The rise in remote workers has prompted a surge in people looking to own a pet. But what about those that live in an apartment?
Thankfully, the size of a beagle does lend themselves well to being apartment dogs.
Truth be told, it can be a challenge to raise any puppy in an apartment, from toilet training to controlling the inevitable barking, you’re likely going to have your hands full!
Having said that, there are things you can do to make your life easier, here’s 8 tips from an apartment owner that helped me raise my pup.
Check with your building owner
First, even if you own your flat, you should check that you are actually allowed pets, especially puppies in your building. You’d be surprised the amount of people who don’t check this and then have to rehome their puppies.
Some buildings will let you have a pet, but with exceptions, for example, some apartment buildings only allow pets if they are quiet, and often will evict pets that cause noise complaints.
Please check before buying or adopting a puppy, as it only causes heartbreak further down the line if you don’t!
Toilet training is a priority
Do you have quick and easy access to grass and the open outdoors? How many floors up are you? Do you need to use an elevator? Do you have a balcony you can use? Put some fake grass on it, but keep an eye on your downstairs neighbours!
Invest in puppy classes
Whilst beagles are very friendly dogs and normally wouldn’t hurt a fly, they should be socialised from puppy age to avoid them becoming nasty to other dogs.
One way to both socialise beagles with other dogs and to get some early puppy training in is to take them to puppy classes. There are some great national brands available, such as Dog’s Trust in the UK and SpiritDog in the US.
I would always advocate for going local classes over national, this way you’ll meet other owners in your area, and can help socialise your beagle outside your classes.
Get your puppy into a routine as quickly as possible
You should aim to feed your beagle at the same time, take them out for a walk at similar times, and take them to the toilet at the same time.
Keeping them in a relatively strict routine will help regulate your beagle’s mood, as they know when to expect food, and trust me, your beagle will know! Keeping that same routine for the toilet also helps your dog to predict when they are going to go and reduces toilet related accidents.
Invest in a dog walker
Beagles are famously lazy dogs and will get fat if they aren’t given enough exercise, naturally this comes at risk of health complications.
Investing in a dog walker or taking the time out of your day to walk your beagle for at least an hour, split across several walks a day will help keep them quiet in the early years.
Beagles need around an hour a day, but they’ll quickly get bored without a garden, so perhaps invest in a dog walker for the afternoons.
Beagle puppy proof your apartment
Beagles are known for their chewing, they’ll get at absolutely everything in the puppy stage, so whilst you work on stamping this out through training, you’ll need to ensure absolutely everything they could chew, is inaccessible to little paws and mouths.
Keep them entertained
Finally, any dog needs attention, but especially so when they are young. Even if you work from home, ensure you’ve actually got the time available to give them attention. Sure they will sleep a lot, but when they need it, they’ll be asking for it!
This is another good reason to invest in a walker in the longer term.
Final thoughts
Ultimately, it is possible to raise a beagle or any puppy in an apartment if necessary, although it is far from ideal and doesn’t come without its challenges, my 7 tips for raising your puppy in an apartment can be summed up as:
- Check you can actually have a puppy in your building
- Get to toilet training as soon as possible
- Invest in puppy classes
- Get them into a routine with food and walks
- Invest in a dog walker if your budget will allow
- Puppy proof your apartment, most importantly wires that they can chew through!
- Keep them entertained and show them the attention that they deserve