Size of Home
THE SIZE OF HOME
The size of home needed for a pet depends on the amount of exercise a particular dog needs. Knowing the size of your home will play a big part on the pet you purchase. If you live in a small studio apartment it is going to be difficult to take care of a labrador retriever sized dog that requires a tremendous amount of exercise and if confined can throw temper tantrums such as behavioral problems. In such a small environment a cat or small dog like a chihuahua or a small terrier would be a good choice.
Let me be clear regarding the life of a cat! The size of home needed for a cat is limitless! Cats can live anywhere. Cats can live even in a shoe box if they so choose. That is why the size of a home or its yard plays no part in the type of cat that you purchase. Cats are nocturnal animals so you will barely notice they are around during the day unless their food bowl is empty! You will know they are around when you have that eerie feeling you are being watched. Cats love to sit on top of refrigerators or doors looking down at you.
Just be careful with little children and tiny dogs when you have lots of stairs and tile floors. Toy breeds can easily dislocate a hip just being dropped accidentally on to tile. They also can fall down stairs causing dislocations and fractures. Larger animals like labrador retrievers are a lot more durable.
The size of home can be enlarged by having little “doggy” doors installed in the kitchen, for example. These allow little pets to come and go as they please from a warm home environment to exercise in a fenced in yard. This is a very handy tool to have in your home with small pets.
Large dogs also have their intrinsic issues. Dogs such as the Labrador Retriever can clear anything off of a coffee table with their tail a waggin’. Newfoundlands and other giant breeds can send gobs of saliva all over the place in the hot months of the year. Boxers love chewing up any type of drywall.
The best thing in choosing a particular breed for your home is to read up on a handful of breeds that your family might be interested in. I have written a wealth of practical information regarding this under Breeds of Dogs.
