>

It's not pretty right actually, some huge dogs are just those apartment dogs and they are doing so fucking fine about the things that you just mentioned man, it's like that.
People who live in the apartment directly above me shouldn't own large dogs. >

I agree, also shouldn't own kids >

Man really said "own" kids >

If you created them you basically own them until someone says you are unfit to or they turn 18 lmao >

Large dogs, like Great Danes etc, are actually excellent apartment dogs. They are very low energy and are quite happy sitting on their dog bed most of the day. Danes are actually very popular in Japan for this reason. >

They are loud as fuck to the people living in the apartment below.... >

They generally don't bark much either >

Btw dog ownership in Japan pales in comparison to US dog ownership. It's like 14% vs 38% of households. You have to register your dog there too. >

How is this relevant? >

You mentioned Japan. My whole position on this subject is much like OP's. I think apartment dogs are annoying as fuck and the more restrictions the better. >

This isn’t an unpopular opinion, it’s a lack of understanding about the topic. >

Very true, most posts on here lately doing this. >

They belong on /r/NotUnpopularJustDumb >

I think these posts are good. I don't have a dog and don't plan on having a dog. But I have formed and opinion "Who the hell would get a big dog in an apartment? Isn't that bad for them?". I have never judged the dog owners, just wondered why out of all the discussions I don't see this one being discussed.
But thanks to the replies here I learned that my opinion was in fact really dumb. I am a couch potato and I weigh 90kg. Dogs can be fine in an apartment. >

Some dogs are abused and neglected and living in an apartment is a much better alternative than a cage or chained to a tree.
People who adopt have no reason to feel bad.
People who purchase dogs should feel bad regardless the size of their house. >

i see this argument alot and it makes me realise the "adopt dont shop" crowd down know much about down dogs. my families helped train and "rehab"  guess dobermans for rescue groups to make them "adoptable" rescues are NOT for everyone. every dog is different and ALOT of them need a fuck ton of training and special accommodations alot of people dont have the time or skill for, stuff that buying a dog from a reputable breeder simply doesnt.
our 2 dobies for example. our female we were told if didnt work out with us shed be put down cause it was her fourth rehome attempt. her issue? the place she was rescued/surrendered from used to throw dolls and pushies at her to play with. and as such was agressive towards small kids and small animals (dont ask me how these muppets didnt catch onto that after the 2nd failed attempt of rehoming her with young kids when i realised that 5 seconds after i knelt down around her and she out of nowhere wanted to play alot rougher, but whatever) . our male on the other hand we know literally nothing about. he was literally dumped on a vets doorstep one night and they didnt have room for him. all we know is he was scared and aggressive from whatever he had to go through before us.  rescue mob we work with basically gave us first dibs on him and said if we couldnt go get him within a couple days of they dont know whatd happen. he took ALOT of work, and even now a few years on hes not 100%.
so while its all hunky dory saying "adopt dont shop" its not for everyone. misleading people into thinking its no different than buying like way way too many of the "adopt dont shop" crowd do is why so many shelter dogs and more so rescues (cause rescues often tend to be alot more "raw") get put down or multi rehomed.
it should be "adopt if you have the time and skill, shop RESPONSIBLY if you have to" cause shopping responsibly means that the dogs will often already be partially trained and settle in alot quicker. youll also know their temperment alot easier cause they have no real reason to fear people or act out. not to mention unlike puppy farms reputable breeders actually care about the dogs and will be more than happy to educate you about the breed and help you with the dogs way more than shelters and rescues can. not to mention outside of pets, working dogs are alot better or atleast easier bought cause depending on their age will come partially or fully trained in thier breeds specialist field and and ready to work.
in conclusion adopting isnt all sunshine and rainbows like tiktok and social media portrays. yes some rescues are amazing as they are as they were simply surrendered for whatever reason but ALOT arent. if you dont have ALOT of time to settle them in and make them comfortable or the skills (or money) to train them and work with them dont bother. abused and traumatised dogs are like humans in that regard. sometimes all ya need is a little bit of love to unlock the shell, but alot of the time its a long slow road to hell and back. reputable breeders may be expensive but are def better for first time owners when it comes to "specialist" breeds like dobies. especially when abused and neglected for these breeds can very often mean "highly aggressive and territorial" >

Okay yes I was reductive there are times to shop.
Eg: new baby. Need appropriate pet.
But overall shopping has plenty risks notably purebred dogs tend to have mote health problems. Plus you have no guarantee your purchased dog will not have behavioral issues. Especially if you don't know anything about training.
I know plenty about dogs by the way. I would be happy if purchasing of pets was illegal and all pets required a licence with qualification. But that's just my opinion and most people hate me for it. >

This isn’t unpopular, you’re just misinformed. High energy dogs don’t belong cooped up, that has nothing to do with size. >

Best example, Great Danes are notorious couch potatoes. >

Still.  I dunno.  I lived next door to someone who owned two of 'em, and I never saw them walk their dogs, ever.  YEARS.  I don't think they left the house, but they did have a tiny backyard to go poop in, so they had that... but are they really that lazy?  I just thought it strange, such large dogs I figured they'd be more active. >

Ok, but anyone can be a shitty dog owner. You don't have to own large dogs in order to be shitty and never take them outside. Actually I've more commonly seen owners of small and extra small dogs not taking their dogs out enough. Too many people think like OP, they think that a big dog can't do well in an apartment because it's a small cramped space compared to the dog; but for a small dog, they don't need to be exercised outside since their so tiny they have tons of space relative to their size.
So, to answer your question: great danes are couch potatoes, they would probably much rather sleep then go outside other than to poop and piss. But a responsible dog owner will still make sure their dane gets exercise and gets to go outside and smell things and interact with other dogs and people because that stuff enriches a dog's life and keeps them healthier for longer. But proper exercise for a great dane isn't the same as proper exercise for say a husky or a lab. >

Exactly this. Great Danes are better apartment dogs than jack Russells, actually. >

Which large dog? Yeah don't keep a Belgian Malinois or a Caucasian Shepard in an apartment. But an English Mastiff that just wants to sleep all day? Yeah that's fine. >

This post is a bit like saying you can't have humans in apartments because they're too big >

Yeah! We used to be hunter gatherers who'd walk miles in days, the fact we aren't doing so anymore means something is clearly wrong! It's not like most mammals seek comfort and will not need to over-exert energy if it is not necessary for survival! We aren't suited for this lifestyle! SMH. >

I get what you are saying, but there are whole continents of people dying right now because they aren't getting exercise or nutrients needs met. Fat as a house but technically starving. So, yah, bit more range for folk might help. >

I lived in an apartment with a black lab for over a year. He has lots of toys, we walk for an hour a day and go out for short breaks 3-4 other times, and when he's awake it doesn't matter how big the space is because he sits where ever I am. 
I think you're confusing large dogs with energetic dogs that will run and play alone. Many large dogs are couch potatoes. >

Correct. My 50kg/110lb Bernese mountain dog has an enormous amount of space. Our house is very large. She barely moves from her spot under the air con most days, she gets a good walk and then she’s a total slug. 
The temperament and needs of the breed matter more than the size of the dog. >

And personality too. My husky goes to daycare, but honestly… he’s so so damn lazy. A pure bed potato who more often then Not rejects my walk attempts in favor of running back into bed and glaring at me instead… 
A yard would be wasted on this dude. I’m still eventually going to get him one. But he so so lazy. >

We DO have a yard and our husky sleeps in 2 spots. Under a tree for shade and the patio for sun naps. the other 2 dogs don't really stay out there. They all sleep the majority of the day. >

My mom and I have sibling huskies and ours is high energy spaz zooming back and forth with our son. Hers is lazy as fuck. Laziest husky I've ever seen. Dude will stay lying down and howl at you if you pet one of her other dogs, he demands you don't pet them but come to him and pet him lol. >

Love me! LOVE ME!! NOT FROM THERE! >

I think it depends more on breed than size - some medium and smaller dogs are working breeds, which need constant stimulation eg. Jack russels, border collies, kelpies, but some larger dogs are lazy af - greyhounds for example are excellent apartment dogs, they want to do zoomies for 10 minutes at the dog park otherwise they sleep all day (basically big cats). I’ve got a greyhound x deerhound and he’d be fine in an apartment, and he’s huge (taller than me when he stands up on his back legs). He sleeps 23 hours a day and huffs at me if I make a noise that wakes him, and he’s only 2 and a half years old. But I’d never own a working breed especially the herding kinds, even in a regular house or on a rural property unless I had a job for them - that’s cruel imo. >

Most big dogs are equal parts lazy and affectionate so they make surprisingly good apartment dogs. They still need to get out for multiple walks a day but they just sleep next to you otherwise so they don’t take up much space. 
Anything that’s a working breed (collies, kelpies or cattle dogs etc.) should definitely not be apartment dogs, but even a huge backyard isn’t enough for them in ideal circumstances. They need an acreage. >

My brothers dog is a kelpie and is the laziest dog I’ve ever met. lol. Aside from him though I agree. Some big dogs are great in apartments. Others, not so much. >

Honestly, lots of dogs out there need homes. At some point they can live wherever they're taken care of at anywere >

I guess you and most people on here hate me >

Don’t listen to the whiny gatekeepers on Reddit. If it was up to them, every pet would live on a six acre fenced in farm with organic premium diets and receive 8 hour long walks a day. 
You’re likely giving your babies better lives than they would have had at a shelter. Love them, feed them, stimulate them, don’t abuse them, and treat them when they’re sick. Boom, you’re a good, responsible pet owner. Regardless of square footage. >

Hahaha thanks. I was being sarcastic. I like to get a rise from Reddit gatekeepers. Thanks for the reassurance. >

Most people shouldn’t own pets. Also most people can’t accept this and I imagine this will get downvoted to oblivion but it’s the truth >

While it’s easy to say that, think of the consequences. If most people “shouldn’t” own pets, shelters would have to do mass euthanasias constantly. We need to be better at supporting and educating pet owners through the community, not taking them away. >

Yes as much as I encourage people educating themselves on being the best pet owners possible, I hate the gatekeeping the internet does against pet ownership. 
Someone told me once here that I was inhumane for having two kitties in my apartment and never letting them outside. They are happy and healthy and stimulated. AND safe from cars, predators, and the rough climate in my area.
Some people won’t mind their damn business, thinking they know best. If everyone expected the best of the best perfect standards for pets, very few would be able to adopt them, leading to many animals living their entire life in a cage in a shelter then dying young from euthanasia. >

Even an active breed might adapt fine to apartment life as a senior >

My mom has a Newfoundland poodle mix. Laziest couch potato you’ve ever met. 80 pounds of “sleeps on the couch all day.” Gentle giant. 
A yappy small dog can make a lot more noise than a big one who never feels a need to bark. >

How much does this mix shed if you don’t mind me asking? 
I really would like to get a Newfoundland mix sometime in the future. They’re just so sweet and gentle! >

She sheds in tufts of hair once or twice a year, so it’s not individual furs you find all over the house/bedding/carpets. Once in awhile there’s a tumbleweed in a corner, that’s about it. She also doesn’t drool constantly like purebred newfies do — only when exercising. >


Once in awhile there’s a tumbleweed in a corner, 

This tickled me 🤣 >

I think you’re confusing high energy dogs with large dogs. Some dog breeds don’t like to galavant in an open field for hours. 
In my experience a good chunk of large dogs prefer to relax. (That is not to say they don’t exist, just that different breeds require different standards) >

Does a bigger human want to exercise more often than a smaller human? 🤡 >

Would one human require the same amount of space to exercise as another that is literally twenty times their size? >

so take them for a 20x longer walk >

I have a fairly large home. I also have a 5-year-old 170lb Great Dane. He would be very, very upset if I dared to make him get off his Posturepedic dog bed to go for a walk. He likes his yard time maybe once in the morning and once in the afternoon for maybe 10 minutes at a time to sniff around and poop. Otherwise, he lays on his bed ALL DAMN DAY and gets up to stretch occasionally. His best friend is my elderly black lab who is essentially of the same demeanor, but it's just because of her age. She likes to be outside and run around far more than he does tough. >

I agree with this. I live in a condo. I have two cats but I would have loved to get a dog. However, I refuse to get a tiny dog. I want a big one (Doberman, german shepard, cane corso, etc). 
I know that is unfair to keep them in my small 800sq/f condo. That's why I got two cats instead. However, if i am able fortunate enough to have a house, I am getting a dog the week I move in. >


However, I refuse to get a tiny dog. I want a big one (Doberman, german shepard, cane corso, etc).

These breeds don't often mix well with cats. If they do, you have to raise them from puppyhood with them and even then it can be a risk >

Big dogs are just as happy (if not more) to lay around and cuddle all day, they DO need exercise yes but 2 walks like you mentioned would definitely suffice. >

Certain very very large breeds of dogs actually are great for apartments. Great Danes, bernnese mountain dogs, Irish wolf hounds. I've personally knows people with these dogs that have less energy than my English bulldog which are known for being lazy as fuck. If you think that a house and a yard are enough to keep an energetic dog occupied without that actual interaction of dog parks and walks a few times a day, then you are very wrong. If you're adopting a dog that is otherwise going to be sitting in a shelter, an apartment with regular walks multiple times a day is certainly better than the alternative. >

Not everyone with large dog breeds got the dog when they lived in an apartment complex. >

Yup. Reddit loves to shame any and all pet owners who decide to rehome their pets. But simultaneously shame pet owners who have under x square footage. 
Life happens, you lose jobs or have to relocate for work or family. Smaller homes and apartments are a necessity for many people’s situations and pets are family, many don’t want to leave them behind. >

Had to move from a house with a yard and lots of parks, halfway across the country to a city where I knew I’d be stuck in an apartment for years, so I had to make the awful (but right) decision to give my super hyper German shepherd mix to a friend before leaving. It sucked so bad but he has such a better life now than if I brought him along. >

I have done this (wasn’t my dog to begin with; I moved in with a partner) and I cannot agree more.
Also not unpopular tho >

Same goes for people who keep their dogs penned up >

Depends on the breed. A large dog doesn't necessarily require more exercise than a smaller dog. You have small sized dogs that require a lot of exercise and big dogs that don't.