Can an Australian Shepherd live in an apartment?

Many prospective dog adopters ask themselves the following question: can a dog be happy in an apartment? The question is even more frequent when it comes to large breeds such as Australian Shepherds. The good news is that the answer is yes, it is possible to have this type of dog in an apartment. However, certain conditions must be met for everything to go well for your pet, for you, as well as for the rest of the inhabitants of the apartment.

Your dog's education: a priority

To ensure your dog's comfort and to limit damage in your home, you must make his education a priority. The best way to do this is to spend as much time as possible with your dog as soon as he arrives in your home. This time will allow you to teach him the basic commands: “no”, “sit”, “stay”, etc. This will also give you the opportunity to be responsive when he does something stupid. As you go along, you'll also need to teach him to be left alone. To do this, we advise you to proceed little by little.

Potty training

For everything to go well for you and your Australian Shepherd, it's important to potty train your dog as soon as possible, immediately after you adopt him. It is essential that your dog be taught to restrain himself from doing his business. He must be able to wait for his daily outings and not relieve himself inside.

Maintenance of your Australian Shepherd

Taking care of your Australian Shepherd is very important. If you live in an apartment, you will realize it very quickly. Indeed, Australian Shepherds lose a lot of hair, especially during their moulting period.

It is therefore essential to brush your dog regularly to ensure its well-being and the cleanliness of your home. It is best to brush your dog at the end of the day to remove dead hair and dirt.

However, there is no need to wash your Australian Shepherd too often. This could damage his coat and skin. We recommend that you shampoo your dog about once a month/2 months/3 months, using appropriate products.

Compensating for lack of access to the outdoors

The Australian Shepherd is a very active breed of dog. While access to a garden is beneficial to him, it is possible to compensate with other activities.

Ideally, you should take your dog outside as much as possible. Once outside, it's essential to let your dog run wild to compensate for the quieter times inside. This is why we recommend that you choose parks and open spaces. Some professionals offer this type of service if you don't have the time to do these outings because of your work.

Of course, moments of complicity are very important for every dog. If the love you feel for your dog does not compensate for the absence of an outside access, the moments of complicity stimulate him and are essential for his development in apartment. Among them: cuddling sessions, games, walks or teaching new tricks.

Give your Australian Shepherd something to do when you're away

Bored dogs tend to get into mischief and let off steam in any way they can: destroying the pillows, the couch or the plants… In addition to giving your dog a chance to exercise when possible, it's important to give him something to do during the day when you're away. Leave a variety of toys at his disposal: stuffed animals, ropes, kongs and other occupational games.

We recommend that you alternate the toys you give him so that he doesn't get tired of them over days and weeks.