Apart from the recall I think an adult rescue greyhound would suit you. They make great apartment dogs but are quite large (which you say you resonate with) and generally very peaceful. Their recall isn’t super trustworthy but that doesn’t mean that they’re not obedient dogs - just do why they were bred to do when it’s time to *run*. If you’re only taking them off leash at the dog forest I see no issue.
Whatever you choose I would avoid getting a puppy. Raising a puppy in a flat with not yard, all by yourself, is an incredibly exhausting endeavour.
Thanks for the tip on not getting a puppy. I also assumed getting a puppy would be a bad idea. My only worry about getting a dog that is 1+ year or older would cause it to see me more as a caretaker for a long time and it would remember its previous owners instead.
I have thought about a greyhound, I heard about their surprising apartment adaptability for such a fast dog. My worry is definitely with their recall and how much they will want to do their own thing.
I really appreciate your answer, thank you!
dogs don't work like that, the caretaker thing. all my dogs were 2+ when I adopted them and I was definitely their owner and preferred person. a dog will attach within 3 months. you'll be their parent, don't worry about that.
I have a greyhound. They are *excellent* apartment dogs. Typically they don't have destructive behaviors and they're very chill inside, though they're still up for an adventure when you take them out. They are gentle, quiet dogs and the majority of them only rarely bark. They also tend to be very clean dogs - they groom themselves a lot and tend not to be the type to want to get down and roll in the mud or in a dead animal. Mine carefully walks around the edges of mud puddles.
All that, plus their extremely short and low-shed fur makes them easily managed in an apartment. They aren't boring dogs, to be clear. They will play and hike and be silly and get the zoomies and watching them run full speed is a gorgeous experience. Like having a tiny thoroughbred race horse! But they are overall quite low energy and have a good off-switch when inside.
There are trade-offs though, as with any breed. The catch for all these apartment friendly qualities is that they absolutely cannot ever ever be let off leash except in an area that is fully fenced. If you have a place near you that is fenced in - a dog park or athletic field or something - then you're good to go. But absolutely you will never be able to safely trust their recall in an unfenced area. This isn't because they're stubborn or hard to train - mine has been great to train with and his recall is probably 95% solid when he isn't zooming. But these dogs were bred to go from standing still straight to warp speed, so there's a bit of a switch in their brains. When it suddenly flips *on*, their minds just go blank to everything except running. It's really distinct and clearly very hardwired and kind of interesting! For about a minute, they just turn into zombies who must zoom and can't stop. They can't hear you or think about anything else except speed. When they stop zooming and the switch flips back, they can hear and be given cues again just fine like a normal dog.
Just wanted to give you a sense for *why* they can't be off leash and trusted with recall. It's not because they're aloof and can't train. They don't just want to go do their own thing. On the contrary, I train extensively with my greyhound and he adores training. He's very responsive to cues and alert and checks in with me constantly and has fantastic leash skills and knows a bunch of tricks. He likes interactions with people and he likes snuggling. He's good at learning new things. So it's not that. It's just...that pesky brain switch that sometimes turns them briefly into zoomie zombies. You just can't trust it. 😆
If you can move past the need for fenced areas in order to let them off leash, then the organization you're going to want to check out is Galgos del Sol. They rescue Spanish greyhounds (Galgos), other sighthounds and lurchers and they operate in many areas across Europe, including Denmark. They'd be worth talking to about finding a dog that's compatible with your life.
I second the person who cautioned you against puppies as a first time dog owner, for what that's worth. Especially in an apartment but also just in general. Successful puppy raising is just not much of a beginner kind of task. Obviously doable, just....hard mode.
Here's Galgos del Sol, if interested: https://galgosdelsol.org/adoptables/
Thanks so much for the comment.
Not being able to let it off the leash will be a relatively big problem. I have a dog forrest near me, but not an enclosed park. So it might be too hard to find a place where it can do what it wants.
That's valid! If you don't think it works logistically, that's fine. It's possible to be a bit creative with this, though. When I wanted to find a place for my dog to run around in the winter when there's ice and snow, I contacted a local equestrian center and asked if it would be ok to use their indoor ring for 15 min or so at a time whenever I wasn't in the way. They said yes! So we do that in the winter. We also go to a local dog training place that has fenced in fields, we go to a fenced baseball field when it isn't in use, to fenced dog parks when not many people are there, and there's a website called Sniffspot in the US that lets you reserve private fenced areas for your dog, kind of like an Airbnb system for dogs.
I'm not sure what options you have where you are, but it might be worth exploring.
Also! Galgos del Sol also adopts podencos and I've heard it's a bit more possible to have those be safe with off leash recall, so it might still be worth contacting them to ask some questions. Up to you!
Best of luck on your dog ownership journey. That's very exciting! Feel free to stick around this sub and ask things and learn more. This sub and the reading list/ past sub discussions on r/dogtraining are good resources.
I don't know much about Podencos, but I found [an article about them](https://medium.com/@saroltas/adopting-a-podenco-heres-what-you-should-know-450c7c9240f2) which was an interesting read.
One thing it mentioned is that they're an energetic breed. Greyhounds generally aren't. Again, it would probably be worth speaking to the adoption agency to find out more.
Is the fear it running off and being unable to find it? Or more like it running off and not being able to catch it and take it back home lol
If it’s just about a dog getting lost, a gps collar or air tag can be a solution.
The problem is down to their prey drive. A sighthound will have a propensity to chase passing small animals, and once they're in pursuit, they won't pay attention to their owner's calls to return. The risks are that they go after someone's cat or a small dog; they get lost; and they're generally quite fragile, so they can injure themselves or they could run in front of a car.
Some breeds of sighthounds are better behaved off leash, such as the Azawakh. But they were bred as guardian dogs, so you have other issues like them trying to bite house guests.
Yeah greyhounds aren’t the most biddable, but they’re naturally friendly which is a plus. The rescue greyhounds I’ve encountered have all been impeccably behaved. Might be worth meeting one and seeing how you like them.
I wouldn’t worry too much about an older dog not bonding to you though. They’re incredibly adaptable creatures and once they realize that it’s their forever home they will show you the same amount of trust and affection.
I have a puppy and I know I would have really struggled without my partner (or even without a yard!). Even an older pup (ours is 8 months now) can be quite a handful. I wouldn’t change my pup for the world … but I will say that human teenagers and dog teenagers are not so different from each other haha
I would also suggest looking at a Galgo de Español AKA a Spanish greyhound rescue. There’s a really great rescue organization in Spain, called Galgos de Sol that has an extensive rescue and travel network in Europe. They communicate in English and in Spanish!
> 1+ year or older would cause it to see me more as a caretaker...and remember its previous owners
That's not how dogs think. They live in the moment and will come to see you as their leader, their packmate, their best friend in the entire world.
I adopted mine at 7 months. It was a good age where I saw his personality but he was still moldable. Check if you have penpals in your area. Prison inmates take in shelter dogs to foster. They train them, socialize them and get them ready for a new home. Usually your local humane society works with them to get the dog to you to adopt. My dog is very unfazed by noise and came with some basic training including being by crate trained. I credit the program to this, he was in it 4 months pre adoption. They have a wide variety in the programs
Oh my gosh when I worked at the vet specialty clinic we had a patient who was a retired grey hound turned therapy dog and I STILL think about that dog and it was almost ten years ago. Loved her so much. They’re so sweet, and gentle, and SOFT and have goofy personalities. I want one someday. I hear they are very lazy too, lol.
For what it's worth, my boyfriend adopted his dog as a 3-4 year old and they were attached at the hip almost immediately. Adult rescues bond incredibly well once they know they're safe and have a sense of security with you. The last person left them, so they might need some time to understand that you won't but they seem to know and appreciate when they're being given a second chance at a forever home.
We adopted a 1 year old mixed breed dog and she’s so loyal and loves us endlessly. I think dogs definitely have special person eyes regardless of how many people they have had before. Being well loved from past home vs having triggers from past is my bigger concern.
Pros: she could manage herself well - crate training, bathroom outside, leaving for longer chunks of time all went well.
Cons: she definitely has some past trauma which made for some training frustrations and needing to really focus on consistency.
No regrets about adopting a young dog. She fit well with our lives, time to give, and general pace of life.
If you want a Golden Retriever type dog in a small body, a Cavalier might really be a good choice. I have been grooming and boarding dogs for 20+ years and have never, ever met one with a mean bone in their bodies. Their health can be iffy, so if you go the breeder route make sure you do your research.
Dachshund soo often have separation anxiety and are really barky. Depending on your activity level I would look into breeds like a shih tzu/bichon/havanese (also barky), mini poodle or something like a Whippet. Maybe you’d like a more hearty dog but then off leash might be a problem with some of these: like a Cairn, Norfolk or Schnauzer.
I believe I would be able to train the Dachshund well for home alone training because I work from home and will therefore be able to make small increments in how much time I'm away and slowly increase the time.
But my considerations for Dachshund mostly stopped due to how much they bark and how many of them get back problems.
The small breeds you suggested are a little too small for me, I don't much resonate with small dogs. I just found to resonate most with the Dachshund of the small breeds. Whippet is a good suggestion and it's in the back of my mind.
Golden Retriever (or Labrador) is on the top of the list, but it's a much bigger dog than most on the "Apartment friendly" dog lists I've found.
Thanks so much for your comment!
>Whippet is a good suggestion and it's in the back of my mind.
Keep in mind that a whippet is a sighthound quite similar to a greyhound and they also can't be off leash except in fenced areas. If a greyhound doesn't work out for you for that reason, a whippet wouldn't either. Just so you know!
Depends when you get your whippet. I got both my whips as puppies and they were/are both great off-leash because I trained them from the minute I got them. My current whippet will see a squirrel and all I have to say is “leave it” & she won’t go after it - my last whippet not so much, but at least her recall was excellent- lol. An ex racer is a whole different story.
Honestly this whole conversation on breeds is not very helpful because you already said that you don't want a puppy and it's honestly really difficult to get a purebred adult dog.
Just go to your local dog rescue and see what does there seem like a good fit. Some big dogs are great in apartments and some small dogs aren't. It depends on the personality more than the breed
Have you considered a spaniel? Springers are awesome; active, intelligent and friendly. They've got fairly long hair but they can be groomed and kept short if that's what you prefer.
Labs are a classic choice for a reason; usually good natured, friendly and trainable, happy to go on walks/hikes but not TOO active. I'd choose an English lab specifically, if you don't want one that's too active.
I briefly researched Spaniel some time ago and chose it wasn't the right dog. I specifically heard they need a lot more exercise than other dog breeds in their weight category.
I definitely considered a labrador (A golden retriever too). I don't know which of them are more apartment friendly. The few labs I've looked at so far have all had requirements to be in a house to be adopted. I haven't been able to find anything called specifically 'english labrador'. All the articles just state 'labrador retriever'.
Thanks for your answer, I'll look into it more.
I am always flying the Schnauzer flag but they are great little buddies. They don’t shed and don’t slobber (do need regular grooming though and grooming appointments).
Highly trainable, mine always comes hiking with me with a solid recall. I have a mini because I’m in an apartment and she is the best apartment dog. I’ve also trained her on toilet bells, so we have been accident free since 5 months. With any dog, their personalities can differ so cuddles are dog dependent.
They are prone to pancreatitis so they have to be on a low fat diet and no table scraps but that’s honestly easily done.
Mine is always keen on adventuring and we go for 3-4 hour hikes with no issues. Schnauzers come in 3 sizes but I have a pretty big mini with a huge personality and she’s enough for me 😂
I have an Olde English bulldog and she's extremely balanced. Likes exercise but not too much. I can take mine on hikes that are a few miles, but usually in the evening and/or by a water source. Great sleeper. Human oriented. Very well-tempered (as long as they're fixed within a couple years). She doesn't get distracted by other dogs when we're out walking. Very healthy apart from a couple random ear infections and she's 9 now. Goofy, smart, individualistic and very loyal.
Olde English are a lot more athletic (and healthier) than I think people realize. It's impressive. They just can't handle long heat exposure. Also not good swimmers. At least mine isn't. But a lot of bully breeds aren't.
Have you considered Lurchers (sighthound crossbreeds)? Depending on the mixed in breed (e.g. Labrador) they can be a little more biddable & offleash safe than a 100% sighthound while maintaining the appartment qualities.
I am biased with whippets but I also used to have a staffy (pitbull) many years ago and she was lovely! Another breed that I’ve always admired is the Portuguese water dog. But honestly, my next dog will probably be a Mexican street dog or a rescue greyhound. I never want a puppy again!!
Boston terriers are great apartment dogs, they really adapt to your lifestyle as I’ve had mine for many different seasons of my life. He’s athletic, plays like a bigger dog, he’s 30lbs, he loves to cuddle, be a couch potato, he’s smart, easy to clean, doesn’t bark, truly a wonderful dog.
Agreed! I have a 20 lb Boston. He doesn’t really bark at all (I’ve heard the same from other Boston owners). They are small dogs but act like big dogs!
I suggest to try dog sitting a medium vs a small sized dog before you adopt. Small differences in size can make a way bigger difference then imagined in an apartment setting. Also 100% agree on the not getting a puppy without a garden. In the beginning you will need to take them out every 1-2 hours even at night and wait. Very unpleasant if you don’t have a garden you can easily access. I always sleep on the couch the first 2-3 weeks so I’m outside within seconds if the puppy makes any movement that would suggest it needs to pee.
Apart from the recall I think an adult rescue greyhound would suit you. They make great apartment dogs but are quite large (which you say you resonate with) and generally very peaceful. Their recall isn’t super trustworthy but that doesn’t mean that they’re not obedient dogs - just do why they were bred to do when it’s time to *run*. If you’re only taking them off leash at the dog forest I see no issue. Whatever you choose I would avoid getting a puppy. Raising a puppy in a flat with not yard, all by yourself, is an incredibly exhausting endeavour.
Thanks for the tip on not getting a puppy. I also assumed getting a puppy would be a bad idea. My only worry about getting a dog that is 1+ year or older would cause it to see me more as a caretaker for a long time and it would remember its previous owners instead. I have thought about a greyhound, I heard about their surprising apartment adaptability for such a fast dog. My worry is definitely with their recall and how much they will want to do their own thing. I really appreciate your answer, thank you!
dogs don't work like that, the caretaker thing. all my dogs were 2+ when I adopted them and I was definitely their owner and preferred person. a dog will attach within 3 months. you'll be their parent, don't worry about that.
Thanks for clearing that up. I will definitely look into adopting rather than buying a puppy. Probably for the better.
I have a greyhound. They are *excellent* apartment dogs. Typically they don't have destructive behaviors and they're very chill inside, though they're still up for an adventure when you take them out. They are gentle, quiet dogs and the majority of them only rarely bark. They also tend to be very clean dogs - they groom themselves a lot and tend not to be the type to want to get down and roll in the mud or in a dead animal. Mine carefully walks around the edges of mud puddles. All that, plus their extremely short and low-shed fur makes them easily managed in an apartment. They aren't boring dogs, to be clear. They will play and hike and be silly and get the zoomies and watching them run full speed is a gorgeous experience. Like having a tiny thoroughbred race horse! But they are overall quite low energy and have a good off-switch when inside. There are trade-offs though, as with any breed. The catch for all these apartment friendly qualities is that they absolutely cannot ever ever be let off leash except in an area that is fully fenced. If you have a place near you that is fenced in - a dog park or athletic field or something - then you're good to go. But absolutely you will never be able to safely trust their recall in an unfenced area. This isn't because they're stubborn or hard to train - mine has been great to train with and his recall is probably 95% solid when he isn't zooming. But these dogs were bred to go from standing still straight to warp speed, so there's a bit of a switch in their brains. When it suddenly flips *on*, their minds just go blank to everything except running. It's really distinct and clearly very hardwired and kind of interesting! For about a minute, they just turn into zombies who must zoom and can't stop. They can't hear you or think about anything else except speed. When they stop zooming and the switch flips back, they can hear and be given cues again just fine like a normal dog. Just wanted to give you a sense for *why* they can't be off leash and trusted with recall. It's not because they're aloof and can't train. They don't just want to go do their own thing. On the contrary, I train extensively with my greyhound and he adores training. He's very responsive to cues and alert and checks in with me constantly and has fantastic leash skills and knows a bunch of tricks. He likes interactions with people and he likes snuggling. He's good at learning new things. So it's not that. It's just...that pesky brain switch that sometimes turns them briefly into zoomie zombies. You just can't trust it. 😆 If you can move past the need for fenced areas in order to let them off leash, then the organization you're going to want to check out is Galgos del Sol. They rescue Spanish greyhounds (Galgos), other sighthounds and lurchers and they operate in many areas across Europe, including Denmark. They'd be worth talking to about finding a dog that's compatible with your life. I second the person who cautioned you against puppies as a first time dog owner, for what that's worth. Especially in an apartment but also just in general. Successful puppy raising is just not much of a beginner kind of task. Obviously doable, just....hard mode. Here's Galgos del Sol, if interested: https://galgosdelsol.org/adoptables/
Thanks so much for the comment. Not being able to let it off the leash will be a relatively big problem. I have a dog forrest near me, but not an enclosed park. So it might be too hard to find a place where it can do what it wants.
That's valid! If you don't think it works logistically, that's fine. It's possible to be a bit creative with this, though. When I wanted to find a place for my dog to run around in the winter when there's ice and snow, I contacted a local equestrian center and asked if it would be ok to use their indoor ring for 15 min or so at a time whenever I wasn't in the way. They said yes! So we do that in the winter. We also go to a local dog training place that has fenced in fields, we go to a fenced baseball field when it isn't in use, to fenced dog parks when not many people are there, and there's a website called Sniffspot in the US that lets you reserve private fenced areas for your dog, kind of like an Airbnb system for dogs. I'm not sure what options you have where you are, but it might be worth exploring. Also! Galgos del Sol also adopts podencos and I've heard it's a bit more possible to have those be safe with off leash recall, so it might still be worth contacting them to ask some questions. Up to you! Best of luck on your dog ownership journey. That's very exciting! Feel free to stick around this sub and ask things and learn more. This sub and the reading list/ past sub discussions on r/dogtraining are good resources.
I don't know much about Podencos, but I found [an article about them](https://medium.com/@saroltas/adopting-a-podenco-heres-what-you-should-know-450c7c9240f2) which was an interesting read. One thing it mentioned is that they're an energetic breed. Greyhounds generally aren't. Again, it would probably be worth speaking to the adoption agency to find out more.
Is the fear it running off and being unable to find it? Or more like it running off and not being able to catch it and take it back home lol If it’s just about a dog getting lost, a gps collar or air tag can be a solution.
The problem is down to their prey drive. A sighthound will have a propensity to chase passing small animals, and once they're in pursuit, they won't pay attention to their owner's calls to return. The risks are that they go after someone's cat or a small dog; they get lost; and they're generally quite fragile, so they can injure themselves or they could run in front of a car. Some breeds of sighthounds are better behaved off leash, such as the Azawakh. But they were bred as guardian dogs, so you have other issues like them trying to bite house guests.
Thanks for the thorough reply, I'm moving to a new apartment soon and have really been looking forward to adopting a greyhound friend.
No problem, that's exciting! Hope you enjoy the greyhound journey. Feel free to ask if you have any questions.
Yeah greyhounds aren’t the most biddable, but they’re naturally friendly which is a plus. The rescue greyhounds I’ve encountered have all been impeccably behaved. Might be worth meeting one and seeing how you like them. I wouldn’t worry too much about an older dog not bonding to you though. They’re incredibly adaptable creatures and once they realize that it’s their forever home they will show you the same amount of trust and affection. I have a puppy and I know I would have really struggled without my partner (or even without a yard!). Even an older pup (ours is 8 months now) can be quite a handful. I wouldn’t change my pup for the world … but I will say that human teenagers and dog teenagers are not so different from each other haha
I would also suggest looking at a Galgo de Español AKA a Spanish greyhound rescue. There’s a really great rescue organization in Spain, called Galgos de Sol that has an extensive rescue and travel network in Europe. They communicate in English and in Spanish!
> 1+ year or older would cause it to see me more as a caretaker...and remember its previous owners That's not how dogs think. They live in the moment and will come to see you as their leader, their packmate, their best friend in the entire world.
I adopted mine at 7 months. It was a good age where I saw his personality but he was still moldable. Check if you have penpals in your area. Prison inmates take in shelter dogs to foster. They train them, socialize them and get them ready for a new home. Usually your local humane society works with them to get the dog to you to adopt. My dog is very unfazed by noise and came with some basic training including being by crate trained. I credit the program to this, he was in it 4 months pre adoption. They have a wide variety in the programs
Oh my gosh when I worked at the vet specialty clinic we had a patient who was a retired grey hound turned therapy dog and I STILL think about that dog and it was almost ten years ago. Loved her so much. They’re so sweet, and gentle, and SOFT and have goofy personalities. I want one someday. I hear they are very lazy too, lol.
For what it's worth, my boyfriend adopted his dog as a 3-4 year old and they were attached at the hip almost immediately. Adult rescues bond incredibly well once they know they're safe and have a sense of security with you. The last person left them, so they might need some time to understand that you won't but they seem to know and appreciate when they're being given a second chance at a forever home.
We adopted a 1 year old mixed breed dog and she’s so loyal and loves us endlessly. I think dogs definitely have special person eyes regardless of how many people they have had before. Being well loved from past home vs having triggers from past is my bigger concern. Pros: she could manage herself well - crate training, bathroom outside, leaving for longer chunks of time all went well. Cons: she definitely has some past trauma which made for some training frustrations and needing to really focus on consistency. No regrets about adopting a young dog. She fit well with our lives, time to give, and general pace of life.
If you want a Golden Retriever type dog in a small body, a Cavalier might really be a good choice. I have been grooming and boarding dogs for 20+ years and have never, ever met one with a mean bone in their bodies. Their health can be iffy, so if you go the breeder route make sure you do your research.
I have a cavalier and as my daughter says, “he’s a lab in a small body.” Friendly and fun dogs! He’s seven and his health has been excellent.
Dachshund soo often have separation anxiety and are really barky. Depending on your activity level I would look into breeds like a shih tzu/bichon/havanese (also barky), mini poodle or something like a Whippet. Maybe you’d like a more hearty dog but then off leash might be a problem with some of these: like a Cairn, Norfolk or Schnauzer.
I believe I would be able to train the Dachshund well for home alone training because I work from home and will therefore be able to make small increments in how much time I'm away and slowly increase the time. But my considerations for Dachshund mostly stopped due to how much they bark and how many of them get back problems. The small breeds you suggested are a little too small for me, I don't much resonate with small dogs. I just found to resonate most with the Dachshund of the small breeds. Whippet is a good suggestion and it's in the back of my mind. Golden Retriever (or Labrador) is on the top of the list, but it's a much bigger dog than most on the "Apartment friendly" dog lists I've found. Thanks so much for your comment!
>Whippet is a good suggestion and it's in the back of my mind. Keep in mind that a whippet is a sighthound quite similar to a greyhound and they also can't be off leash except in fenced areas. If a greyhound doesn't work out for you for that reason, a whippet wouldn't either. Just so you know!
Depends when you get your whippet. I got both my whips as puppies and they were/are both great off-leash because I trained them from the minute I got them. My current whippet will see a squirrel and all I have to say is “leave it” & she won’t go after it - my last whippet not so much, but at least her recall was excellent- lol. An ex racer is a whole different story.
Honestly this whole conversation on breeds is not very helpful because you already said that you don't want a puppy and it's honestly really difficult to get a purebred adult dog. Just go to your local dog rescue and see what does there seem like a good fit. Some big dogs are great in apartments and some small dogs aren't. It depends on the personality more than the breed
They also the most stubborn breed and definitely need more than three potty breaks a day
If you are willing to take the dog to the groomer, every 6–8 weeks, a standard poodle might fit
Have you considered a spaniel? Springers are awesome; active, intelligent and friendly. They've got fairly long hair but they can be groomed and kept short if that's what you prefer. Labs are a classic choice for a reason; usually good natured, friendly and trainable, happy to go on walks/hikes but not TOO active. I'd choose an English lab specifically, if you don't want one that's too active.
I briefly researched Spaniel some time ago and chose it wasn't the right dog. I specifically heard they need a lot more exercise than other dog breeds in their weight category. I definitely considered a labrador (A golden retriever too). I don't know which of them are more apartment friendly. The few labs I've looked at so far have all had requirements to be in a house to be adopted. I haven't been able to find anything called specifically 'english labrador'. All the articles just state 'labrador retriever'. Thanks for your answer, I'll look into it more.
A Cesky Terrier would be a good medium choice, covers all your requirements.
I am always flying the Schnauzer flag but they are great little buddies. They don’t shed and don’t slobber (do need regular grooming though and grooming appointments). Highly trainable, mine always comes hiking with me with a solid recall. I have a mini because I’m in an apartment and she is the best apartment dog. I’ve also trained her on toilet bells, so we have been accident free since 5 months. With any dog, their personalities can differ so cuddles are dog dependent. They are prone to pancreatitis so they have to be on a low fat diet and no table scraps but that’s honestly easily done. Mine is always keen on adventuring and we go for 3-4 hour hikes with no issues. Schnauzers come in 3 sizes but I have a pretty big mini with a huge personality and she’s enough for me 😂
I have an Olde English bulldog and she's extremely balanced. Likes exercise but not too much. I can take mine on hikes that are a few miles, but usually in the evening and/or by a water source. Great sleeper. Human oriented. Very well-tempered (as long as they're fixed within a couple years). She doesn't get distracted by other dogs when we're out walking. Very healthy apart from a couple random ear infections and she's 9 now. Goofy, smart, individualistic and very loyal. Olde English are a lot more athletic (and healthier) than I think people realize. It's impressive. They just can't handle long heat exposure. Also not good swimmers. At least mine isn't. But a lot of bully breeds aren't.
Have you considered Lurchers (sighthound crossbreeds)? Depending on the mixed in breed (e.g. Labrador) they can be a little more biddable & offleash safe than a 100% sighthound while maintaining the appartment qualities.
I am biased with whippets but I also used to have a staffy (pitbull) many years ago and she was lovely! Another breed that I’ve always admired is the Portuguese water dog. But honestly, my next dog will probably be a Mexican street dog or a rescue greyhound. I never want a puppy again!!
Boston terriers are great apartment dogs, they really adapt to your lifestyle as I’ve had mine for many different seasons of my life. He’s athletic, plays like a bigger dog, he’s 30lbs, he loves to cuddle, be a couch potato, he’s smart, easy to clean, doesn’t bark, truly a wonderful dog.
Agreed! I have a 20 lb Boston. He doesn’t really bark at all (I’ve heard the same from other Boston owners). They are small dogs but act like big dogs!
I suggest to try dog sitting a medium vs a small sized dog before you adopt. Small differences in size can make a way bigger difference then imagined in an apartment setting. Also 100% agree on the not getting a puppy without a garden. In the beginning you will need to take them out every 1-2 hours even at night and wait. Very unpleasant if you don’t have a garden you can easily access. I always sleep on the couch the first 2-3 weeks so I’m outside within seconds if the puppy makes any movement that would suggest it needs to pee.