Ahhh, that feeling when you spent so much time looking for Charlotte houses for sale and finally find your perfect apartment and settle in. Then, realizing you have a furry family member to introduce the new space to. Little did you know that there would be hidden surprises and more new changes after bringing them home. Apartments are great living choices financially for those that aren’t ready to settle down yet or just moved to a new area, but there’s lots of responsibility involved since you are in fact essentially “borrowing” the living space.
Below you will find the tips to keep in mind when bringing your dog to your new apartment and before long they will be adjusting perfectly.
Give a Tour
Yes, you read it correctly, you need to give your dog a full tour of your new apartment, because after all, it is now their new living space, too. They were just used to seeing the same exact atmosphere everyday, eating in the same spot, sleeping on the same couch, and going to the bathroom in the same area of the backyard. Now all of that is changed and you need to let your dog sniff around and get to know your new place. This will keep your dog’s anxiety at bay and make sure they aren’t “marking their territories” in your new space.
Establish Boundaries
Dog’s are normally free to roam the house when we are away at work, but keeping them in a specified closed area for the first couple of months will make sure they don’t get into any trouble while you’re away. Over time, you can gradually increase the amount of space from a pen, to a gate that just keeps them confined to one single room of the apartment. When you come home from work, they will be ready to go on a walk and play fetch with you.
House Training Starts Again
Just because your dog was house-trained before, act like they’ve never been and start over. Make a routine and keep it consistent. It’s important to remember that even house-trained dogs may eliminate on the floor of a new space at first until they get used to the environment. To help out with this problem, take them outside every few hours to let them go to the bathroom.
Make Sure Your Apartment is Pet-Friendly
This is a common-sense question, but also one of the biggest and most important questions to address with your landlord. Apartments are about 50/50 when it comes to pet-friendly living situations because pets do just as much damage to floors and walls as children do. If your apartment is pet-friendly, most landlords charge a monthly or yearly fee, which can add up very quickly. Some apartments charge a few hundred dollars just to have a dog live with you. You need to also be aware that since you are essentially “borrowing” the apartment until your lease is up, any damages like floor or cabinet scratches will most likely need to be repaired and taken out of your security deposit.
