Planning to adopt a Samoyed dog but you are concerned about the living space. You live in an apartment or small house with no backyard and you are not 100% positive if this beautiful dog will be happy in your 850 sq ft. home.
Generally, Samoyed dogs can live in apartments or small houses but you need to be aware of the fact that these dogs have a very high level of energy and they need a lot of daily exercise. If you live in a small space but you provide plenty of outside physical activities that will tire out your dog, he won’t mind living in a smaller place.
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The Living Conditions A Samoyed Dog Needs
Although Samoyed dogs were initially bred in freezing Siberia and therefore can cope with very low temperatures, these dogs are not willing to live outside.
The reason is super simple – they like to be close to their human friends as much as possible. So one thing is clear – they are inside dogs.
Taking Samoyed dog size and weight into account ( females are usually 19-21 inches tall and males are slightly taller – 21-23 inches. Average weight is between 45-60 pounds for both genders) you realize that these dogs need some kind of space where they can move around.
If the space is so tiny where they cannot do anything, they would become pretty miserable and destructive.
If we talk about temperatures, we have to mention the luxurious coat that is meant to protect them either from heat or from cold.
As they prefer cold weather and don’t feel really good when it’s hot, make sure you keep you AC on during the summer months. If the outside temperature is or above 85 F your Sammy should stay inside and enjoy a cool atmosphere.
Can Samoyed Live In Small Apartment or House?
Yes, a Samoyed dog can live happily even in a smaller apartment or house. If you have a home that has 580 sq ft or more, that should be just fine for your Sammy.
The difference between living in a large house with a backyard and a small apartment is in the logistics.
As we have already said, Samoyed dogs are really playful creatures full of energy and not just that. They are highly intelligent canines. They won’t be happy to sit around, do nothing, and nap all day.
They need both physical and mental stimulation. If you provide all this, they won’t mind living in a small apartment.
What Are The Challenges You Face if You Have Samoyed Living in an Apartment?
Before you get a Samoyed dog, do check with your landlord if there is any restriction regarding pets. If pets are generally allowed you need to inform your landlord about the size of a dog you want to adopt as maybe there is some restriction about that.
If you have some other pets, another dog or cat, double-check as maybe your landlord is willing to allow one pet but won’t be happy that you keep two or more pets.
Inform yourself about other pet rules such as:
- If a dog needs to attend behavior classes
- how many warnings( about the noise) you can receive before you get quite notice
- do you need to keep your dog on a leash in all common areas, etc.
Samoyed dogs generally need a lot of exercise on daily basis. It can be walking, running, jogging, hiking, or simply playing but they need to be active.
These dogs require at least 1 hour of outside physical activity in the morning and at least 30 min in the evening.
If you live in a large place with a backyard, you can just let your dog outside but if you live in an apartment then you are completely involved in every walk.
Also, the bathroom situation is less ideal if you live in an apartment than in the house. When you live in the house, you just open the door and let your Sammy do what he needs to do.
But if you live in a high-rise apartment and you need to use the elevator or even stairs to reach the park /bathroom area then there is a possibility of accidents on the way. In that case, you have to clean the elevator or stairs.
The good idea would be to keep a fake grass with puppy pee pads under, just in case of late-night emergencies so you don’t have to go outside.
If you have a puppy that is 6 months old or younger, note that he needs to pee almost every hour as the capacity of his bladder is small.
After he turns 6 months the things get better but even an adult Sammy can hold his bladder for a maximum of 6 hours. So count on that he needs to go outside for a bathroom cause 3-5 times a day.
Older Samoyed dogs are able to hold themselves not more then 4 hours.
Now you know how many times an adult Sammy should go outside to get some exercise and for bathroom cause.
Samoyed’s social nature doesn’t allow him to spend a significant amount of time on his own, so you realize that you cannot leave Sammy alone for 8 hours or so, especially if you live in an apartment.
If you go to the office every day and spend there 8-9 hours you need to think well about what to do with your dog.
It’s clear that you will take him outside for an hour of morning activities before you go to work but for Sammy, it’s too long to wait for you to come back in the evening. Even though Samoyed dogs can hold the bladder for 6 hours, it would be perfect not to leave Sammy alone for more than 3-4 hours.
Fortunately there are several options that might help you :
1.Doggy daycare. You can take your dog to a daycare facility let’s say two times a week, it doesn’t have to be every day. Pick the quality daycare, where your dogs will be in the company of other dogs, get plenty of play and exercise as well as mental stimulation.
When choosing the right day care, check if the facility is :
- clean and well organized
- dog proofed ( with no hazards such as electircal cords, wires etc)
- has enough staff who will take care of your pet
If you need more details on how to choose the right facility and what questions to ask check the AKC link (American Kennel Club)
Many owners that use the service of doggy daycare facilities say that their dogs are so tired when they pick them in the late afternoon that they nap all evening and night.
2.When you leave your Sammy alone in the home if possible use your lunch break to take him out for a short walk. He will be happy to spend at least a short time with you and will have the opportunity to do the bathroom thing.
3.You can also hire a dog walker for one or two days of the week. For a fee (25-40$ )a dog walker will take your dog for 30 min walk. It’s not a bad deal for days you cannot come home to take him out by yourself.
Of course, a dog walker can be a professional or your kind neighbor or friend that is willing to help you.
If you Sammy stays home alone for too long, many bad thing can happen.
First of all, you risk a bathroom accident. No matter if your Sammy is potty trained ( which is strongly recommended for all dogs, not only for those living in apartments ) the accidents may occur.
Once you get a puppy to your home, the first lesson he gets is potty and crate training. Crate represents his home, a den and dogs don’t pee in their den.
As times goes by, he gets more and more freedom to go around your home, your whole apartment becomes his den so he will do his best not to urinate or defecate there but if you leave him alone for too long, then you are to blame for the accident and not your pet.
Apart from bathroom accidents, the excessive barking may be another problem. Samoyed dogs are very talkative creatures ( if you are interested to read more on this topic, do check our other article ”Are Samoyed Talkative?”
Samoyed dogs may bark a lot if they are left alone for too long if they are bored and depressed.
Due to the fact that these dogs are very smart canines, if they don’t receive enough mental stimulation along with physical activity, they may develop destructive behavior.
Chewing your shoes, gnawing your furniture, destroying your possessions maybe become his entertainment and distraction while you are away.
Conclusion
To summarize – Samoyed dogs can easily adapt to live in an apartment. They are inside dogs although they need plenty of daily exercises outside. If they get enough outdoor physical activity and you also provide toys for mental stimulation when they are indoor, will have no issue living in a smaller space.
