10 helpful tips to keep your dog happy in an apartment.

Our furry friends are the joy of our lives, and we are the joy of theirs! Living in an apartment, condo or other small space can provide some difficulty when it comes to keeping our pets happy. We want to help you and your fur baby thrive in any setting, so we have come up with 10 helpful tips to keep your dog happy in an apartment.
- Make sure your dog is exercising enough.
Signs your dog isn’t getting enough exercise include:
- Weight gain/overweight
- Withdrawn behaviour
- Excessive barking, whining, or restlessness
- Destructive behaviour, like chewing or scratching
- Pacing or unsettled behaviour

- Consider a dog walker or doggy daycare

- Build a “safe space” for your pet.

- Invest in interactive toys and long-lasting toys.
Interactive toys keep your pet stimulated and engaged for long periods of time; in some cases, they can also dispense treats!
For dogs we would recommend:
- Treat balls or treat puzzles
- A Kong or any type of toy that can be stuffed (these can be filled and frozen, so they last longer)
- Treat dispensing toys that involve lights or pressing buttons
- Interactive tail toy (wiggles, vibrates and barks)
- Bully sticks, hard rubber chew toys or bones (these can also be frozen) – however make sure to supervise your dog to avoid choking or injury
- Find the right apartment!
Scroll to the bottom of this post to browse all Canadian Apartment Properties REIT pet friendly buildings.
Finding the right apartment for you and your pet means checking certain boxes. Is the building noisy? Overly noisy buildings can put stress on your pet and can lead to excessive barking from your dog. Do your best to find a quieter apartment to keep you and your pet happy and healthy.
Other things to consider are being close to or on the ground floor to make it easy to take your dog outside, whether your building and area have pet friendly amenities, if there are other happy pets in the building, and if you have your “pet necessities” close by (groomer, vet, pet store etc.).

- Make sure your pet gets to socialise frequently.

- Music, dog/cat TV or a familiar voice.
- Establish a routine.

- Set boundaries.
Boundaries are everything, especially in small spaces! It’s important your pet knows exactly what the rules are. What is allowed and what’s not allowed. Are they allowed on the furniture and in the bed? What kind of play is allowed inside? How much noise is too much noise?
Make sure you are clear on the rules before bringing your pet into an apartment so there is clarity for the both of you. Pets look to us for all the answers, sending mixed signals is the easiest way to confuse and upset your pet.
- Shower them with attention.
This may seem like a given, but when things get busy this can sometimes be overlooked. Your pets ADORE 😍 you, and you adore them. If they don’t have a huge amount of space to run, prioritise other forms of play, training, and FUN!
There’s nothing quite like the bond we have with our pets, invest in quality time together and take one day at a time.

If you are looking for a pet friendly apartment, consider these CAPREIT buildings:
Cat friendly:
https://www.capreit.ca/apartments-for-rent/?building-features=cats&where=Canada
Small dog friendly:
https://www.capreit.ca/apartments-for-rent/?building-features=dogs&where=Canada
Large dog friendly:
https://www.capreit.ca/apartments-for-rent/?building-features=dogs-large&where=Canada
Email us at rentals@capreit.net with any questions.
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