Living in an apartment by yourself can be lonely, and what better companion than a dog?
When you moved into your apartment, you may have always dreamed of getting a dog, but life can get in the way and you may not have found the right time to introduce a dog into your life.
If now is the right time for you to get a dog, then you need to make sure that you get a breed that is right for you.
Not being able to provide a life for a certain breed is unfair to both you and your dog, so making sure that they fit into your life comfortably is important.
Find out more about the 14 best medium-sized dogs for apartment life to see what dogs will comfortably live in the surroundings.
Having a dog, who needs more space, in an apartment is unfair, so find out what dogs can happily live an apartment life!
14 Medium-Sized Dogs For Apartment Life
Below is a list of the best medium-sized dogs for apartment life so you can see which dogs would fit well into your life.
There are a lot of medium-sized dogs that can happily live in an apartment, so discover what breed will fit best into your life below!
Basset Hound
Basset Hounds are very popular breeds for families as they are very sociable and enjoy being around both adults and children.
Although Basset Hounds are very active when they are outdoors, when they are back in the comfort of their own home after exercising, they are relaxed and tired out.
Basset Hounds are known for being very stubborn dogs, so the ideal owner of a basset hound needs to be patient and dedicated to regular and consistent training.
Training your basset hound with positive reinforcements will allow you to see the respond well and develop their training.
You need to be careful when you are out with your Basset Hound as they can sometimes let their sense of smell guide them.
It is recommended that you keep them on a lead to prevent them from becoming lost. They are alert, active, but also very relaxed dogs.
Chow Chow
Chow Chows are extremely popular dogs, but they need to be trained correctly to prevent them from becoming aggressive or dominant.
If your Chow Chow is not socialized from a young age, they will find it difficult to interact with new dogs and people, which could be conveyed through aggressive behavior.
Chow Chows are very protective, affectionate, and devoted to their family, but they become attached to one person as they are not incredibly sociable.
They are very intelligent dogs, so you need to train them to make sure that they do not become dominant or aggressive.
Chow Chows are very good apartment dogs as they do not need to be exercised a lot.
They need one or two small walks every day to keep them fit and healthy, which is all they require.
You won’t find yourself needing to hike daily to burn off lots of energy with a Chow Chow. They are mostly very lazy and relaxed, so would fit well into apartment living.
Pharaoh Hound
Pharaoh Hounds are very gentle and affectionate, and they adapt very well to family life.
They can be wary of strangers, but they are mostly very sociable and enjoy being around their family.
They are very independent but enjoy affection from their family with who they are very familiar.
Pharaoh Hounds are very easy to train as they are very intelligent dogs and they are very calm.
This makes them perfect apartment dogs as they can easily be trained and they are very calm in their surroundings with their familiar family.
Pharaoh Hounds are quite high-energy dogs, so they need to be taken out for runs daily for a minimum of 30 minutes.
If you are a keen runner or cyclist, you can take your Pharaoh Hound out with you to tire them out and give them a good level of exercise for the day.
Xoloitzcuintli
Xoloitzcuintli is also known as a Mexican Hairless dog, and they are perfect family pets.
Mexican Hairless dogs are very sweet, affectionate, and calm, but they are very protective of their family.
They are very attached to their family and need to be close to them, so they do not do well being left alone.
Mexican Hairless dogs enjoy lots of affection, so they are great companions for people.
You can form a very close bond with a Mexican Hairless dog as you spend lots of time together and their sweet nature is incredibly enjoyable to be around.
They are very easy to train, so they can easily be introduced to new surroundings and become accustomed to a new routine.
They need regular walks for at least 30 minutes, but they enjoy having interesting and fun training and exercise sessions to prevent them from becoming bored.
Welsh Springer Spaniel
Welsh Springer Spaniels are very devoted to their families and are very affectionate.
They are very sociable dogs, but they can become wary of strangers, but they are great dogs to have around children.
They are protective, very gentle, and very friendly to other dogs.
Training is very important for a Welsh Springer Spaniel as they are very stubborn dogs, so you need to regularly train your spaniel and keep it consistent.
This will help them become more accustomed to the training as they can train quickly.
As they are very intelligent dogs, they are very good at remembering their training and putting it into practice.
Although Welsh Springer Spaniels are very energetic dogs, they fit very well into apartment living.
They either need daily walks for an hour or half an hour of exercise, like running, to keep them healthy and to help them burn off all the energy.
Without daily exercise, they will become destructive, so it is important for keeping them happy and content.
Whippet
Whippets are incredibly affectionate, calm, and quiet, and they are very sweet dogs. They create strong bonds with their family and they are great with children.
Although whippets are good with children, they prefer to live in a quiet and calm household, so older children are better for whippets to be around.
Whippets are very independent thinkers, so they can be more difficult to train compared to other breeds.
However, with patience and positive reinforcements, they can be trained well.
Using food to train your whippet works very well, but it will take practice for both you and your whippet to train well regularly, and consistently.
Although whippets are very calm dogs, they still need daily exercise.
They adapt well to living in an apartment as they are calm, clean, and enjoy living indoors.
They love being with their family and spending time with them, so they adapt well when they are around their family.
Silken Windhound
Silken Windhounds are very affectionate dogs that get along very well with children, adults, and other pets.
They are very friendly with other people and they are very playful, sweet-natured, and approachable.
Silken Windhounds are incredibly intelligent dogs, which makes them easy to train. If they have access to a backyard, they can even start to train themselves.
They are very eager to please their owners, so you can easily train them and see them behaving well in their new surroundings.
It is important to make sure that Silken Windhounds have enough daily exercise, but they are very content lazing around the apartment after their daily walk.
You can either take your Silken Wolfhound for a long walk or a run and then watch them happily laze around the apartment for the rest of the day.
Polish Lowland Sheepdog
Polish Lowland Sheepdogs are great with people and can be introduced to other pets, and they are incredibly intelligent.
They are very obedient, can be trained well, and are very playful.
Although they are extremely cute, they are very strong thinkers, so they need a dedicated owner who can train them regularly and persist when it becomes difficult.
Polish Lowland Sheepdogs are very active, both mentally and physically, so you need to make sure that they have enough mental and physical activities to stop them from becoming bored.
You should keep your Polish Lowland Sheepdog busy and not leave them alone as this can cause them to become destructive.
They are happy to be trained and they are very fast learners. They also enjoy activities like running or hiking as they can explore new areas.
They are very good apartment dogs if you are dedicated to training them and helping them settle into their new life with you.
Keeshond
Keeshonds are very affectionate dogs, but they also enjoy spending time indoors with their family members.
They are incredibly intelligent, which makes them very easy to train, and they are very sociable.
They can become very obedient and they can be trained to be well-mannered and friendly dogs.
Although Keeshonds enjoy physical activity, they do not require lots of daily exercise.
They need a daily walk or run to keep them happy and healthy, but you do not need to worry about taking them out several times a day for long hikes.
Keeshonds have been raised as companion dogs and were originally bred to live on boats, so they fit well into apartment life as the small area will not bother them.
As long as Keeshonds have daily walks or runs, they then enjoy spending quality time relaxing with their family for the rest of the day!
English Bulldog
English Bulldogs are very popular family pets as they are incredibly sweet-natured.
They can live comfortably with people and pets, and they are great to be around children.
They are a very friendly dog breed that is very sociable with both people and other dogs, making them perfect for family life.
Although English Bulldogs can be known for being stubborn, they can be trained.
They are slow learners but once they learn something, they are very good at remembering it and continuing to practice it.
They need regular training to keep them well-trained and to help them learn faster.
English Bulldogs are very sociable dogs, but it is important to socialize them from a young age.
If they are not socialized properly, they will become aggressive to other dogs.
They are great apartment dogs as they only require short daily walks, as over-exercising them can affect their breathing.
They are very relaxed and lazy indoors, especially when tired out.
Australian Shepherd
Australian Shepherds are very intelligent dogs, so they can be trained very easily.
They are sociable dogs and are not considered to be shy, but they can become wary around strangers and prefer the company of their family who they are familiar with.
As Australian Shepherds are incredibly intelligent, they need mental activity as well as physical activity.
If their minds and bodies are not regularly exercised, they become bored, so it is important that they have several daily walks and they can socialize and play with other dogs.
They can adapt to living in an apartment as long as they are taken for their daily walks and runs.
They also need mental stimulation in the form of puzzles, games, and being allowed to explore new places.
They are very high-energy dogs, but they can fit into apartment living when they are provided with the right amount of exercise.
Brittany
Brittanys are high-energy dogs, so they must be welcomed into a family that enjoys staying active.
They are very playful, affectionate, and sweet, but they also enjoy running, hiking, and exploring, so they need a home that enjoys these activities so they can be taken on regular and daily exercises.
As they are intelligent dogs, they need lots of mental stimulation as well as physical activity.
Puzzles for dogs, regular training, and exploring can all keep your Brittany happy and healthy, so it is important to focus on exercising their minds as well as their bodies.
They are easy to train and they adapt well to apartment living as long as they get the right amount of physical activity.
If they do not get enough exercise during the day, they will become disruptive, so they need to be part of an active family.
Chinese Shar-Pei
Chinese Shar-Peis are very intelligent dogs that can be trained well.
They are can be tough to train as they are known for being stubborn dogs, but with patience and persistence, they can be trained well.
Using positive reinforcement training works very well with Shar-Peis and they learn quickly this way.
They need to be socialized from a young age to stop them from becoming aggressive to other dogs, otherwise, they will become very territorial and unapproachable.
They are very affectionate and loving towards their family, but they can feel uncomfortable around strangers.
Chinese Shar-Peis can easily adapt to apartment living as they do not require lots of physical activity.
They need a daily walk for around 20 minutes or half an hour to make sure that they stay happy and healthy, and they will then enjoy relaxing with you for the rest of the day!
Ibizan Hound
Ibizan Hounds are great dogs to have around children, making them the perfect addition to your family.
They are not aggressive towards strangers, but they will be wary and feel uncomfortable being in the company of people who they are unfamiliar with.
They are very protective of their family and will alert you if there is something wrong.
Ibizan Hounds can be trained easily as they are very intelligent, but they get bored quickly.
Therefore, it is important to make a regular and fun training schedule that will keep them engaged.
Positive reinforcement training is very effective when training Ibizan Hounds.
They need regular walks of 30 minutes a day, so it is best to walk them once in the morning and once in the late afternoon.
They need exercise to stay active and remain happy and healthy, as, without regular physical activity, they will become destructive.
If they have a good regular exercise regime, they will fit well into apartment living.
Final Thoughts
To conclude, if you are looking for a medium-sized dog to live with you in your apartment, you need to make sure that they would fit into your lifestyle.
If you cannot provide the dog with the lifestyle that it needs, it will be unfair to your both.
However, some medium-sized dogs can adapt well to apartment life, but you need to have patience and be dedicated to helping them adjust.
You need to make sure that you have dedicated time to help them feel comfortable in their new surroundings.
Medium-sized dogs require daily exercise, so it is important to have a regular and consistent physical exercise routine.
This will help your dog stay happy and healthy and prevent them from becoming destructive.
Without their required exercise, your dog will not adjust well, so keeping them active is very important.
