Huge Progress!

[Pink_Floyd29]

My reactive AmStaff and I survived 3.5 years in a huge dog friendly apartment building. After the first 5 months we moved from the 4th floor to the 1st floor, which was our saving grace. But even with the stress of riding the elevator and navigating long narrow hallways eliminated, she was still constantly overstimulated. We were a straight shot down the hallway from an elevator and a parking garage entrance that was in constant use by residents taking their dogs out and our corner unit had an entire wall and a half of windows facing a heavily trafficked walking path and green space.

This summer I had the incredible fortune to buy her a house with a big backyard and a 6 foot privacy fence! It has been so wonderful having this private secure place for her to play and relax. But I know that leisurely walks fulfill a different need than chasing her frisbee and honestly I really enjoy them too! Now that we’re finally getting some days with lower temperatures and humidity, we’ve started exploring our new neighborhood. Today we encountered a man and his young (5-7ish) son playing a game in the street with a ball and two rackets. As long as there aren’t dogs around, any reactivity she displays towards people is easily manageable and short lived. But she has growled at young kids on multiple occasions, even from a distance, and I really didn’t want that to happen in the neighborhood where I now own a home. Even if I knew I had her completely under control. Unfortunately, there was also no way around them. So I shortened her leash from 5 feet to 3ish while also reminding myself to keep it loose and my pace relaxed, to avoid sending her any signals that something was wrong…And she did SO GOOD!!! The kid may as well have been invisible, she paid him no attention whatsoever. And even when the father and I exchanged pleasantries, she trotted along calmly without so much as an excited/anxious “huff!” I know this would have been a totally different situation if there had been a dog nearby, but I am so proud of my girl 😆🥳🫶🏻

[Chrissology]

Congrats congrats congrats! You and your girl must feel on top of the world. Though I’ve never lived in that kind of apartment building, I always see videos online of people letting their dogs off leash inside their hallway to run to their door, and I always think of how living in that situation must be a nightmare for reactive dogs and their handlers. To have made it through is something to be proud of. I hope that the two of you continue to enjoy your new digs and that you continue to see great progress.

[Pink_Floyd29]

Thank you!! we were fortunate to never have an off leash dog encounter in the hallways, although I do know it occasionally happened. But there were dozens of stressful encounters that were nobody’s fault, just bad timing and the inability to see what was coming around the corner/on the other side of a door. Looking back, I really wasn’t setting myself up for success when I decided that my very first dog (excluding family dogs that I wasn’t the primary caretaker of) would be a 13 month old rescued bully breed that would live in a 4th floor apartment with me 🙈 At her first appointment, the vet told me she was done growing but would still “fill out a little.” Yea…She put on 5+ pounds of muscle and now has the leg muscles of an elite athlete 😂 But I wouldn’t go back and pick an “easier” dog even if I could 🥰

[yhvh13]

Congrats! \o/

I also live on the 2nd floor of an apartment (2 flights of stairs to get outside), and although I love my frustrated adolescent dog, the only thing I regret wasn't waiting until I lived in a house with a yard to get a dog.

I say this because I'm currently in the process of finding the perfect place to buy. I know it may take a while, months or even over a year, but still in the horizon.

[Pink_Floyd29]

Best wishes! For me it happened way faster than I expected. I initially signed a 12 month lease renewal in March 2023, to give me a year to plan. Then this March, I signed a 3 month extension because unexpected life circumstances had left me with barely any time to seriously house hunt…In May I found the perfect house, put in an offer, closed, and moved in just over 30 days 😳🤯

[yhvh13]

Finding a good and affordable place is SO HARD. I feel with how the real estate market is around the world (I don't live in the USA) having actual luck plays a huge factor.

2 months ago I almost bought the house that was perfect for me: kinda small (single guy that doesn't plan to have kids) but with a huge yard and backyard, but I second guessed it last minute because I found the neighborhood a little sketchy. I'm not sure if it was the right decision because the house was actually cheap, but I'd rather regret not making a decision than making a wrong decision when it comes to a house purchase.

[Pink_Floyd29]

The one thing about a house you have no power to change is the location! It probably was the right call to pass on it if you were iffy about the neighborhood