Dogs are great companions; their loyalty, companionship, and energy can be an instant pick-me-up. It would be great if you could have a dog no matter where you live, but you have to consider what would fit your home and lifestyle. The best dog breeds for apartments depend on what you are looking for and your apartment community’s stance on pets.
Before you bring home a new pet, make sure to review your apartment’s pet policy. Communities can have breed restrictions, weight restrictions, limits on the number of pets you can have, and charge additional fees like a pet deposit and pet rent. Don’t risk sneaking a dog into your apartment because it can come with severe consequences like accidentally breaking your lease and heavy fines.
Choosing the Right Dog for Your Apartment
After reviewing your pet policy and determining if you can afford the extra costs associated with having a dog, you’ll want to decide on an apartment-friendly dog breed. Most likely, your choice will depend on the breed’s personality and temperament; you’ll want one that fits your lifestyle. If you are away from home a lot or work long hours, then you want a dog that will be okay with being alone for extended periods of time. It can be a lot of research, so to make it easy for you, Apartments.com has created an infographic about the best apartment dogs.
Each breed is ranked on a 1-15 scale, with 1 being the least apartment-friendly and 15 being the most apartment-friendly. The infographic includes information about size, mood, cleanliness/shedding, barking/vocalness, tolerance to being alone, exercise needs, and friendliness to strangers. Every category is color-coded; red means the breed is not suited for apartment living, orange is average, and green is good for apartment living. All the dog statistics and breed information came from the American Kennel Club and Dog Time.
Best Small Dog Breeds for Apartments
The Pug
- Overall score for apartment living: 12
- Size: 14-18 pounds
- Mood: playful
- Cleanliness/shedding: infrequent shedding
- Barking/vocal: low rate of barking
- Tolerates being alone: no, high attachment to owners
- Exercise needs: regular exercise, but mostly inactive
- Friendly towards strangers: above average
A pug’s small frame and friendly demeanor qualify this breed as an exceptional apartment pet. Pugs rank number one in the small dog category and on the entire list because they are friendly toward strangers and don’t bark or shed much. However, they do not like being alone; pugs are quite attached to their owner — keep this in mind if you travel or are away from your apartment often. Pugs require regular exercise to keep within the healthy 14–18-pound weight range, though they much prefer to lounge around the house.
The Shih Tzu
- Overall score for apartment living: 11
- Size: 9-16 pounds
- Mood: calm, affectionate
- Cleanliness/shedding: moderate shedding
- Barking/vocal: high rate of barking
- Tolerates being alone: average
- Exercise needs: low exercise needs
- Friendly towards strangers: very
The Shih Tzu is another great breed for apartment dwellers. Their calm temperament and friendliness towards new people are ideal for apartments. On average, the Shih Tzu can weigh between 9-16 pounds and requires little exercise. Even though it ranked favorably in two categories, the breed only scored as average for its toleration of being alone and shedding. Renters concerned about noise may need to think twice about the breed due to its habitual barking.
The Bichon Frise
- Overall score for apartment living: 11
- Size: 12-18 pounds
- Mood: Short bursts of energy
- Cleanliness/shedding: low shedding but difficult to groom
- Barking/vocal: low rate of barking
- Tolerates being alone: no, high attachment to owners
- Exercise needs: daily
- Friendly towards strangers: very
The bichon frise’s small size, friendliness towards strangers, and low bark rate make this breed an excellent choice for those renting. As the breed has short bursts of energy, daily walks around the neighborhood are required. Bichons love being with their owner; spending extended periods of time alone is difficult. While they don’t shed much, the fluffy double coat requires specialized care and grooming.
The Chihuahua
- Overall score for apartment living: 10
- Size: 3-6 pounds
- Mood: likes to run, but mostly an indoor pet
- Cleanliness/shedding: low shedding and easy to groom
- Barking/vocal: moderate barking
- Tolerates being alone: no, high attachment to owners
- Exercise needs: minimal
- Friendly towards strangers: untrusting and often unfriendly
Being one of the smallest dog breeds, chihuahuas are perfect for apartments. Chihuahuas are known to be feisty and unfriendly to strangers, but they love their owners and are highly attached to them — don’t leave them alone too long. Even though they don’t like strangers, chihuahuas are only moderate barkers. Since Chihuahuas are so small, a bit of exercise goes a long way for them; running around a small yard or apartment could be enough.
The Lhasa Apso
- Overall score for apartment living: 8
- Size: 12-18 pounds
- Mood: moderate energy levels
- Cleanliness/shedding: long coat needs daily brushing and frequent bathing
- Barking/vocal: high rate of barking
- Tolerates being alone: above average tolerance
- Exercise needs: regular brisk walks
- Friendly towards strangers: aloof with strangers
The lhasa apso is an independent breed that’s okay with being left alone for a few hours but still loves to follow you around when you are home. When a stranger comes to the door, they are sure to let you know with their barking and standoffish attitude. They are down to laze about on the couch with you but need to run off their energy, too, whether by themselves in the yard or with you on a walk. With beautiful long hair, lhasa apsos need more maintenance, like daily brushing and frequent baths.
The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
- Overall score for apartment living: 7
- Size: 10-18 pounds
- Mood: moderately active
- Cleanliness/shedding: average shedding but difficult to housetrain
- Barking/vocal: moderate barking
- Tolerates being alone: no, high attachment to owners
- Exercise needs: walk daily
- Friendly towards strangers: very
The Cavalier King Charles spaniel loves meeting new people and strangers, so they are happy to run into neighbors in the hallway. Though they love strangers, Cavaliers do bark a bit. Other parts of apartment life may not suit this breed as they are difficult to housetrain, need daily walks, and don’t like being left alone.
Best Medium Dog Breeds for Apartments
The French Bulldog
- Overall score for apartment living: 11
- Size: Under 28 pounds
- Mood: Playful
- Cleanliness/shedding: average shedding and easy to groom
- Barking/vocal: average
- Tolerates being alone: below average; loves human contact
- Exercise needs: low
- Friendly towards strangers: above average
With low exercise needs and a love for strangers, the french bulldog is an excellent dog breed for apartment living. It will be delighted to meet anyone you bring over or when you run into a neighbor outside. As much as they like to meet new people, their favorite activity is being right by your side; they don’t do well when their owners are gone for extended periods of time. They don’t need much exercise, so you don’t have to worry as much about having space for them to run around.
The Basenji
- Overall score for apartment living: 11
- Size: 24 pounds
- Mood: very active
- Cleanliness/shedding: low shedding and easy to groom
- Barking/vocal: quiet
- Tolerates being alone: above average tolerance
- Exercise needs: above average
- Friendly towards strangers: suspicious of strangers
The basenji is a medium-sized dog breed that is very active and requires a lot of exercise. This may not be the best fit if you live in a community that lacks space to run. However, they are great because they can tolerate being alone, aren’t huge barkers, and don’t shed too much. If you can manage their exercise needs and dislike of strangers, basenjis are great for apartments.
The Whippet
- Overall score for apartment living: 11
- Size: 25-40 pounds
- Mood: calm but with active spurts
- Cleanliness/shedding: low shedding and easy to groom
- Barking/vocal: quiet
- Tolerates being alone: below average
- Exercise needs: above average
- Friendly towards strangers: above average
The whippet is usually calm but does experience bursts of energy from time to time that can be managed with lots of exercise. If you want a companion to get moving with, then the whippet is perfect. They also will love meeting strangers on your walks and don’t bark much. Though they like strangers, their favorite person is their owner as they aren’t happy when left alone.
The Basset Hound
- Overall score for apartment living: 10
- Size: 40-65 pounds
- Mood: easy going
- Cleanliness/shedding: high shedders, and high amounts of drooling
- Barking/vocal: above average
- Tolerates being alone: average
- Exercise needs: below average
- Friendly towards strangers: very
Easy going and laid back, basset hounds have a personality that fits the apartment lifestyle and requires little exercise. They’re also great with strangers and okay with being left alone from time to time. However, they may howl when left alone, so if you have thin walls, be wary, as they are noisy. You’ll also find fur and drool everywhere as shedding and drooling is frequent with basset hounds.
The Welsh Corgi
- Overall score for apartment living: 10
- Size: up to 30 pounds
- Mood: very active
- Cleanliness/shedding: high shedders, but easy to groom
- Barking/vocal: below average
- Tolerates being alone: average
- Exercise needs: above average
- Friendly towards strangers: very
Even with their small legs, Welsh corgis are an active breed and need lots of exercise, like a long game of fetch. Loving meeting new people, corgis are happy to greet neighbors and guests. Corgis may not always be noisy, but they are quick to bark when they need to alert you to a stranger or possible threats. While they don’t love being left alone, they can tolerate it for a few hours. Your clothes might get covered in shed fur, but they’re surprisingly easy to groom.
The Bulldog
- Overall score for apartment living: 9
- Size: 40-55 pounds
- Mood: lazy
- Cleanliness/shedding: high shedders, and high amounts of drooling
- Barking/vocal: above average
- Tolerates being alone: average
- Exercise needs: average
- Friendly towards strangers: very
Bulldogs tend to be lazy and would rather sleep than go outside, but they still need regular exercise. They’ll be delighted if you meet strangers during a walk as they are very friendly. Your apartment might get covered in fur and drool as they are heavy shedders and droolers. They’re also quite vocal dogs, making sure their barks are heard if you leave them alone for longer than they like.
The Dachshund
- Overall score for apartment living: 8
- Size:16-32 pounds
- Mood: moderate energy level
- Cleanliness/shedding: moderate shedding, but easy to groom
- Barking/vocal: high rate of barking
- Tolerates being alone: average
- Exercise needs: short legs, so they only need a small amount of walking
- Friendly towards strangers: low friendliness to strangers
With a decent tolerance for being alone and low exercise needs, dachshunds can be great for apartment living. Your furniture won’t be covered in too much fur, just a moderate amount. However, they do bark a lot and aren’t fans of strangers.
Best Large Dog Breeds for Apartments
The following large dog breeds were ranked best for apartment living. Before bringing a new pet home, check with your property manager or landlord for any breed or weight restrictions that might be in your lease agreement.
The Standard Poodle
- Overall score for apartment living: 11
- Size: 40-70 pounds
- Mood: playful
- Cleanliness/shedding: infrequent shedding and hypoallergenic coat
- Barking/vocal: below average
- Tolerates being alone: no
- Exercise needs: above average need for exercise
- Friendly towards strangers: above average
Standard poodles are larger dogs that is great for apartments because they love strangers and are quiet. Being hypoallergenic and not big shedders makes maintenance and cleaning up easy. However, they do have an above-average need for exercise and prefer to be with their human beings rather than left alone.
The Irish Wolfhound
- Overall score for apartment living: 10
- Size: 100-120 pounds
- Mood: mellow but athletic
- Cleanliness/shedding: moderate shedding
- Barking/vocal: very low
- Tolerates being alone: below average
- Exercise needs: above average need for exercise
- Friendly towards strangers: very
As a large, athletic breed, the Irish wolfhound needs plenty of exercise throughout the day. If provided an active lifestyle, their mellow personality pairs great with apartment living. They also will get along well with your neighbors as they are friendly towards strangers and quiet. Don’t leave them alone, though, Irish wolfhounds value some quality time together with their human as they need companionship.
The Mastiff
- Overall score for apartment living: 9
- Size: 120-230 pounds
- Mood: docile but active
- Cleanliness/shedding: average shedding, but high amounts of drooling
- Barking/vocal: below average
- Tolerates being alone: average
- Exercise needs: above average need for exercise
- Friendly towards strangers: below average
The mastiff may weigh around 230 pounds, but these dogs are gentle giants and are a good fit for the apartment life. So, you need to make sure you have nearby areas to let your mastiff run, as they require a lot of activity and exercise. Their docility makes them a quiet breed, and they can withstand being alone. However, shedding and drooling are common; they’re also not as friendly towards strangers as some of the other breeds.
The Greyhound
- Overall score for apartment living: 8
- Size: 60-70 pounds
- Mood: calm if exercised
- Cleanliness/shedding: high amount of shedding and drooling, but easy to groom
- Barking/vocal: above average
- Tolerates being alone: no
- Exercise needs: average
- Friendly towards strangers: very
If properly exercised, a greyhound can be quite calm; often found snoozing, they live up to their nickname of “40 mph couch potato.” They are good with strangers, but their favorite person is still their owner, as they don’t like to be left alone. They’ll make themselves known as they’re big barkers. Even though they shed at high rates and drool, greyhounds are easy to groom.
The Great Dane
- Overall score for apartment living: 7
- Size: 100-200 pounds
- Mood: easygoing when exercised
- Cleanliness/shedding: high amount of shedding and drooling, but easy to groom
- Barking/vocal: above average
- Tolerates being alone: no
- Exercise needs: above average, with 2-3 walks per day
- Friendly towards strangers: very
Topping 200 pounds, Great Danes may be huge, but they’re very easygoing. They need ample exercise, about 2-3 walks a day to keep them happy and healthy. These dogs are the best buddies; they don’t want to be alone and will stick by your side. You may be their favorite person, but they’re also very friendly to strangers, making them perfect for an apartment community. This breed can be a bit noisy; they love barking. Cleaning your apartment might become a more frequent chore as Great Danes often shed and drool. Grooming them isn’t too bad, though.
How to Find a Pet-Friendly Apartment on Apartments.com
Finding a pet-friendly apartment on Apartments.com is easy; type in the city or neighborhood you are looking at in the search box. If you’re on mobile, you will see “Pets” in a bubble below the search bar. A drop-down menu will appear where you can select “Dogs Allowed,” “Cats Allowed,” or “Dogs & Cats Allowed.” On PC, click on the bubble that says, “All Filters” and an expanded pop-up will show more filters. Scroll down until you see “Pet Policy” and click on the box below it. You can select “Dog Friendly,” “Cat Friendly,” or “Dog and Cat Allowed.” Once you have selected your desired filters, it will filter to find apartments matching the pet-friendliness that you selected.
If you want more detailed information about the pet policy at a specific apartment community, simply click on that community. Scroll down until you see “Fees and Policies” where you can click on the “Pets” banner. This will tell you the information about the pet policy, including breed restrictions, monthly pet rent, one-time fees, pet deposit, pet limits, and other necessary information.
This article was originally published on August 2, 2018.
FAQs
What makes a dog breed suitable for apartment living?
The traits that make a dog breed suitable for apartment living can vary widely depending on your lifestyle and your apartment. Some qualities you should consider are barking/noise, shedding, stranger friendliness, ability to be alone, and exercise needs. For example, if you have an apartment that has a pet park, then you could get a larger dog with higher exercise needs.
How can I keep my dog from causing trouble in my apartment?
The key to keeping your dog happy and well-behaved is training and meeting their needs. If they are properly exercised, then they are less likely to cause any issues. Training is important for many reasons, including teaching your dog what behaviors are acceptable and improving communication between you and your dog.
