Are you and your canine companion looking for an apartment? If you are, you’re in luck. These days, apartment management companies realize the importance of accommodating their prospective tenants who are pet owners and now welcome them. Most Vision Community apartment communities have on-site dog parks, as well as doggie stations throughout the property so dog walkers can clean up after their pets. Before you and your dog sign a lease, or if you already have a lease and are thinking about adopting a dog, these are some important considerations.
- Time. Dogs need to go outside several times a day to go potty, and they need exercise. If you work from home, that’s great. If you work a traditional 9-to-5 schedule, you should be fine, but will need to attend to your dog as soon as you get home. If you work longer hours or travel a lot, you can either hire a dog walker or dog sitter. You don’t want to have a dog that annoys your neighbors all day because he/she is board and barks constantly.
- Breeds. It’s a misnomer that only smaller breeds are best-suited for living in confined spaces; it’s based on the breed’s temperament. Large dogs like greyhounds and Great Danes like to lounge around all day, so they would work well. Some smaller breeds like terriers and border collies, are high-energy and need to run around. If they don’t have the chance to burn off their energy, they will resort to destructive boredom-busting behavior like chewing on the furniture. In many apartment communities, there are breed and size restrictions for dogs, so keep that in mind.
- Desensitization. When your dog moves into your apartment, whether it moved with you or came from a shelter, it needs time to adjust to its new home. Take it slowly. Start with taking your dog on short walks around the property or nearby neighborhood so it can get used to the smells and sounds. You can also let it meet your neighbors and their dogs while you’re doing this. You know your dog and can gauge when it feels comfortable, intimidated or aggressive. There are also many resources for dog training, such as your local pet supply store. You could take your dog to classes for basic training and get it used to socialization.
- Clean-up and accidents. When you walk your dog on the grounds, please be courteous to your neighbors and clean up the poop. Owner negligence is one of the main complaints received by apartments managers, especially from the non-dog-owning residents. Do your part. Indoor accidents are unavoidable, so you should stock up on cleaning and odor-removal products designed specifically for pets. You should probably also just realize that if you own a dog, you might not receive 100% of your security back when you move out. Many apartment complexes have an additional pet deposit that you pay when you move in, for this very purpose and some places charge monthly pet rent, usually around $25-$30, and this may be on a sliding scale, based on the type of pet and its size.
These tips can go a long way in ensuring harmonious apartment living for you, your dog, and your neighbors. With a little extra TLC, training and common courtesy towards your neighbors, your dog will be as happy living in you apartment as you are!
Vision Communities welcomes pets in our Central Ohio apartment communities. We encourage residents to bring their pets into our communities. We have dog parks and plenty of space for them to run and stretch their legs. At Vision Communities, we pride ourselves in the communities that we build. We’ll take care of the maintenance of the facilities and your apartment, but the cleaning and assembly are up to you! With apartment communities near Clintonville, Downtown Columbus, and Westerville, Vision Communities has the floor plan and amenities that you are looking for. To learn more, browse our Central Ohio communities and find the right floor plan for you and your family.