Thinking of getting a dog in the city? Read this first!

Before you even get your puppy you need to think about your lifestyle – as it is at the moment. How much exercise do you do? Do not get a dog because you think they will get you out more, they won’t. Habits are hard to break and if you don’t do a fair amount of exercise now, chances are you may start to resent your dog. How much time do you spend at home? If you go to the office every day, who will look after your dog during the day? A dog walker, day care? Can you take time off to be with your puppy? What is your family set up? Do you have small children and do they have Wellington boots – because puppies bite!

Puppies are a lot more work than people think. I blame the Disneyfication of dogs. On screen they come in a cardboard box with a ribbon on top, immediately love everyone and sleep on the child’s bed. In reality they come absolutely miserable and scared from being separated from their family, then have teething issues and want to bite everything. Depending on breed and genetics, they may not be friendly to everyone! And let’s not talk about the teenage period where they unlearn everything and you need to start again!

This is why it’s important to work out what you can manage. Are you getting a working breed? Then you need to work them, otherwise the genetic behaviour that is being suppressed will come out in behaviour you will not want to deal with – resource guarding, barking and lunging, stealing your socks.

Living in a city adds another layer of challenge. Noise, traffic, constant comings and goings, and busy pavements can be overwhelming for many dogs. Some breeds cope better than others with this kind of environment. While high-drive working breeds such as Collies, Spaniels or Malinois can thrive in the right hands, they often need more space, outlets and structure than a typical city owner can realistically provide. Without that, their natural instincts can spill out as frustration, barking at every passerby or trying to herd cyclists in the park.

For many people in the city, smaller companion breeds or adaptable all-rounders are a better fit. Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Bichons, Dachshunds, Pugs and Cavapoos, for example, can manage city living well when given the right socialisation and stimulation. Terriers, with their cheeky personalities, often do well too - but remember they need their brains worked as much as their bodies.  Dogs that tend to struggle in an urban environment include collies, many overseas rescues, malinois, pointers, vizslas and other hunting dogs, springer and working cocker spaniels.  It’s not impossible to keep these dogs in the city but they need to have outlets for their energy and genetic traits and if you cannot provide it, then you can quickly run into issues that are hard to resolve.

The key is not just choosing a breed that looks cute on Instagram, but one that truly suits your lifestyle, your energy levels and your city set-up. The best city dogs are the ones whose needs align with what you can realistically provide - exercise, mental enrichment, downtime and company. When you get that balance right, life in the city with a dog can be joyful, enriching and full of adventures together.

If you want my top tips on questions to ask a breeder, follow this link: https://www.thecitydog.co.uk/the-city-dog-club-files