Tips for owning a dog in a condo building

Despite rising prices, high density condo apartments are still the most relatively affordable housing option in the Greater Toronto Area. This means more people are buying this type of housing, which means more of our closest, most loyal four-legged friends are also living in mid- and high-rise buildings. 

Some new condos in the GTA even have pet spas and/or off-leash dog areas. With this in mind, we want to share a few tips on owning a dog in a condo building. 

Prioritize park space  

Whether you own a dog or not, this may be high on your list. Who doesn’t want to live next to (or at least near) a park? When you own a dog, having a park nearby is a life saver. You don’t always have time for a long walk, so you don’t want to travel far every time you want your dog to get in some running around time in the grass. If you’re especially dedicated to finding the right building for your dog, then prioritize living near parks with off-leash dog parks. 

Balcony grass patch

If you live high up like the 30th floor, you don’t want to have to take your dog out for a walk every single time it has to go number one or two. One solution is to create a grass patch on your balcony with a tray, “pee pads” and fake grass. This will require changing the pee pads and cleaning the fake grass and tray about once a week, and while this can be a messy job, it will save you time in the long run. 

Consider certain dog breeds  

If you live in a condo and you’re considering getting a dog, then you should get a breed that does well in small spaces. For example, greyhounds, while seeming like they want to run fast all the time, are actually quite used to small spaces. Unfortunately, most greyhound rescues spent the first couple years of their life in a small crate until it was time to race. Compared to their small crate, your apartment will be a dream. Retired racers usually end up at shelters and rescues, so do the smart thing and adopt! 

Other dog breeds that work well with small spaces include boston terriers, bulldogs, chihuahuas, dachshunds, havanese, maltese, pomeranians, and many others. Make sure you do your research! 

Pet doors  

If your dog likes getting some fresh air on your balcony or if you have a grass patch out there, then you’ll be opening your sliding door repeatedly for your dog throughout the day. Something to consider would be to install a pet door. This isn’t as difficult as it sounds. There are inserts you can get for sliding doors that have pet doors! 

Elevator etiquette 

Your dog may be okay with other dogs, but there could be dogs in your building that don’t play well with others. Hopefully their owners are taking proper precautions, but you should be, too. If you have a small dog, you can pick it up before getting in the elevator. You can also train your dog to sit upon entering the elevator. 

Also, it may be safe to say that there are many dog lovers in your building, but there may also be some people who are allergic or afraid of dogs, so keep them in mind when entering the elevator and don’t let your dog approach people without expressed interest in engaging. 

We hope these tips help make condo life for your dog (and you) way better!