HoundsGood: Chronicles of a Virtual Volunteer

If you have read this blog for any length of time, you know that I have little tolerance for people who give up a dog because the new place won’t take them, especially if they have had a cat or dog for years and years. Maybe I am a little too intolerant sometimes. I think my feelings come from two places. I have been through many upheavals in the time that I have shared my life with a dog. I even lost my home and had nowhere to live at one point. Somehow I always managed to find a way to keep my dog. Sometimes it just involved being patient for just one more hour or one more day, and a solution presented itself.

In the past, I debunked the myth that that are no apartments or condos take dogs. I have received mail telling me its not about being able to have the dog or cat, but the cost of the rent. I still say that there are plenty of affordable places out there where you can have a pet. Maybe you will have to give up idea of living in the exact building you are eyeing, but it is possible to stick within your budget and keep your dog or cat. There is a rent comparison tool on the net at Rentjungle.com that shows you if the place you are looking at is high, low, or average compared to the going rates in your area. Also, it will list the properties in the price range. Some you may not have considered before. Of course, you have to check the property sites to see if they take pets, but it is a starting point.

Not all apartments will be ideal. You might have to walk down a flight of stairs to take the dog out. Your cat may not get a picture window to look out of like he’s used to. However, you will continue your lifelong relationship with your pet. Pets are pretty adaptable as long as they are with their favorite person. When things get better, you can always upgrade. A less than posh apartment is temporary, but taking your pet to a shelter or giving them up in another way is forever.

This is the one in a series addressing the top reasons why individuals give up a dog. Sometimes a dog is just behaving like a dog and it is us who are not fufilling our role as caretakers of our pets. There are little things we can do that make a big difference.

There are a lot of situations where a dog has bitten a repairperson, a landlord, or anyone else who could unexpected come into an apartment or home.

You might be expecting them, but your dog isn’t. Remember, to your dog this is like a “break in.” Sometimes, even if you are are present, the dog reacts very differently than if you were receiving a “guest”. Part of it may be your body language. Usually, even though you don’t feel threatened in any way, you are not 100% “at ease.” One also doesn’t go through the same ritual as when greeting someone known to you, so your dog might not get the “all safe” signal. Thirdly, the repair person, technician, or inspector might be walking into and touching areas of the house a regular guest wouldn’t…crawling on the floor, ducking behind a desk, etc.

What is often NOT talked about is not the danger that your dog can be to a person coming into your home, but also vice versa. Some dogs are less dominant and would kiss a burglar rather than defend your home, but they are still at risk. Some repair folks carry a can of dog spray, and do not let their hand stray from it. I am not saying ALL folks do but enough. If your dog went toward them quickly, even if it was in a friendly way, they could potentially squirt them and ask questions later. We had a repair person come recently, and even though I was holding a dog in my arms, he still had his finger on it. Sprays can cause great discomfort to a dogs eyes and nose and can potentially burn or blind in some cases.

There are several ways to avoid a potential situation, from preventing a normally well behaved dog from having to spend time at the pound on bite hold, to preventing a dog from harm from a spray can or a foot.

The first is, arrange for you or someone who knows the dog(s) well to be present during repairs. Otherwise, the apartment or home is off limits.

If you have an apartment, a landlord does NOT have the right to come in at any time without proper notice. Even if they are selling the building and bringing someone through to see it, they must tell you ahead of time. The exceptions are in the case of fire, roof leak, or other major safety situations. Being as it may, when you are not home it is best to get a baby gate and keep your pet restricted to a particular area of the apartment or home when you are not home.

Whether you own a home or rent, crate training is also an excellent idea. This way, when you are home with the dog, he/she feels “safe” when put inside his/her carrier or crate when an expected stranger comes to your home. Or when you are not home for a little while, your dog is protected from a potential situation.

Call to action:

Tell friends and family.
Send a link to this article to a friend or post a link on a bulletin board.
Print up a flier about the benefits of crate training and post it in your apartment building and vet office.

I have written before on the subject of convincing a landlord to allow a well mannered dog or cat to live on their property. There are many properties that do allow pets, but sometimes there may be landlords that don’t allow all breeds. A canine good citizen certificate or a meet and greet with the dog can sometimes win them over. However, I recently found that in the UK, there is such thing as landlord insurance. In the United States, there is renters insurance that a renter can purchase to cover the contents of the apartment in case of fire, flood, or other damage, that would have been covered by homeowner’s insurance had it been available. The insurance in the UK works the reverse way, it seems. The landlord’s insurance may cover damage inflicted by renters, but it also may include a rent guarantee if a rented skips out, or perhaps loss of rent while damages are rectified.

If you are hard up to find a place for you AND your dog to stay in the United Kingdom, perhaps offering to pay a few months of insurance on your unit would put the landlord’s mind at ease.  It will be a good faith act, for sure.  Also, it proves to landlords that they need not worry about renting to someone with a well behaved canine.  Of course, they need to read the exclusions, but major damage may very well be covered, not that they need it, of course.