Great Danes make great apartment dogs! All you have to do is walk them 2x a day, then for the rest of the day they just lay around the apartment. Just make sure they have some nice cushiony carpet, padded (really large) dog bed, or furniture to crash on.

I really think it's unfair to keep a bigger dog in an apartment that doesn't have immediate yard access. I say this as the owner of a mellow Australian shepherd mix who lived for 8 months in a huge SF apartment, and who was walked 3 times a day in the Panhandle, which was only 4 blocks away. And she was still miserable. I only understood this when we moved to a new place where she could go outside anytime she wanted. She has turned into a perky, happy, less-prone-to-groaning-and-whining dog.

Walking is still really important to our dog's sanity and health--and she still gets 2 or 3 walks a day, with lots of hikes as well at the beach or in the parks, but having outdoor space to access has made a huge difference in her mental health.

Littler dogs are much more appropriate for small apartments. And if you're a fan of those bigger breeds--some of them come in mini versions. I saw a miniature Australian shepherd while hiking yesterday who was freaking adorable--and would've been a more appropriate size for smaller apartment living.

And by all means--adopt, rescue, and don't buy! Our dog was a rescue and she is super awesome.

In the interest of full disclosure, I have a labrador retriever and a cat (both rescued), and I live in a very small apartment.

We have about 800 square feet and 3 cats that shed like crazy. At night they go about the apartment sprinkling their hair everywhere. We bought a Roomba (robotic vaccum) 2 years ago and it is the best thing ever! Every day we set it free to vaccum the floors, in about 20 minutes it's done. We have hardwood, tile and a rug. It thoroughly picks up all the cat hair. Now, if only it brushed them daily, cooked, and cleaned the bathroom, too.

Size alone doesn't determine the suitability of dogs for apartments. I would say the temperament of the breed is more important(Australian shepherds have herding instincts and need to roam, but there are plenty of large breed mellow dogs).

Some days, I figure it's easier to run the lint brush over the cat directly, rather than waiting for the fur to come off.

I'm not a dog owner, but all the really huge dogs I've ever know have been much lazier than the really small ones. I once had a friend with an Irish Wolfhound who would sit on the couch and watch tv for hours. Woulda been a perfect apartment dog.

I see your point, elly, but I wouldn't consider an Austrailian Shepherd a large dog, nor would the needs of one be the same as a calmer non-herding breed.

I would much rather live in a small space with an Akita, or Dane, (or Chow, for something more Aussie-sized) than with a herding breed or a terrier, which have *SO* much more drive and energy.

For instance, I will never be strong enough to be a good home for a Jack Russel, even though they are small and adorable. Give me something that considers a nap a group activity any day! :)

My two VERY large american bulldogs have been adopted by my oh-so-wonderful parents. They are both over 100 pounds (the dogs, not the parents) and, while they can be lazy at times, need an incredible amount of space to run, run, run. Luckily, the parents agreed to house the pups so I could pursue my dream of living small in the city. It would be cruel to shove all of that dog in a shoe box sized apartment, and they love my parents huge yard and private swimming pool in the hot summer months. Thanks mom and dad.

I personally don't see apartment size as the limiting factor, but one's level of physical activity.

In Manhattan, space is at an even higher premium (an 800 sq ft apartment is considered LARGE, with most under $2k apts being < 550 sq ft) and there are plenty of residents who have 70+ pound dogs.

All dogs need socialization and excercise. How many times have we seen little dogs that bark all the time and snap at everything? They have not been properly socialized and are reacting out of fear of the unfamiliar.

In addition to regular walks, active hunting (hounds, retreivers, etc...) and herding breeds need to be excercised off leash for at least a half hour every day to be happy. They need to chase, fetch, sniff and wrestle.

Non-working breeds can make do with a couple walks a day. As others have recommended, do some research on various breeds and types (this is also useful when adopting mixed breeds...please ADOPT!...see www.petfinder.org) and know your own commitment level and daily time availability to your pet.

A dog makes getting out of bed in the morning enjoyable and will give you a lifetime of love. Please return the favor.

For some reason my post was partially truncated. Insert in place of sentence fragment above:

In Manhattan, space is at an even higher premium (an 800 sq ft apartment is considered LARGE, with most under $2k apts being significantly 70 lbs.

Ah...I see now...the comments section is not happy with my use of the 'less than' and 'greater than' symbols. Re-edit:

In Manhattan, space is at an even higher premium (an 800 sq ft apartment is considered LARGE, with most under $2k and under apts being significantly smaller than 550 sq ft) and there are plenty of residents with dogs large than 70 lbs.

very Good Info on our larger dogs. Thankyou.