Moving out and downsizing, how do you help your Cattle Dog live in a small space?

[toneee]

Hey y’all, so for a little context I have a 5 year old ACD/GSD Mix. We live with my parents on a 1.5 acre property but both of my parents will be moving abroad for work for at least 2 years and they’re going to rent out our house, so me and my dog are moving out. There’s absolutely no way in hell I can afford a place to give her the same kind of space and I feel awful moving her to an apartment so I’m also moving out of the country in a few weeks so I can at least afford to rent a house with a small yard for her and commute across the border for work.
Was wondering what I can do to help manage her energy with a lack of space in a densely populated city beyond, doggy daycare, walks/jogs/hikes, toys/puzzles, and taking her to dog parks (She’s not friendly so I avoid dog parks, but she is trained so we’ve never had an incident or trouble when we do go, still prefer to avoid them.) Also looking into paying a friend who’s unable to work to come over and hang with her while me and my partner are working but nothings set in stone yet. There’s been some discussion about possibly rehoming her but I’ve raised her since she was 6 weeks old and the thought alone makes me feel like i’m gonna pass out. I’ll do pretty much anything to make this work but if I can’t make this work after a few months and she’s suffering for it I’m going to do what’s best for her even if it kills me. Any advice, trips, tricks, what worked for you, what didn’t, anything at all is very much appreciated.

 

[lee102]

@toneee Cattle dogs can easily live in an apartment. Consider that in the wild, a den is usually a small cave or hole dug into the side of a hill. It’s the other times that they need room to roam and have stimulation.

I run my dogs using a commuter scooter. They’ve always been well adjusted and not destructive. They are also highly trained., so I can’t comment on how your dog would do. Also, I throw the ball inside my house. We’ve never broken anything.

As for your dog not being social… you can drive to a hiking trail or the country for weekend outings.

Please don’t even think about rehoming your best friend. They are adaptable and prefer to be wherever you are, even if it’s a major lifestyle change.

 

[jaimea1]

@lee102 This.

Also look into ways to keep her more mentally stimulated. Feed her in a frozen kong or snuffle mat. Or just toss her kibble into the grass or on the floor - mine loves hunting for it.

Teach her new tricks. Play find-it in the house - mine gets so excited working with me to search for something. We play ball in small spaces by bouncing it straight up and he catches it mid-air.

You’ll be fine!

 

[ladybugs4red]

@toneee We used Sniff Spot when we didn’t have a yard for our dog for a few months! You just rent out someone’s backyard for an hour or sometimes the day and let your dog run and play. All the yards I saw were priced pretty cheap. I think ours was $9 an hour

 

[imadaydreambeliever]

@ladybugs4red Omg this might be a lifesaver. Is this an app?

 

[ladybugs4red]

@imadaydreambeliever Yeah I use the app! Such a life saver!

 

[cloelace]

@toneee Other commenters have given you good advice.

I'd like to confirm -- it's probably OK to raise your ACD in an apartment, as long as you find your balance. We live in an apartment in a city, and our ACD boy has been happy and well-behaved. We take him outside 2+ hours every day with no off day (does take a bit of discipline from ourselves, but we also enjoy it; in fact that's one of the main reasons we got an ACD). We also play with him indoors in short bursts (~2-5 minutes) a few times a day. Tugging and chasing a toy (e.g. using a flirt pole; sometimes we rush the toy around ourselves, now that he has pretty good aim and no longer accidentally bite us) seem to really tire him out. And we train him, which is also mental stimulation. The added benefit is that he knows dozens of commands, and it's fun. We sometimes play a sniff/find-it game in the apartment, and 3 rounds of it take only ~10 minutes but it's a lot of fun for the pup and the humans alike.

Don't forget to take care of yourself too. Moving under this circumstance must be quite difficult for you. Don't drive yourself too hard, and try not to worry too much. You can only take care of someone else when you yourself are happy and healthy.

 

[dsx]

@toneee I’ve done this and my ACD is fine

TLDR - You got this!!!

​

Previously: He had a fenced yard + daily off leash hikes in the forest/countryside.

Now: We live in a tiny house (less than 400 square feet). He gets a walk in the morning before I start work and a walk in the afternoon as soon as I finish. He gets another walk in the evening and has plenty of play time and trick training to exhaust his mind. On the weekends we go hiking and camping and he gets time to run free outside of the city.

I work from home and the entire 8+ hrs I’m working the dog is typically sleeping on his bed beside my desk. I thought he would be sad and deprived in a tiny house but he’s a velcro dog. Even if we had 4,000 square feet he wouldn’t be using it, he’d be sleeping in whatever room I was in.

 

[savedbygrace26]

@toneee I did this. Moved from a country house in a village with nearly an acre of yard, to a tiny city box apartment next to a mall. My ACD/Springer Spaniel came with me as a 1 year old dog. We lived the next 8 years in apartments. It's doable. You've already had this dog for a while, so you understand the energy needs. What do you do already to manage it? I used to take my girl for a half hour walk every morning before work. 2 or so hours of fetch at a nearby soccer field when I got home from work. A 45 min walk with my boyfriend after dinner. Every single day. You don't need a big house to have a cattle dog. You don't need livestock. You just need to help them work out their energy and give their brain things to work on. Boyfriend and I both worked full time and didn't come home for lunch. She just slept all day. Tired dog is a good dog.

 

[cscotte]

@toneee Mine does fine with our backyard, puzzle toys, and walks when I have time/the weather works for us. He’s a little crazy in the winter, but he’s fine overall. I kennel him while I’m at work and he doesn’t care lol I also have a border collie mix so I got double trouble. They’re fine in smaller spaces with mental stimulation and even just 30 minutes of exercise a day. They adapt well.

 

[ayoub77]

@toneee I don’t have a lot of space but a very happy dog because I keep him engaged mostly all day, fun training, puzzles hikes and runs. He’s asleep by 7 most days lol

 

[imagebeastmarkbeast]

@toneee Raised mine In nyc for a few years. It was fine. Just walk your dog for 30-45 min a day, twice a day, you good. And I mean YOU walk him, not the dog walk you. It’s no biggie. They do fine, just do your responsibilities and all good

 

[obadimu]

@toneee Was the dog always out on the acreage? I think it will be fine honestly since you clearly know many ways to engage the dog mentally and physically. You’ll probably have to up the actual walks, might have to squeeze them in before or after work or during your lunch. I know all dogs are different but you’ve got better chance with a five yr old dog that may be just on the verge of slowing down slightly than say, a 1-3 yr old.

My 2 yr old ACD/pit/mutt mix is doing decently in an apt. It’s not quite enough physically, I still think he gets bored sometimes, but he’s by no means depressed or destructive with two walks, puzzle toys and play time.

 

[aaron57]

@toneee I adopted mine at 2 and moved him into our apartment. It worked out well for years until we could get a yard. He did great.

 

[aleigh2639]

@toneee The fact is your doll is 5( yes I have a 5 yo girl who is a working dog and she is still crazy) BUT I do believe if you figure out some mental stimulation, you can do this. Is there anyway you can do frisbee with her or ball catch somewhere? I don’t think the prospect of placing her at her age is good Both breeds become very attached to their people.

 

[aryehyehudah]

@toneee My heeler rode with me when I drove truck, he got a very small amount of playtime and walks at rest ares and truck stops. He was always happy. I think your friend coming to sit is best. They'll both have company and you'll be helping your friend out. My current girl stays in her crate 8-10 hrs a day while I'm at work and we just play ball in the yard and house, then go for a walk maybe once a week. Don't discount their ability to adapt.

 

[literal6days]

@toneee i’m in a similar situation! i have a 1.5 year old GSD/ACD mix who is a bit reactive as well and my parents are retiring abroad in a year. i’m moving into an apartment next month so i’m losing what little yard i have now but we’ve made it work - i think you will too!

reiterating what others have mentioned - mental stimulation is key. i rely on a lot of sniff work and licking to keep him calm and busy, even if it’s not a high energy activity. snuffle mats, frozen kong, lick mats, puzzle toys - not just for treats or activity, but feed his meal this way too. i’ve had a tight budget all year so i’ve DIY’d alternatives.

i’ve heard multiple times that 20mins of mental stimulation is equivalent to 60mins of physical activity. if you can’t get a run or big playtime on your schedule, let him sniff all he wants during his walk - even if you barely really walk or cover much distance. also try walking on the opposite side of the street.

i completely understand your worry and the hope of not to rehome your baby. an apartment complex i was looking at a few weeks ago essentially asked me if i was willing to give up my dog to live at their unit. i was offended & moved on to a different complex. i don’t think you would have to make that difficult decision, OP. everything will work itself out!

 

[ceejay42]

@toneee If I had 100 acres and my dog was outside alone, he’d be standing at the door, wondering where I am. They can definitely adapt, I think having interaction is most important—especially if that’s what they’re used to. My dog could live in a car as long as he knows I’ll be coming back.