Turning my Dogs Urban
When I was growing up my mum bred cavaliers and she was always adamant that puppies should only go to families with gardens and I guess this had been drummed into me at a young age. Well, many years later, I started breeding dogs and after I while, I came across a potential new owner that lived in a flat in London. They seemed like a lovely family, I was a bit nervous, but I sold them a puppy. I have stayed in contact with this family and puppy for many years now and its been a fabulous home. Since then, several of my puppies have gone to flats albeit with some outdoor space.
The main reason for me writing this piece is guess what, I moved to a flat a few months ago with my 2 Bolognese (Lily 14 and Harry 6) and I don’t have a garden! When I first had Bolognese over 20-years ago, I lived in a house with a garden, then I moved to a mobile home with a garden. However, after a while the park where the mobile home was made everybody remove the fences, so the garden was no longer secure. I was really upset and worried when the fences came down, BUT guess what we coped well. I took the dogs in the garden on flexi leads lots of times a day and took them to the park for a run or round the holiday park for walks on the lead.
Moving to a Flat
After the mobile home, I needed to be mortgage free for my retirement. I could buy a flat, but could not find a flat I could afford with a garden. I must admit, I worried about how the dogs would adjust, I did have sleepless nights, BUT I thought I will have to do it. I’m retired now, so can spend lots of time with the dogs, in fact walking them is good for me. My dogs are very good, they usually are no trouble. I always had left them for a few hours, they knew the routine and were happy to stay at home if they had been fed and watered.
Of course moving home does unsettle dogs. So, I left them in the mobile home while I moved most of my belongings to the new flat. It took a while for the Internet to go in, so I begun taking them to the flat for a few hours at a time, but we didn’t sleep there. Even after I started sleeping in the flat, I took them back to the mobile home when I needed to go out without them (luckily it was only a few miles away). Once the dogs started sleeping with me in the flat, they quickly started to realize that this is their new life. Gradually all their familiar things like toys, beds, bowls arrived and we left the mobile home for good!
Settling in
Initially I just left the dogs alone to pop to the shop which was literally a few doors down from me. I always give the dogs a small training treat just before I go out and shut certain doors, both work well as signs they will be left on their own for a while, they can also hear me lock the door. I have a flat above me and below. Above me they have a dog and below me they have cats. I asked the people above me and below me to let me know if they hear any noise from the dogs. I had lived in the flat a few weeks and the chap down stairs said to me, “I didn’t even know you had dogs, I don’t hear anything”. I didn’t leave them alone for any length of time for a few weeks and I bought a webcam so I could check on them. It took more weeks before, I left one dog without the other as I know they don’t like to be separated. In the beginning, I would be checking on them every 10 mins or so with the webcam and they were always settled on their bed snuggled up together. Harry would sometimes lie by the door waiting for me to come home, but he wouldn’t bark. The camera is still set up (I’ve been here 5-months), but I never even look at them now as I know they are fine.
The New Lifestyle
During this move I have realized how adaptable Bolognese are if things are handled carefully. My dogs are very clever at knowing where I am are going by the time of day or the clothes I’m wearing and how long I’m likely to be. The flat is bigger than any place we have lived before as its a Victorian conversion with big rooms and high ceilings. Its a seaside town, with countryside and busy city living areas with lots of people about. The main reason I bought this flat was because of the fabulous park, 3 mins walk round the corner. The park has reservoirs, plenty of wildlife, paths and woods and its very well maintained.
The Routine
There is a drive way at the front of the house with some gravel, so if its only a quick comfort break, they will go there. After I have fed them (which is twice a day), I know they are likely to need a poo, so I take them out until they go. We walk in the park as often as we can or go to the Country Park, or along the sea front. To be honest, I think the dogs have more fun here as there are so many dogs about and they love the interaction.
Its very dark in the park, but there is a large evergreen tree at the entrance and its a good place to take them when its dark as its under a street light. My road is a main one, so there is plenty of lighting. I also use a head torch in the evening, makes it easier to pick up the poo. Another major advantage of being on the first floor is that, the dogs cant see anybody walking by so they don’t bark! There is a buzzer to the flat and when it goes they get all excited thinking we have a visitor, but quite often its a delivery man.
There is a cafe dead opposite and they love to go there, meet people, get tickles and a dog biscuit. There are also 2 cafe’s in the park and they know the way and where the jar of dog biscuits are. Over all urban life has been a success, dogs are settled, its very social, they are no trouble and its a very convenient place to live. Living where I do, I could easily cope without a car, even the vet is a short walk away. I don’t know why I worried so much about having my dogs in a flat, they are actually less trouble and seem happier than they were living in a house (and I get out more)…
