Living with any roommate can be a struggle, but furry, four-legged roommates can take your frustration to a new level. Those claws, teeth, and annoying habits can wreak havoc on any space, particularly a small apartment. If you’re really hoping to keep your apartment and belongings intact while living with a dog, you’ll have to take some steps to prevent your animal from destroying everything around it. Try some of these tips to keep your sanity and your security deposit.
Crate train: One popular method of keeping dogs from having accidents in the house and chewing up your property out of boredom is to crate train them. In this style of training, dogs are kept in a crate when they are unsupervised, and they learn not to make a mess where they sleep. As long as your dog is let out regularly throughout the day, this can be a good method and even gives the dog a spot where they can feel secure.
Enroll in doggie daycare: If your dog is alone for most of the day because you work long hours and can’t go home during lunch, you might consider pet daycare. It would allow your dog to get exercise and attention that you’re not able to give him; best of all, it will get the pup out of the apartment during its most destructive, unsupervised hours. It could be best for both of you: Consider if your dog enjoys being around other pooches, determine its activity level (if classes are separated that way), and do research to make sure you trust the daycare providers.
Use repellant spray: Dogs often chew when they are bored, so make sure there’s nothing left lying around (like your favorite shoes) for the pooch to chew on while you’re away. Of course, that doesn’t always stop dogs from chewing on furniture or other immobile things, so using a chewing-deterrent spray can help discourage dogs from doing permanent damage to expensive items or parts of the apartment. Bitter apple, rosemary, or other sprays can teach dogs that chewing isn’t a tasty option.
