› Flat Chat Strata Forum › Pets: Furry friends … or fiends? › Applying for an as-yet unborn puppy › Current Page
@madamme said:
Thanks. I didn’t think my question was that complex neither did I think Google would tell everything, hence I’m garnering wider advice.
I don’t recall anyone saying your question was complicated – but then neither is “how long is a piece of string?”
You provided in an earlier post a long list of things you found on Google. If you feel the need to tick all those boxes, then go right ahead. It can’t do any harm.
I would think an equally compelling argument might be to source material from a variety of sources (yes, Google) that shows your choice of dog breed is particularly well-suited to apartment living (like the webpage here).
Actually, labradors don’t make the “best” list but they do make a “worst dog for apartments” list, albeit because they require a lot of exercise. Having said that, some dogs, like chihuahuas and Yorkies make both lists because they are small but yappy.
It is never as obvious as it seems. The size of the dog is the least of the issues. Small territorial dogs can be a nightmare for neighbours as they yap at any sound. Large dogs like Great Danes are perfect because they rarely bark and require little exercise. I love labradors and Border collies but I’m not sure I would bring either into an apartment block.
Probably your behaviour is as significant to your neighbours as your dog’s. If you are not planning to leave the dog alone all day and if you won’t be leaving it on the balcony while you are out, and are planning to use a dog walker when you aren’t there, these will all figure at least as prominently in your neighbours’ minds as the breed.
And finally, at the risk of repeating myself, the situation in your specific block is more significant than what has happened in a thousand others. Every strata scheme is a unique mixture of individuals with their own hobby horses and pet hates (one of which may be that they actually hate pets).
Elsewhere on this forum an owner who wants a dog is dealing with a neighbour who claims to have a phobia. Irresistible force, meet immovable object. In fact, a quick scroll through the “pet hates …” forum will reveal various tales of success and failure.
So forget the strata manager and talk to your neighbours or, at the very least, the strata committee members. Find out if this has been an issue in the past and, if so, how it was dealt with.
Your strata committee will decide whether or not you can have a dog (at least in the first instance). It is they whom you have to convince, no one else.