Buying a Condo With Your Dog

Many condo owners also own dogs, which can be an issue when iut comes to condo rules. Some condos have size and breed restrictions that can interfere with someone's ownership of their dog. It behooves the owner to find out the rules pertaining to their dog and any other pets. However, it also is a good idea to see what the amenities of the condo are in regards to your dog. You may be surprised at some of the options out there.

Most condos have some kind of pet rules, limiting both the size, number and species of your pets. For instance, a condo may only allow dogs under 25 or 35 pounds and limit the number to 1 per person. Others may ban certain breeds of dogs, such as American pit bull terriers and rottweilers.

Carefully read the CC&Rs and ask members of the board about pet policies to determine whether you are allowed to have a dog in the building at all. It seems stupid, but many people don't fully read the CC&Rs before buying. If the condo has rules against dogs, don't buy it and try to sneak your dog in. Chances are that eventually someone will see you take the dog out and report you. This results in fines, lawsuits, etc.

Request the minutes of the last 3 meetings from the board. If there are a lot of complaints about people's pets, you may want to look at a different building. These mean one of two things: either people in the building don't take care of their dogs properly or there are a lot of dog haters in the building. Sometimes it's a little of both; an irresponsible owner can create a dog hating neighbor in record time. You may be an exemplary owner, but if you move in to this kind of neighborhood, you might be "inheriting" the canine issues.

If the condo board has no policies concerning pets that impact your dog, make sure that you do your part to keep it this way. This means obedience training, controlling your dog and picking up after it. Yes, you own your condo, but you have a responsibility to both your dog and the people you share the building with to make your dog's presence as positive a thing as possible. This will not only minimize conflict with your neighbors and the condo board; it will also minimize the likelihood that your condo will vote to ban or restrict dogs in the future.
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As a rule, agility training should start while the pet is still a puppy. However, owners could still facilitate training with older dogs. The question "when is the dog considered old for agility training" is central to choosing when to start training the dog.

Landlords and Pets

When pet lovers do not own a property of their own and are at the mercy of landlords and building managers to find housing, they may be faced with a rather painful dilemma. Indeed, if they are unable to locate housing that will allow them to keep their pet(s), or they cannot extend their stay at their old residence until they are able to locate a new pet-friendly residence, they will have to find shelter for their cats and dogs elsewhere.