canicross and hiking plus a human to hang with makes her happy. Juno spends a LOT of time hanging out with lots of vets during her office days and they all agree she's getting plenty of mental and physical workouts.

I'd suggest scentwork as an apartment-friendly brain puzzle for your hypothetical pup. Easy to run indoors if its raining or you're sick, and it'll tucker their noggin out no problem.

 

[thanushpoulsen]

@childofone Thank you for the tip! I'd thought about scentwork as well but don't know much about it - is there anything you'd recommend specifically?

 

[bradleympj]

@thanushpoulsen Not who you asked, but we taught our ACD basic at-home scentwork by stabbing some holes in the top of a plastic takeout container and putting cloves (like the whole spices, but anything with a strong smell would work) in there, and then taught her that "sniff!" meant to touch her nose to the container while I held it out to her. Then from my other hand, behind my back, on the floor a few feet away, etc., basically building up distance / having it out of immediate sight.

Now we have her sit/stay on a mat or her bed, walk into a different room to hide the container somewhere, and then release her to "sniff" it out. Only takes like 15-20 minutes to tire her out.