Dogs for apartments

Owning a dog is a big responsibility and giving your dog the best care and attention can help to improve the quality and length of your dog's life.

Feeding your dog a well-balanced diet is clearly necessary to keep him fit and healthy, and there is a whole variety of different types of products to choose from, including diets designed for specific stages of life and foods, which deliver additional health benefits.

Other activities such as exercise, training, grooming and regular visits to the veterinarian are equally important to keep your dog happy and healthy.

Maybe one of the most important aspects to ensure a happy relationship between you, your family and your dog is to ensure that your dog's requirements can be matched by your lifestyle and environment.

Dogs come in a variety of different shapes and sizes, all with different characters and temperaments. Therefore choosing a right breed is an important step as he will soon become an integral part of your family.

The size of your house and garden, and more importantly, the availability of open spaces nearby for exercise will influence the type of dog you should choose.

For instance a Great Dane or Newfoundland would be cramped in a small apartment and an Irish Wolfhound, which needs plenty of space, might be unhappy in the middle of a town, whereas Boston Terriers, Italian Greyhounds, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and Dachshunds may be better suited if space is limited.

Breeds like From Yorkshire Terriers to Pomeranians, and Maltese to Pekingese, are lively and live happily in a smaller space.

By: Dr Kallahalli Umesh