Dog breeds that can be housebound only?

[Daffodil]

I did think about rabbits....but.........I don't know....they don't excite me lol. but they sure are adorable

 

[Subtropical island]

I did think about rabbits....but.........I don't know....they don't excite me lol. but they sure are adorable

Ok, if you want exciting then I do have to tell you about mine:

I had pet rabbits growing up (the first was actually my brother's but I guess he lost interest).

The first, when I was in primary school, we ended up neutering and setting free,
I think my parents expected him to be eaten or shot,
but he came back at after-school-time every day,
ate a bowl of kibble or carrot or whatever I had
and let me show him movies on my fisher price toys.
I remember the soft spot behind the ears - so soft you almost can't feel the fur.
Eventually he collected a harem of female wild rabbits who hung out on the lawn like a charicature of the '70s.
Probably helped to keep the rabbit population down (no babies).

The next was a dwarf and a vicious little tyrant.
I loved him but
he chased the local Doberman guard dog,
had my teenage brothers up on the car to avoid bloody bites to the Achilles heels,
and hated all males of any species.
But he was very attached to me.
He died, arthritic and ancient, in the throes of passion
(I thought he was too old for it and put him in with the females for one cold night).

A rabbit is alert, responsive and pretty quiet
(they do thump danger, grit teeth and grunt as well as body language),
they come when called and like to be around you.
If you have two, or a cat who grew up with them, they're fun to watch playing.
Even one likes to frolic.
A bunny is what you get when you put them in a cage all their life: they avoid being picked up or freeze, motionless when you do pick them up, and generally act like scared but docile rabbits but all the time.
Bunnies and rabbits not similar in my experience.
But the only difference is the attention you give them.

I know others have indoor rabbits and have met them.
They seemed like a nice house pet.

Ours were mostly outside, no fences, but a hutch for when I wasn't home.

Occasionally I brought them inside and they were 90% fine but things to watch for:
cable insulation is very nice to nibble, so keep it off the floor,
some male rabbits like to jump into the air spinning and spraying as they go (or was that just my nut-job dwarf?),
the majority of pee and poo goes in the chosen corner and if you want it to stay that way ... maybe they get one room that's always theirs and the rest of the house is only when you let them?
You get a lot of the same issues when raising a puppy.

I'd get a rabbit if I were looking for a pet now.

 

[Daffodil]

@Subtropical island wow! i had no idea rabbits had personalities like that! you seem like the type of person who, if ever in trouble in the woods, would have an army of little animals arrive to help out ahah

 

[Revel]

Maybe we need a separate thread for some of this.

@Subtropical island, there is a 'Companion Animal' thread somewhere on PR, for pets other than cats and dogs.

Cool! I stand corrected!

@Dainty, maybe we just struck lucky with ours and "your mileage may vary". Still, rabbits are way smarter than some people give them credit for:

Sorry to have taken the thread off topic, @Horizon. I would not recommend getting a dog, of any size, unless it has daily access to the outside world, there are far more suitable pets worth considering for the housebound.

 

[Subtropical island]

@Daffodil

Lots you can do with time and interest.

...Maybe that's an up side to this thing we have.
(Trick is finding a way to do it gently and get lots of genuine rest. Learning. Slowly.)

Animals are often better at this than we are. Dogs sleep 16/24hrs. Cats and rabbits sleep all day and go out at dawn and dusk. I just watch and learn.

@Revel and @Horizon thanks, am stopping hogging the thread now
All the best with your plans

 

[Gingergrrl]

Interesting to learn about rabbits and my only experience of them was my sister-in-law had two of them but had to get rid of them b/c they did not have the time to care for them and they had a big dog who tried to attack them... so it was not a good match.

 

[PennyIA]

Every dog requires some work for cleaning up (which honestly, is more than I'd care to do). My great-aunt had a lap dog that only went indoors... it took a LOT of work to clean up after she passed away and get the smell out. It's like the urine and feces smell was absorbed into the walls.

For me personally? I would NEVER get a dog again. I'm 'ok' keeping the dog I have, she's 9 years old and other than letting her out and back in again and cleaning up after her in the yard, she's actually really low maintenance. But, with my health issues? No more dogs. IMHO? they are still far more work than most people with ME/CFS can manage. Cats might be a bit easier, but they come with their own chores, too.

That said, medium sized cockapoos' - sometimes called maxi cockapoos... are what my dog is. She's a mix of a cocker spaniel and full sized poodle and she's about 20 - 25 pounds. Bigger than a lap dog. Not too big to manage. And VERY LOW on the physical exercise need. I intentionally looked for this breed after learning they are light on the barking, are very sturdy for a smaller mid-sized dog, and quite healthy breed on average... smart, quick to learn... and LOW exercise. I was living in apartments and didn't want to get a dog that needed a lot of exercise.

She goes outside to do her business and doesn't want to go outside for long walks, nor to explore... never has. She loves being inside and near me... she'll play a bit if you throw a toy for her or play tug ... but she's very laid back and mellow. She had a bit more energy as a puppy of course, chasing the cat, rolling around with a ball and playing with it herself. But all-in-all that part of picking a breed was a good decision.

They are fairly expensive if you buy from a reputable breeder. Mine was a rescue from a puppy mill which has resulted in some issues with food and trying to steal it from the kids, but if you are patient they do show up at rescues. I found mine online when she was about 3 months old, so we got to do all the training and work.

 

[Dechi]

@PennyIA I am sure your dog is terrific and the perfect companion, but paying big bucks for a mixed breed is crazy. There are no " reputable breeders " for mixed breeds, as their is no standard, no known diseases to test for, no breed association, no kennel Club and no showing allowed. Reputable breeders are in it to better the breed. You can't better something that doesn't exist. Anything goes and just anyone can breed their 2 dogs, however correct they are, and call them any name they want.

Sorry for the rant, I can't stand these people who will breed anything, give it a fancy name and put a fat price on it just so it looks fancy ! There is no reason on earth why these dogs would cost so much, other than backyard breeders wanting to make money.

 

[IreneF]

My aunt has a Havanese, and since she broke her ankle the day after getting her, I ended up living with them for about a year starting the same day They are very affectionate, but love to run and play outside. She could do a lot of running indoors (where there was decent carpet), but definitely loved going outside too. Walks are heaven for dogs.

But I can't imagine keeping one inside nearly all of the time, and I wouldn't consider getting a dog if it couldn't go out at least once per day. It would be like keeping a child indoors literally all the time, and it just wouldn't be good for the dog. And I'd worry about the more sensitive/affectionate dogs being anxious or depressed if their owner is sick all the time, since they do pick up on mood.

Cats are a much better option. They're not emotionally dependent like dogs are, and don't belong outside in most climates anyhow. But they'll still be affectionate toward the food-bringer and provide companionship. They're generally a lot cleaner as well, and require less maintenance. House-training comes naturally to them, because they engage in similar behavior in the wild.

I disagree about their lack of emotional dependence. Many cats are very close to humans and get stressed when their people aren't around. My cat is actually fairly needy, but I spend most of my time in bed or on the couch, so we're a good match.

 

[Little Bluestem]

@Horizon, do you have a dog-loving, dogless neighbor who would like to walk your dog for free? In the past, I had a neighbor who left his leash on his back porch so I could walk his dog when I got home from university late at night.

I have wondered about getting a hamster or guinea pig. Maybe you would like one of those if cats don't appeal. I had an outdoor rabbit as a child and liked him a lot.

 

[Horizon]

I love all animals but really would only want a doggy as a pet. I am not a cat fan but would be so much easier if i were.

What about those little chihauha dogs? they seem like pocket book dogs maybe I can get away with getting them their exercise indoors.

 

[Forbin]

Instead of a dog, how about a low maintenance "Dug?"

[ Despite what it says, it's "Dug the Dog," not "Doug the Dog." ]

 

[Dechi]

I love all animals but really would only want a doggy as a pet. I am not a cat fan but would be so much easier if i were.

What about those little chihauha dogs? they seem like pocket book dogs maybe I can get away with getting them their exercise indoors.

Yes, Chihuahuas do well as being an indoor dog. The also enjoy the outside so having a dog walker come in once in a while would be ideal.

 

[Wonko]

A (hot)dog is for lunch, not for life?

Low maintenance pet, easily cleaned up after.


edit. edited for clarity of humour.

 

[Gingergrrl]

A (hot)dog is for lunch, not for life?

I have a hotdog dog (mini dachshund) and she is thoroughly offended...

 

[Anana]

I have an old Basset Hound (rescued). They are perfect for families (always on the top ten list). They are not rocket scientists and they do shed, but they will snuggle the heck out of you. I am not sure about the peepee pad, but my dog likes to use the one little carpet if I forget to let her out, so I'm guessing they'd use a pad.
Best of luck!

 

[tudiemoore]

For the last year I have been regularly checking several of the rescue sites with the thought of having a dog again.

What I have found repeatedly is that so very often the notes which describe the dog's personality, etc.
end with "needs medication 3 times per day" and or "must have fenced yard due to..." or even "would be very sad and lonely with his pal, xxxx, so she must come too."

Some days I can't do too well to take care of myself so have come to the conclusion that I can't give the level of care a
dog deserves
Maybe later..

 

[PennyIA]

Sorry for the rant, I can't stand these people who will breed anything, give it a fancy name and put a fat price on it just so it looks fancy ! There is no reason on earth why these dogs would cost so much, other than backyard breeders wanting to make money.

Understandable. My puppy was rescued from one of those puppy mills. And I was happy to adopt her as a rescue.

 

[Jenny TipsforME]

Not well enough to read full thread sorry but I'd be wary of info saying a breed can be indoors only. When we were reading up about mini schnauzers we read info saying they can exercise themselves in an apartment.

Our mini schnauzer is completely crazy about walks and nags a lot if she doesn't go out twice a day. But her enthusiasm is very persuasive for other people too and several neighbours and friends are happily walking her while my partner is away.

I wonder if a dog share is possible with someone who goes out to work and can't offer the companionship side of having a dog?

 

[Dechi]

@Jenny TipsforME Schauzers of any size are very, very active dogs. The minis were bred to kill rodent, so they are definitely not a good breed to stay indoors !

We agree all dogs should ideally go outside as much as possible, but it is also true that some breeds were created for the sole purpose of being lapdogs : pekinese, maltese, chihuahua and others. Those breeds would do better as house dogs.