The 9 best dog breeds for apartment dwellers

If you’re renting in Toronto, chances are you live in an apartment. And, if you love dogs, chances are you’ll need a dog that adapts well to apartment life.

To help you on your search to finding the perfect canine companion for your small-space lifestyle in Toronto, we’ve assembled a list of the 9 best dog breeds for apartment dwellers. We also have a list of places to take your new pal in Toronto too!

Generally, these dogs have short hair or at least, don’t shed too much, and are small enough to make compact apartment living bearable.

• The Yorkie

  Yorkshire Terriers are, first and foremost, small. For a Yorkie, an apartment generally represents ample space, plus Yorkies are pretty easy to train not to bark and can be really friendly with new people, like neighbours and guests.

• The Boston

  Little Boston Terriers are super smart, and really small – a great combination for apartment dogs. They don’t bark much and although they’re really playful, one walk a day is enough for them.

• The Pug

  Sure, people love pugs for those ridiculous, scrunched up faces and goldfish-googly eyes. But they’re also great apartment pets, because they’re cuddly and don’t need a ton of exercise – a short walk a day generally cuts it.

• The Taco Bell Dog

  Remember the Taco Bell commercials? No? Anyway, Chihuahuas are pretty much ideal apartment dogs, if for no other reason than their insanely compact size. Weighing in on average at a whopping four pounds, Chihuahuas are small, and therefore great for apartments. The one drawback is the barking – consistent, diligent training is needed to keep yapping at a minimum.

• The Frenchie

  French Bulldogs are so trendy right now, and a big part of the reason is that they’re awesome apartment dogs. As a smaller version of an English Bulldog, but with hilariously cute bunny ears and funny, swirly tails, they also don’t need a whole ton of exercise (a walk a day) and are easily trained not to bark.

• The Greyhound

  You’d think Greyhounds are the type of dog that needs to be outside running around all the time, but they actually make excellent apartment dogs. They’re independent, calm and very intelligent, and highly trainable. Definitely give them plenty of exercise, though, in an area with lots of space to run.

• The Bichon

  Bichon Frisees are those fluffy, white dogs that you see so often – probably because they’re such perfect apartment dogs. They’re pretty easy to care for (brush daily) and are fun-loving, medium-energy dogs that are easy enough to train. Although Bichons are pretty energetic outside, they can be very calm when indoors.

• The Bulldog

  English Bulldogs make great apartment pooches for several reasons, but one of the big ones is that they’re pretty lazy, so hanging out on the couch or the bed often takes priority over walks or playing in the park. Definitely, still take your bulldog our for daily walks. But the breed is also low-shedding, not inclined to bark much and super calm.

• The Great Dane

  It may seem counterintuitive, but Great Danes are incredible apartment dogs. They’re as chilled out as Bulldogs, they don’t shed much, and bark rarely. Sure, they’re huge so they take up a ton of space, but they’re so calm that you might hardly notice. Daily walks are a must, and their size might be a turnoff for landlords and property managers, so be cautious about moving your Dane into your tiny new abode.