We have been busy this week, so we are reposting some of our post that answers your most asked questions. Lately we've been getting a lot of questions from people wanting to move into the city. They are curious about the availability of rentals for large dogs, and pitbull-type dogs, and if there seem to be any issues transitioning a dog into a 'city lifestyle'. These are just some experiences we've had, but we would love to hear everyone else's thoughts and experiences.
Apartment Availability: We've found ourselves quite lucky that Chicago is
a very dog-friendly city, and most of the limitations seem to be size and weight limits rather than breed restrictions. Miss M and I lived in two apartments before
moving into our condo with E. Miss M and I lived in a building with 3 Labs, an Akita and a blind Cocker Spaniel. We've also found several neighborhoods with a large population of pitbull-types dogs; there seem to be a lot in the
Logan Square, Humboldt Park, Wicker Park, West Town areas (Chicago people...what else am I missing?)
We have also heard that it's easier to rent from a specific landlord who owns the building than trying to work with a management company.
Interviewing with a Landlord: Our first landlord was actually hesitant to allow a pitbull-type dog, so Miss M actually had to 'interview'. Ok, it was really just showing up and letting the landlord meet her, but since
she can be quite charming and persuasive, that was all she needed to move in. We've heard about people putting together portfolios with letters of reference, (from foster parents, former landlords, trainers), training certificates and photos for landlords who were hesitant to meet a dog. We also read
this really great article from Bad Rap with many forward-thinking ways to work with landlords.
Choosing the Right Type of Rental:We think the hardest thing about moving into the city, especially if your dog is accustomed to their own backyard, is
learning to walk in the city. There are so many other dogs and distractions in the city, that it could be difficult for a dog to adjust if they're not used to all the bustle. If you have 2-3 dogs, it would be a good idea to look for a rental with a backyard option until you and the dogs can get accustomed to walking at the same time. It took me a really long time to
learn to walk 2 dogs at the same time, and I've never been able to walk our dogs plus a foster. And going on that many walks can be exhausting.
We would love to hear everyone else's experiences about renting with dogs or transitioning into the city. Has it seemed to be an issue?PS.
Ideas on 'paying it forward' to make renting with dogs a positive experience so more landlords will begin accepting dogs.
What to know when moving your dog to the cityCheck our Facebook page for more photos, comments, and storylines beyond the blog.
