Feel free to delete this Ed if you find this inappropriate for your forum.

My apologies in advance...

I am really frustrated and needed to vent. It seems that all dobermans, GSDs, rottweilers, great danes, etc. are aggressive when it comes to finding an apartment to live in. I am trying to move from Colorado to Wisconsin, which by sheer distance, is difficult enough by itself. But as I am searching for apartments, I find that 99% of them restrict the types of dogs they will allow and automatically classify the dogs mentioned above as being aggressive. I am sorry, but about four months ago, an aggressive lab bit the face of a two year old child and caused some serious damage to the child. Yet, you will never see a lab on the aggressive dog list. (BTW, I love labs, but will never own one.) Chihuahuas are another pretty aggressive dog, but I don't see those on the list either. Nothing against them either. I just don't see why they can't ask for references. Not that I haven't done several training classes, plus the assistance of several of Ed's fine videos. Now, I understand some of it is driven by the insurance companies, so it isn't anyone's fault...(dripping with sarcasm).

So, I am moving to the Madison area and I will be one of Madison's finest. If anyone knows a place I can stay, feel free to PM me.

OK, done with the rant. Have a good day!

In my opinion agressiveness is not breed related. I understand how you feel, I hope you find an apartment soon for both you and your dog

I feel for you Heather. I relocated last fall, with my 95lb Ridgeback, to an urban area in which most rental companies or landlords refused to accept dogs over 25lbs (if they accepted dogs at all). Since RRs are a relatively rare breed, not many people know what they are, or if they could be categorized as one of those classicly "aggressive" breeds (though I think they may actually have been recently added to the banned breed list of a few companies ), but I'm certain that it would have been even MORE difficult had I had to explain that my 95lb dog was ALSO a Rott. The whole weight restriction angle keeps landlords from even having to question a dog's breed or temperment (even though WE all know good behavior has little to do with the kind of dog and EVERYTHING to do with it's owner).

At the heart of the issue I think ARE the insurance companies, and sadly, there are stereotypical trends that end up creating rules that make it really impossible for people who AREN'T a risk, but fit the visual profile. All I can offer for advise is to make yourself, and your dog, look as wonderful as possible in official writing. Any obedience titles or training/therapy certificates that you have - pile them together (or get motivated to work for them!). Any letters of reference from previous landlords, employers, or other important people who could testify to your dog's good behavior under varied situations - request them and have them on hand. We had our old landlord write a review of Oscar for us and it was quite stellar (no encouragement needed!). I also have certificates from OB classes we've completed, and I'm hoping to get Oscar's CGC this year, partly for this reason.

Also of note, I found that the search became a little easier for us once we started looking at pricier property (I guess in the landlord's handbook, a tenant with more money is more likely to have a friendlier dog?! ), so be prepared to maybe pay more than you had hoped. We did.

It's an infuriating situation (we spent a solid week of stress and heartbreak before FINALLY landing a super place) and I hope you find a great place to live.

~Natalya

I hear you, Heather. The reason I have a Lab, and not a GSD, is due to liability and the owner's insurance policy. Nevermind that we offered our own considerable insurance...GSDs are BAD and we weren't allowed to get one.

If you haven't checked into this already, you might want to contact Madison's rescues and shelters. In my area they keep a list of "pet friendly" property management companies. You may be able to more easily talk them into accepting your dog.

All good advice Natalya. I haven't had this issue, we own our home, and I don't think our homeowners insurance company even asked if we own dogs...yet I'm sure.

I think it boils down to most people, landlords included, really don't have a clue about dogs. Yet they are forced to make decisions. So they depend on what information they can find, such as the following link:

http://www.dogbite.org/pages/dogsmostlikely.html

While this information may be factually true you need to factor in other things. What types of dogs tend to attract potentially bad owners? If a breed is very pupular and thier numbers are large, then the number of bites will be bigger, but percentage wise might be actually small. These are just a few things to consider. It's a tough world to live in owning large breed dogs, that's for sure.

How about he's not a German Shepherd. They told us he was a husky-border collie mix.

 Quote: steve strom

How about he's not a German Shepherd. They told us he was a husky-border collie mix.

Awesome.

Except in my case, one attempt at a mixed breed guess (especially since my RR has no ridge!) from a dumb dumb insurance agent would probably result in: "looks like a pit/dane mix to me!" Yikes! That's TWO strikes against!!

~Natalya

I have had awesome luck in the past with going through apartment locators to find a dog friendly apartment complex. At the time all my dogs were little and I always got the question "What's a papillon. Is that a kind of pit?" But bringing the dogs along usually helped keeping the fears away since my dogs are about as frightening as tissue paper.

 Quote: melissa thom

I have had awesome luck in the past with going through apartment locators to find a dog friendly apartment complex. At the time all my dogs were little and I always got the question "What's a papillon. Is that a kind of pit?" But bringing the dogs along usually helped keeping the fears away since my dogs are about as frightening as tissue paper.

I think it's well worth it to have the dog's CGC, too.

maybe another route is to rent a house through a person and not an apartment or
rental agency???
that is what i had to do. Apartments were out of the question. Houses rented through such n such realtors inc was generally out too.

I had great luck just going through the classifieds of the town you are moving to, and making some phone calls.

so in so has a house that they usually rent to college students, but is now looking for someone more responsible, etc.