Moving with my dogs to a small apartment, help

[Isaline]

My two dogs live with me on a farm. Since things are going downhill with my SO, there is a good chance that the dogs and I will move to a much smaller place in the city soon.

I am very worried that they will have a hard time adjusting and that I will have problems with my neighbours if the dogs bark, etc. Do you have any tips on how to make this work?

I work a full-time job, and I am away for 9 hours per day, and I work in shift (so sometimes I come home late at night). My dogs are 6 and 7 year-old, a Border Collie and a Papillon. I take them running with me so they would have enough exercice, but I am worried that they will bark out of boredom or cause problems during the day or the evening when I am not there. Help?

[moonriverfarm]

Been there done that. Leave a TV on and even a box fan to make white noise and kep the dogs hearing constant conversation so they dont bark when they hear things outsode. Dogs seem pretty adaptible. Mine were fine once they knew the routine and that I was coming home every afternoon. Do you crate them? (I don’t but that might work). Good luck. When I bailed on my abusive husband i took with me seven chihuahuas , three Labs and a greyhound. You can do this!

[cowboymom]

I’m temporarily staying at my parents’ house in town with five dogs that are used to being out of town. At first they were barking constantly at all the surrounding noise, other dogs, traffic, walkers, voices, ect.

If I was away or attempting to sleep without barking I played music or tv, background noise of some sort.

When you’re home and able to manage it, have the house be quiet so they can hear all the new noises and you’re there to teach them that it’s not necessary to bark at everylittlething.

Leave white noise on when you’re gone, ask the neighbors to let you know if there is a problem you need to address and give them some time to figure it all out.

sorry for the upheaval for all of you!

[hanoverianlover]

Dogs are very adaptable. I do not think its going to be a big deal for them. I rescued a Doberman from a farm and he was used to being outside running and playing. Through many life changes I ended up in a smaller place close to others and my big boy adujusted just fine. When I leave he watches TV, or a movie. I also have a small fan on.

I hope the best for you

[candysgirl]

I lived in an apartment with my old border collie for years. Its totally doable. Once he knew the routine (which involved plenty of exercise and mental stimulation), he was just fine.

[wendy]

I moved from a house with huge yard to an apartment with a malinois and a big mutt, for much the same reason you list. The dogs didn’t miss a beat, and in fact seem to much prefer the apartment life- they enjoy hanging out on the balcony and watching the kids play and the neighbors go by, and they really enjoy going for extensive sniff-walks on the heavily used sidewalks and trails, meeting the neighbor dogs and neighbors, visiting the local green spaces, etc.
They actually get a lot more exercise/mental stimulation now, in the apartment, than in the house- at the house, each day they got a good run, training time, and some yard play time; at the apartment, each day they get a good run, training time, some yard play time, plus three or four walks, plus hanging out on the balcony watching the action. No action at the house, it was dead quiet, nothing ever happened, nothing much to do out in the yard if some human didn’t come out also to play with dogs.
I watch the dogs in the neighboring houses + yards, and the dogs in the apartments, and almost universally the dogs in the apartments seem to get more exercise and mental stimulation than the house dogs- the house dog owners tend to just chuck them out in the yard to be bored, while the apartment dogs get walked and played with.
As a dog OWNER though, it is much easier to just have that yard- particularly when it’s pouring rain or freezing cold at last-night potty time, and you wish you could just open the door for them without having to go out yourself.
But the dogs, they will be fine anywhere as long as their owner makes an effort to meet their needs.

[jetsmom]

As soon as you move in, bake some cookies and bring to your neighbors and introduce yourself. Explain that you are moving from a farm, and are worried about your 2 dogs having an adjustment period. Ask them to let you know if they are barking excessively when you are at work. Tell them that if they are, you need to know, so you can address it.

Then follow up with them in a few days and ask how they are doing during the day. The neighbors will be a lot more patient if they feel that you are a responsible owner and a considerate neighbor. It will ward off complaints top the apt mgmt. co, (if they are barking), if you establish goodwill from the outset.

[betsyk]

I had to do something similar when my dogs were very young, like 2 years old and 9 months. It was hard for them at first, and a crate helped (after they destroyed the couch on my first full day of work). I learned that they usually barked for the first 15 minutes or so after I left in the morning, then not again all day. That was fine except that I left for work around 7am, which was on the early side for my neighbor… They adjusted, it just took time (and a lot of exercise).

[HorsePrerace]

Yes a crate will be great at least to start. And 2 walks a day if possible. They should adjust shortly. Good luck

[pinkpony321]

[QUOTE=jetsmom;7452448]
As soon as you move in, bake some cookies and bring to your neighbors and introduce yourself. Explain that you are moving from a farm, and are worried about your 2 dogs having an adjustment period. Ask them to let you know if they are barking excessively when you are at work. Tell them that if they are, you need to know, so you can address it.

Then follow up with them in a few days and ask how they are doing during the day. The neighbors will be a lot more patient if they feel that you are a responsible owner and a considerate neighbor. It will ward off complaints top the apt mgmt. co, (if they are barking), if you establish goodwill from the outset.[/QUOTE]

Great advice here!
we moved from suburbia to DC with a terrier. he did fine, we just did LOTS of walks/runs. leaving the TV on when we were gone helped. if you take them running with you pretty regularly then i think you will be ok.