I have mixed feelings about my six-night stay at Tom and Lei’s apartment. The good parts were really good: The room is beautiful, big, clean, and bright; the location is super convenient; the desk set-up is very comfortable for working; and Tom, Lei and their third roommate gave me a lot of space, quiet, and privacy, which I appreciated. And btw, I’ve never seen such a clean apartment with three roommates and a dog—it’s really amazing.
But the thing that made my stay kind of uncomfortable was their dog, DouDou. I love dogs and am happy around them (I used to live with a large mutt). DouDou, however, is a pretty large dalmatian and is still being trained, and every single time I left my room he barked, raced at me, jumped up on me, and pawed forcefully at my arms and chest. He wasn’t aggressive or dangerous, but he was strong and relentless—I really couldn’t walk freely unless Tom or Lei was forcibly holding him back. I think we were all really surprised by his behavior, and Tom and Lei were very kind and apologetic. But nevertheless, it was such a challenge that I felt stress every time I left my room or returned to the apartment. None of the other reviews mention this over-the-top behavior, so I can only assume this is new and part of his growing pains. I know Tom and Lei will figure it out, but in the meantime, I would recommend checking in with them about how DouDou is doing with visitors.
Other than that, the apartment and the room could not be better—this is a really great value for Zurich. Thank you guys for watching out for me and making my stay a good one!