From: mandrews@portal.hq.videocart.com (Tony Scott)
Subject: Re: dogs and mortgages
Organization: VideOcart Inc.
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 23:38:47 GMT

In article <1993Jan21.160250.14068@gmuvax2.gmu.edu> twallace@gmuvax2.gmu.edu (Todd Wallace) writes:

>What is the consensus around here? Is it wise to get a dog while
>living in someplace you do not own?
>

I first adopted my Bulldog when I was living in back of a storefront office
in Chicago. The landlady had two Airdales (that were obnoxious, but that's
another story). I asked if it would be OK if I got a dog and she gave an OK,
as long as my dog didn't use the back yard.  

I moved to an apartment in Chicago with the Bulldog and later to another
apartment in a suburb.  I later got married and my wife moved in with 
her Black Lab which caused our first dog-landlord problem. There was a bit
of trouble between the dogs. The bulldog especially never liked any other
animals. Both dogs were used to being in one-dog homes.  But the rivalry
eventually died down.  The real problem was that the Lab was used to being
the watchdog in a single family home and we were in a "garden" (basement)
apartment where she heard all kinds of strange noises which caused her to
bark incessantly even when we weren't home.   We did all we could imediately
to keep her quiet. We used a comfort muzzle and got her to stay quiet while
we were home.  But the damage was done and our landlord gently offered to
let us out of the lease so we could move.

We now rent a single family home in a nearby suburb.  The landlord here
knew we had the two dogs and gave an OK.  We were responsible for damage.
So what.   You're always responsible for damage even if your kid causes
it.  We did have to put up a 2 month security deposit and the landlord
decided not to install new carpeting as he had planned.

We have gone along with no complaints.  Some nearby neighbors didn't 
even know we had dogs.  Then we got the fever and got our Bullmastiff
puppy since both dogs were old ladies and we wanted a baby to carry on.
The puppy brought new life to the bulldog who acted near death before
he arrived. Now she has a reason to go on: arguing with him.

When our lease came up for renewal the landlord wanted us to pay a $250
non-refundable penalty for having a 3rd dog.  I explained that we
wouldn't have the original two for much longer and that the puppy was
extremely well behaved and they backed off on the penalty requirement.

The secret is to introduce the dog to the landlord to demonstrate how well
behaved it is AND to give references from your previous landlord.  In my
case it was an avantage to show that my BULLdog was actually a very quiet
and moderate sized animal.  Too many people think of the fierce villain dogs
on Tom and Jerry cartoons. 

We don't have a fenced-in yard but that hasn't proved to be much of a
problem.  We walk the dogs together with two on a leash and with the bulldog
off leash.  The bulldog usually has artritis pain which slows her down
so she can't run too far away.


-- 
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Mike Andrews                                   VideOcart, Inc.
mandrews@hq.videocart.com                      Chicago, IL USA 
=-=- Madonna:  Andy Warhol called. Your 15 minutes are up.-=-=
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs