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We're going through the same thing right now. We're looking at rescue dogs that are a little older, and asking about the individual dog's energy level, etc. We want a dog that will have the energy to run with us, etc, but won't hate being in a 1 bedroom apartment.
Don't write off bigger breeds, a lot of them are actually calmer!
ETA: This is the thread, there was some great advice you might find helpful.
I second lilyfaith's idea. Asking the shelter about the dogs will give you a much better insight. Viszlas are a notoriously hyperactive breed, but we had a Viszla that was calmer than Buddha (so we named him Buddha). Every dog has tendencies in the breed, but yet that dog can be different. I would just visit the shelter to see what they have and ask if they have any medium sized, calmer dogs. Explain your situation, I'm sure they'll be able to direct you to some great candidates!
If you're looking to purchase a dog, I would advise against pet shop dogs. Even dogs sold from classified ads are usually puppy mill dogs. They're not great for apartment living no matter what breed because they are always taken away from the mother too early, are undersocialized, and have destructive tendencies.
agree with the other posters that individual dogs are different, but if you're asking about particular breeds...we have a sheltie in an apartment. he's really small--14 lbs, which is on the smaller size for the breed. he has a lot of energy, but with enough walks and play time with us and other neighborhood dogs, he's been a great dog for us and has done really, really well! he's still kind of a puppy--just about 2--so he'll calm down more as he gets older. he barks when he hears someone in the hall, but none of our neighbors have ever complained.
My husband and I have a pretty high energy puppy in a 750 square foot apartment. We make sure to walk her every day, spend about 10-15 minutes training her with a clicker (sit, down, watch for now) & just correct her at all times when she gets into wires and other things which hasnt been much of a problem.
We sort of adopted her on impulse and didnt think to look for a low energy dog. If I were to do this again we def would look for all of that however we have to work with what we chose & it hasnt been much of a problem yet. She even stays home alone a lot & has been pretty good about it!
Having a dog in an apartment is def. do-able!
I did a google search once for good apartment dogs and came up with great danes, which was fabulous because I've always wanted one! They have the perfect personality to live in a small area even though they are massive dogs. They are really sweet and gentle and not too hyper. They tend to be a lazy type of dog, hence the reason they do well in an apartment. A dane is my dream dog, but I don't plan on getting one until I have a house.
If it were me I would stay away from most of your wire hair terrier breeds (Fox Terriers, Cairn Terriers, etc) because while in the medium range they are notorious for being hyperexcitable.
Stay away from labs/goldens/etc - these guys need more room to run!
A few of the giant breeds do really well in apartments with regular exercise but you need to be super careful with their nutrition. In an apartment they will not be exercising a ton so their muscles will not develop as quickly as their skeletal conformation and because they are on a high plane of nutrition they will gain weight easily which is a HUGE cause for hip dysplasia, cruciate ruptures etc.
My fiance and I have two dogs in our apartment - one is a cocker spaniel/chihuahua mix. He's smaller, about 15 pounds and is SUPER hyper and barks more than we'd like. However, our neighbors have never complained.
We also have a german shepherd/lab puppy and he's doing very well in such a small apartment. He is, however, a puppy and by the time he gets bigger we'll be moving into a duplex with a backyard (we'll move when he's about 7 months old). I think a lot of it depends on how you raise the dog - we have found that even if you get a dog that is "more likely" to be hyper and yappy, they will adapt to the environment they're in and adapt to how you and your fiance live your life.
I have a condo that's about 600 sq feet. I have a tweenie dachshund (~17lbs). It's actually one of the most popular breeds in cities because of its size. He does great. He only barks if he hears someone on the hall. I should tell you that some are "yappy" so I was hyper-vigilant when he was a pup to control his barking. Sometimes all it takes is a little effort.
Dachshunds come in mini up to 10lbs, tweenie 11-17 lbs, and standard 17lbs+. They come in a variety of colors and coat types. Check them out! There's gotta be one ya like!
And because it's required, here's a pic 
Your ebst bet is to go to a shelter and ask the folks that work there for assitance. Explain your lifestyle and your expectations for the dog, and they will definitely be able to guide you to one who suits your needs! A slightly older dog (over a year or so) would be a good choice as well. When people get puppies they tend to look for specific breed characteristics, because the best you can do with a young, unknown dog is to generalize about what most dogs of that type are like. With an adult dog, you know what you're getting, even if the personality doesn't match what you expect for the breed! You can get a slow Jack Russell or a super hyper Lhasa Apso, but if the dog has time to grow up, you'll know it before you choose!
Good luck!
I know this is going to sound a bit backwards, but I find big dogs are more suitable for apartment living.
I live in 700 sq feet with two big dogs (J, 10 years, is 120 lbs and T, 3 years, is 75). I wouldn't have it any other way, they are very relaxed and clam and oddly enough, don't take up a lot of room. I raised them both from 8 week old pups so they know the rules and are simply great dogs. When we go to the dog park or on walks, they are full of energy--they simply know the difference between home time and play time.
I agree with checking at the shelter, if you aren't dying for a puppy, dogs in the 1-3 year range have enough puppy in them that they want to play and rough house, but don't care if it never happens...
Good Luck!
Thanks so much for your suggestions. I might go check out a couple shelters this weekend and see what they say. I love the pictures of your dogs! They are so cute!
we've got two pups in our apartment....a 60lb olde english bulldogg and a 6 lb minpin...they are doing fine with apartment life, but we do make sure to take them out as often as we can either on hikes or to the dog park. Our little girl does bark sometimes, but we've never had any complaints (it's usually just when a car pulls in the driveway or the neighbors are making a lot of noise)
I need to share my babies' faces too, so here's a gratuitous puppy shot:
I have a 75+ pound lab/chow mix living in a 2400 sq. ft. townhouse with no yard (just a small patio). The actual house is big, but having no yard tends to be a no-no for big dogs. When he was ~10 months (I adopted him at 8 mo) we moved into an 850 sq. ft. condo with a small yard. It was miserable because he was still a puppy and needed so much room to run. I was a student living with only one roomie and thus he was home alone a lot, meaning he got bored. When I had time to take him out it became difficult because I was living in AZ and it was too hot to take him out during the day, and not safe at night.
I moved back home when he was a little over a year (back to townhouse) and things were so much better. He was a little older and got a lot more attention, and even though there was no yard for him he got more exercise. We never had a problem now because he is 2.5 years old and sleeps most of the day. He goes to the dog park once a day and has a 30 minute walk at night. AND HE SLEEPS MOST OF THE DAY!!
My best advice is to get a slightly older, larger dog (the shelter lied about his real age). Larger dogs over 2 years tend to be really calm and sleep most of the day. I knew I could never own a small dog, so even living in a small space wasn't going to stop me from having my large dog.
I have a chihuahua/min pin mix in my 630 sq. foot apartment. She's the perfect size for my place and has room to run around and we can play fetch in the apartment. Typically chihuahuas and min pins do bark alot (as do lots of the smaller breeds) but my particular dog never barks!
I would say to go to a local shelter and get to know some of the dogs. You will be able to tell when you are there what would be a good fit. I knew my dog was the right dog because she came right up to the front of the cage and was excited to see me, but she didn't bark when I came to her cage. You can also ask questions about the dog and if they think it would be a good fit for your lifestyle.
It depends entirely on the personality of the dog.
We currently have a papillon that barks, not uncontrollably, she's an alert barker, but she does bark. We also have two long coat chihuahuas, neither of which bark AT ALL.
You can go for a breed that has a tendency to not bark, but you never know! Mr. GB was so anti chihuahua until we got our first and she was so awesome. Now he's a convert and tells everyone they are the best things ever.
We live in an apartment and have a toy poodle, she is about 8lbs so there is plenty of room for her. My brother lives in an apartment and wants a dog but he likes big dogs. My parents have been doing some research and found out that bigger dogs can also be good for apartments, he wants either an Australian Shephard or a Newfoundland.
you got some great ideas here on what different type of dogs to adopt! I'm surprise none of the pug-lovers have come on here yet (as there are MANY of us on here!) - so of course I will suggest a pug - they are AWESOME apartment dogs. we adopted ours when we were in our apartment - and they are full of energy - yet at the same time very calm when you are (at least that's how ours is!)
most pugs can be crate trained, too - for when you are away. and while our pug is not crate trained (long story) - I do believe crate training is a great thing - as do many dog owners because their "crates" are their own little place the can go away from and it's like their "shelter".
Here's ours:
@naangel: No Australian Shephards! Unless he is willing to spend an ungodly amount of time exercising the dog outside or adopts a MUCH older dog, he is going to end up with a badly behaved pet. These dogs were meant to run and herd and many never grow out of that tendency. I'm all for big dogs (I don't consider anything under 40 pounds to be a dog I would own), and I like educating people that big dogs can be apartment dogs, but shephards are one breed I would never recommend for apartment living.
A Newfie would be a much better pick for a large, apartment dog :D
>I think a lot of it depends on how you raise the dog - we have found that even if you get a dog that is "more likely" to be hyper and yappy, they will adapt to the environment they're in and adapt to how you and your fiance live your life.<
This is only partially true. For SOME dogs it will work this way, but for a great many it isn't. If you adopt a border collie, for example, you cannot expect it to be a couch potato just because you are. If you do, you will probably find your house destroyed as the dog finds its own ways to amuse itself. There are some calm border collies and mixes, but generally speaking they tend to be very intelligent, very active dogs that need both physical and mental stimulation to be truly happy. Hence the reason so many BCs ended up in shelters after the movie Babe; people saw these awesome, beautiful dogs, wanted them, and didn't realize that they aren't a breed cut out for everyone. The same goes for Dalmatian after the movie 101 Dalmatians came out, and St. Bernards after Beehtoven, and the list goes on.
If you are looking for a puppy, it is important to research breeds before buying/adopting. If adopting an adult dog, it is slightly less important because you can, as others suggested, speak to those who know the dog's personality and activity level. You probably still want to have some idea what the breed is like so you get some idea of what you'll be dealing with health-wise, grooming-wise, etc.
Good luck in your search!!!
We have two pomeranians. When we lived in an apartment we only had the black one pictured below. He is a saint I swear. He never barks and is our little angel. The white one we have now is a little barker for sure. Thank god we bought him after we purchased a home or else he would have gotten us kicked out. I would defintely see how the parents of the dog is to see if they are hyper or not.
Oh man I'm loving the gratuitous puppy pics!
My first dog was a 130lb Rottweiler. She was a fantastic apartment dog. She never barked EVER. She slept all day (and all night too). We took her to the dog park every day, but she was really lazy and probably could have gone every week and been just as happy. So yeah, large dogs do great in apartments. But you said that your complex limits you to medium sized dogs. So here's my list of dogs you may consider (although each dog truly is different, and as others have said older dogs make MUCH better apartment companions):
Here are breeds to avoid:(Not that I don't love them, but they have habits that would be challenging in a rented apartment where you could get evicted for damage or noise complaints. These are totally generalization of the breed, and there ARE exceptions!!)
I have a LOT of experience working with different breeds, and at one point was considering entering the process to be a judge for AKC events. Ironically, my experiece at the animal shelter made me fall in love with mutts, so I never did it.
I am in love with the dog picts too! Thanks for the great list Mighty Sapphire, I will definately look into some of the breeds listed.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is my recommendation, only because I have one. I live on the 7th floor of my apartment building and she has been a great little roommate that adapts very easily to any situation.
I also want to add that I think a lot of people who write off the more active breeds don't realize how little an apartment limits the exercise a dog gets. yes, they're smaller and rarely have yards, but in our neighborhood we have a dog beach, a dog park, and a really nice running path - all of which can easily be utilized to exercise a dog. You have to be committed, of course, and I think a puppy would still be too much, but Shepherds, etc can work in smaller spaces.
I put my vote in for Whippets! I have a Whippet/Foxhound mix in an apartment - we've decided she's mainly Whippet personality wise. Whippets are known for being huge couch potatoes, but they do love to run when they get the chance (Whippets are basically smaller grayhounds). Every once in a while she gets a burst of energy and runs a couple laps around the apartment, but for the most part she's fine with a little walk or some free time outdoors. She sleeps/cuddles the rest of the day!
She does bark occasionally when she hears noises in our hallway, but it's pretty rare and we've trained her well so she listens when we tell her "that's enough."
She's not quite 2 years old yet, and she's extremely calm for a dog her age. We're definitely sold on Whippets!
Pugs are great apartment dogs, ours is 3. and lives in 600 square feet! She gets her daily walks, but in general is a very lazy dog around the house. She does love going for hikes and keeps up with my girlfriends black labs! I am addicted to pugs and our next dog will definetly be a pug. Another thing to consider when adopting a dog is it's temperment with children. Pugs are great dogs with kids, and sturdy enough to withstand them!
First.....all dogs bark....some more than others. My dogs bark at strangers at our door or butterflies. Yes. Butterflies. I suggest checking out the AKC.org for info about every breed and also info on breed rescue.
I volunteer and donate to various animal rescue organizations. One thing I can say is that we need loving *responsible* dog owners for all of the pets that end up in rescue and shelters. It would awesome for you to save a pet's life! Owning a dog is a very selfless and wonderful experience. Do your homework, especially if you've never owned a dog before.
I have a Maltese in my apartment. He's not lazy at all, but a few rounds of fetch is all he needs in the way of excercise. I also believe that you can train dogs not to bark.
P.S. This souds dumb but he wears a doggie diaper (I bought it at petsmart) with padding inside of it during the day and it works out perfectly. He's house broken, but can't hold it for the 11 hours I work.
We have a Black Lab/St. Bernard mix (she's almost 2 years old now, but only 80lbs). We got her when she was 9 months old while living in an apartment. It was a struggle sometimes because puppies have lots of energy...but we found that it motivated us to get out of the house more often (haha, yeah...I'm lazy, I'll admit it). I took her for walks twice a day and would take her to the dog park a few times a month. We are also fortunate enough to both have parents that have quite big yards, and we'd let her run.
Make sure you find a dog that is right for YOU. If you want a high-energy breed dog, make sure the pup isn't cooped up all day and you can take for walks at least twice a day. Dogs can be very destructive if left by themselves for too long and didn't get the proper amount of energy out before you left for the day...that can be expensive when you're renting!
Good luck finding a dog! I'm sure that whatever breed you pick, as long as its personality fits yours well, will be a great addition to your family. :)
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I really want to get a dog but I live in an apartment. I have been doing alot of research on what dogs are good for apartments and it seems like every website says something different. I am so confused at this point. We have lots of parks in our area (and one huge dog park) and we love to be outside so we would have no problem walking him/her regularly. We can't have anything bigger then a medium size dog in our building.
Any good suggestions for good apartment dogs that won't bark alot?