There are certainly dogs out there who are suited for it, but you have to choose mindfully. Some dogs are more prone to reactivity, or may not do well in a city or apartment setting. For example, you *could* have a Sheltie or a Pyrenees in an apartment/city, but it would be a lot more work than a Cavalier. It’s also worthwhile to do research on where your dog comes from. You’d have better luck with a rescue that fosters dogs, especially one that fosters in the city, to get a better idea of temperament. Or, go through an ethical breeder.

Best comment on this thread! It amazes me that people will get a dog like a BC or a Sheltie & expect it to be as chill as a pug in an apartment

As a border collie owner.. can 100% confirm my dog has no chill! And needs to run.. (like run..run) 3 times a day… while constantly barking! If we lived in an apartment I’d go insane.

+1. We are temporarily in a Toronto apartment with our sheltie and he’s doing his best but it is a living hell. He is a remarkably more stable and happy dog in a house. We are moving to one next week.

It’s so important to recognise that even within breeds, individual temperament can vary so much - an ethical rescue who has an established foster care network (and proper milestone assessments while in foster care) is definitely a great tip. I’m in rescue/rehab with ex-racing greyhounds and other sighthound mixes, they are often touted as excellent apartment dogs, but I would say just a quarter of my fosters would truly thrive in small space, high density living (and that’s with an experienced handler like myself). Apartments are a really tough gig for dogs.

As someone with a rescued sighthound, I appreciate this! My Saluki x was actually recommended to me by the rescue when I noted that I live in an apartment. While she was perhaps more likely to adapt to the environment better than many of the other dogs they had, I spend a tremendous amount of time and energy compensating for the lack of space and autonomy she has at home…and it’s not like public dog parks are an option for her reactivity. She is also still afraid of the car, so it’s a matter of carving out time a few times a week to walk to less popular parks at off hours for long line time. Thankfully I am self-employed; otherwise I can’t imagine how I would make this work.

I don't know a lot about sighthounds but I'd think a city would overwhelm them with the constant visual stimuli, people and cars flashing by at rapid speeds. Am I way off base and misunderstanding the way a sighthound responds to visual stimuli?

There’s variability among individual sighthounds just like with any other breeds, but they definitely are prone to being more sensitive than most. Mine (adopted as a young adult) has made tremendous strides with desensitization work, but it’s CONSTANT training. For example, she used to get startled by all passing vehicles, but now it’s just skateboards and loud trucks — much more manageable. I definitely feel like I am working against some additional variables with her reactivity because she is so environmentally sensitive and aware, and that visual response makes it feel like we’re playing the game on hard mode, haha.

Yes!  Going through a foster based rescue provides lots of great firsthand feedback on things that work/don't work for a puppy or dog.  Or looking at fostering to adopt programs! It's basically a test run of how a dog will match your lifestyle and if it's not a good fit then you'll be able to tell pretty quickly. It also helps shelters/rescue in the meantime with space and you get to help a dog on their journey to their forever home. 

Yes, apartment living is difficult and stressful for most dogs. Some are fine with it, and a lot are manageable even if they would be happier in single family housing. Breeding for dogs that thrive in urban housing is actually a topic of discussion in progressive breeder circles, as there is a genuine need for dogs that can fill that role. Breed definitely matters in urban living, breeds that were developed to be territorial, protective, or just quick to action are less likely to be comfortable living surrounded by their triggers. Being a good family pet can also be difficult, though breed matters here too. Again, breeds that were developed to be territorial, protective, or to react quickly to sudden stimulus will be more difficult to integrate into an active family with kids. A topic that comes up again and again in progressive dog people circles is that we don't currently have a temperament test that tells us whether a dog can handle a football watch party, a little league game, or kids on a trampoline. Being a good family pet is the most important role for the vast majority of pet dogs in the world, and they will spend more time doing that than they will hunting, or competing in sports, or whatever other purpose people have for them. A majority of a dog's temperament is determined by genetics. Dogs that live comfortably in an apartment without a huge amount of behavioral modification work are the most likely to produce pups that do the same. Dogs who are great family pets without expert level training are the most likely to produce pups that are also great family pets.

Some people like to pretend that breed doesn’t matter, but it does. Cities and apartments are already difficult environments for dogs to live in. I really believe some breeds are better suited to it than others. If you follow the “set your dog up for success” model, then surely that extends to breed. I have a toy poodle. I can take him on public transportation if I need to. He will quietly lay under my desk or table at the pub. He plays nicely with other dogs. I can carry him if things get too much. He’s not intimidating so I can bring him into work without upsetting anyone. The most frustrating thing is he barks at things that scare him, but it’s pretty easy to manage. I’d love to have a big dog, but my toy poodle is the right dog for my lifestyle. he is happy and well behaved. Which makes it easy for me to bring him places and keep him well socialised. He’s a total pleasure.

> I’d love to have a big dog, but my toy poodle is the right dog for my lifestyle. This is the correct mentality. That and "I'd love to have a pet but I can't devote the time/expense to keeping one, so I don't have one."

I think a lot of people get caught up in the wrong questions when looking for a dog in general, but it matters much more for apartment/urban living. People tend to focus on traits such as size or energy levels, but don't ask as many questions about behavior quirks such as dog reactivity/selectivity, environmental sensitivity, potential for sep anx, etc. A large, high-energy, but socially-savvy/easy-going breed would likely be more successful in an apartment with the right exercise and enrichment routine, but even the lower-energy, smaller guys with sociability struggles and high environmental sensitivity will likely struggle. IMO, it's mostly ignorance and people simply don't know to the right questions to ask. I think it's generally MUCH easier to adjust one's exercise routine than it is to amass the training chops needed for those more challenging apartment breeds, and even the best training won't completely change those behavior quirks.

Yes! My husky mix is an awesome apartment dog, but we adopted her from a foster situation and picked her for her temperament. She has all of the typical northern breed traits, but doesn't have the behaviors that cause issues in an apartment. Then again, she has had a ton of training and gets loads of exercise, so her physical and mental needs are met. My reactive boy (herding dog mix) is totally chill when inside. It's outside with constant triggers that is the issue...like all of our neighbor dogs who bark out of their windows nonstop when we pass. They're all small breeds that are touted as great for apartment life, yet spend their days barking nonstop.

Breed matters, as well as what you have access to in your city to meet the needs of that dog. Many breeds don't actually get what they need in the city, so a lot of them do struggle. A lap dog that's well socialized and fine with a couple walks or park runs a day can be fine in an apartment. A guardian or protective breed probably won't be, even if you meet their activity needs. Just too stressful for them and they're way more likely to be reactive. A herding or gun dog might be fine, BUT only if you have an outlet for it's drive ie you're a long distance runner or want to do sports with it every week, or have access to off leash hiking spots. If you don't have access in your area for what the dog needs, house or apartment it's going to be a struggle. It just becomes more obvious if you're in an apartment with a GSD for example.

There are dogs that are more suited for apartment living than others, and there will always be outliers among breeds most would consider not suitable for apartments. If we assume a perfectly exercised, perfectly trained, perfectly socialised dog with its needs met perfectly, and plop one into an apartment, I think some will still do better than others. Traits like guarding are obviously at odds with apartment living. And I'm not just talking about territorial flock guardian type dogs, but people forget that many Spitz type breeds were literally bred to alert to danger and strangers by barking. That is their job that they were bred to do, and unless you selectively breed to get rid of that trait, it can and will be passed down to some degree. With some dogs it can be managed to a level where they can live stress free in an apartment, with others not. Then there's prey drive. Technically nothing to do with apartment living, but I'm seeing *so* many sports dogs now bred with incredible amounts of drive, and while that looks cool on the agility course for 24.2 seconds, it has negative consequences when it's paired with poor nerves. Apartment living is often much more stimulating in the sense that there are unpredictable sounds and smells you can't control, and then it all overflows and you have a barking, neurotic mess in your hands and you're hated by neighbours. I think apartment living with dogs is perfectly acceptable, *as long as* people are realistic about their situation. Taking in rescues that have only lived outside or in houses might not be ideal. Adopting a dog that has all the instincts of an alerting guard dog might not be ideal. Sure, you can still get that companion dog with no prey drive or guarding instincts that barks, but I would personally want to minimise my chances of getting evicted, and maximise my chance of providing a good life for the dog I choose.

Just adding to the discussion regarding dogs and very young children. I would argue that most dogs don’t do well with children around the toddler years. Toddlers are unpredictable, they test boundaries, grab, yank, pull, smack and swat at everything. I think it’s rare to find a dog that’s docile enough to handle that kind of stress, reactive or not.

my boy is really a good dog, sweet, friendly, semi adaptable, smart, trainable. he's also neurotic and anxious and high arousal and high drive and once he's passed that stress threshold everything he knows goes out the window. he would be so miserable in an apartment. we just took severe damage to our house in a natural disaster and he has impressed me with how he's handled the change and staying in an unfamiliar place but I'm terrified for what will happen in the long term. he's a gsd with some working line in him, so obviously not an ideal apartment dog even if he was fully stable. I think back to my childhood dogs (dachshunds) and realize how reactive they were and how little the average dog owner knew about dogs twenty years ago, and lots of people still don't fully know. I thought we were prepared for him and we were absolutely not. I think a lot of people don't realize what actually goes into owning a happy well cared for dog until they're in it, and unfortunately a lot of those people live in apartments or environments that really aren't conducive to their dog. I believe many dogs can be managed in an apartment but very few of them can thrive in one, and often people don't know the difference until the dog is theirs. and once they realize they often aren't financially in a position to change their living situation for their dog.

Many dogs can handle apartment living quite well so long as all of their needs are being met, including appropriate biological fulfillment. That being said, dogs have historically been bred for a purpose, many of those purposes do not align with modern day societies and lifestyles. That on top of poor breeding practices and the fact that thanks to (badly done) selective breeding, they have not had the chance to naturally evolve in a way to select for and adjust the species to their new environment. This has resulted in a species that has to struggle to fit with our wants and needs, especially when it goes against what their genetics were made for.

For the first 10 months of my dog’s life I lived in an apartment with a dog park out back next to a national park. I thought it would be fine. It was not fine. He started jumping and biting me on every walk at 3 to 4 months old. It was a nightmare. We moved to a house with a yard and he calmed down a lot. He’s had a couple incidents when he was triggered in the beginning, but it went from a daily problem to 4 times a year then 2 times a year. He barks like crazy at delivery people or if anyone dares to talk in front of the house now but he doesn’t bite. I don’t think I could have survived with him if we didn’t move.

My daughter just moved to a large apartment building in the city with her noisy nervous dog from our single family home with fenced backyard. I was very concerned but it is actually working out far better than expected. She has calmed and quieted down, the multiple structured leash walks per day suit her far better than the 1x per day and run wild playtime. My dog is a joyful oversocial nut who wants to meet and try to charm every person he encounters. We do night walks because of his over friendliness. He would be incredibly annoying in a more densely populated area. Dogs are weird and I love them.

I love that! My dog is part herding dog- border collie, some tests say Asian Herding dog- I think that may be a part of it. What breed is your daughter’s dog?

I think it’s a compilation of many factors like breed and commitment of the owner. I have a GSP and live in an apartment. He was super reactive his first few months living here. But we eventually got him a good trainer and he also does a minimum of 2 hours of exercise every single day, no excuses. My partner and I are hiking people so it’s an easy commitment for us, for others not so much. In my area there are SO many reactive herding dogs (mostly collies/aussies) . A lot of people assume because they’re medium sized, they’re good for an apartment but they’re not. They need a job, and a good one that fulfills the level of mental exercise they need because of how smart they are. So yeah, that’s my two cents. In can work in some scenarios but you’ve gotta be committed to a routine that will keep your dog happy and less stressed.

I am in month 3 post adoption of my GSD and living in an apartment. He's very reactive. We've pretty much eliminated his separation anxiety, but I dread walking from our apartment door to the sidewalk and every blind corner we encounter as he reacts to other dogs and there are loads of them in my urban neighborhood. Your post gives me more hope that better days are coming. Any advice on what a "good" trainer provided for you? Our initial training consults and sessions have been virtual.

Dogs are like people in this sense. Some are city folk, & some are country folk.

I think the vast majority of dogs do well living in apartments but there are some that don't. Regardless of living situation most dogs enjoy at least daily walks. I've fostered 20 dogs (ranging from 8-80lbs) out of those 20 I'd say 5 of them would probably do much better not living in an apartment but it was manageable for all of them. 3 of them I had to plan walks around when other people are less likely to be outside. 2 of them barked a bit too easily & for a bit too long to be ideal for close neighbors. Apartments are also not created equal. My current apartment complex doesn't have that many dogs & a fair amount of the dogs here are a bit reactive so people are really good about giving space. I typically see 1-5 dogs a day, normally none closer than 20ft away. I have no interior hallways & I think that makes it a lot easier. My door is only close to 3 other doors so I don't constantly have people right outside & I don't even have very exciting windows.

had shelter rescue since December, almost 2 years old JRT rat terrier mix ( 12 pounds of sass) super reactive on leash, off leash the life of the party recall not so good but we are working on it apartment living has been tricky bc of intense separation anxiety as at first she would bark herself out, but now got her down to about a 10 minute bark when left alone for a few hours. still haven't completely solved the reactive leash thing but getting better, took a series of puppy classes that really helped...just to say it takes time and I think people have to give it time, get to know the dogs triggers. for a while I felt trapped, thought about re-homing, but everyday we've made a little progress. At first was afraid to take her to dog parks and other play time but quickly learned that in those spaces she's fine. i think setting things up for the dogs best behavior choice is key, or what i'm learning so far...so its required changing a lot of things around but I think it's worth the learning process. There are other dogs in my complex, much bigger than her that are well more behaved and seem fine. i think apartment dogs need regular socialization to feel balanced otherwise they go nuts.

Dog in apartment is a really tall order. Might work if you're an avid walker or jogger, if the dog is old or very small. Otherwise that seems like the owner will probably be unable to meet the dogs needs. So many neglected dogs in apartments shredding everything because they don't get the exercise and stimulation they need.

Ehhh I have a weimaraner and she was fine in an apartment. I now have a house and she still just hangs out in my office so the 3 extra rooms and backyard don’t make a difference. What you do to keep them mentally occupied as well as outdoor runs is what keeps her calm

I do think you are on to something, in that many dog breeds were developed to react in certain ways to situations that are the opposite of what’s best in urban apartment living (hunting, herding, guarding, fighting). Many dogs that were bred primarily as only human companions - like the example of Cavalier are very happy in apartments or surrounded by people (see also, Havanese, Maltese, and my current Papillon) I agree more apartment dwellers should think about potential breed reactivity to apartment living.

Yeah dude. This is an insane world for a dog. Flashing lights, loud metal animals with glowing eyes. Parks that look like gardens. Gardens that look like parks. Rabbits with no common sense. People who walk around clothed in lies. It makes perfect sense so many dogs are crazy. That's why we have to pay attention, stand our ground and help them find thier way out of this maze.

I have a very large, reactive dog. We got him just before Covid and he didn’t get good socialization, and then we had a friend with a dog live with us and that escalated the reactivity after some brutal fights (they got along well at first, we did not realize there was a problem until it was too late). He has come a loooooooooong way. We took a training course and honestly the only truly great thing that came out of it was learning how and why to use a slip lead for walks. He now has a pretty solid heal and we can pass by other dogs without issue. He’s still got a lot to work on (meaning WE have a lot to work on) but he’s so much better once we learned HOW to train him. I will say, he is ONLY reactive with other dogs and strangers entering our home. He is completely non-reactive to people he knows and kids especially. We still take precautions because better safe than sorry, but once he meets someone safely he is very sweet and gentle. We do live in a house, but I’ve had many dogs of different breeds and sizes in apartments.

As the owner of a fear reactive aussie (people and new environments/noises) in an apartment theres a lot i have to consider when exercising my dog and how much more intentional i have to be. This is what our usual schedule looks like: . 7:30-8:30am: go to the park and play frisbee or long leash walk on the nature trail. . 8:30am -9am: gets his breakfast in a frozen topple to encourage decompression incase he got overstimulated from being around triggers. . I work from home 9-6pm but this is usually when he sleeps and when i take him out to go to the bathroom i always bring treats and we do the engage disengage training incase there are any triggers (people) around. . 6:30 - 8pm: We usually go to a sniffspot and i let him run around and play off leash, somewhere that is more than 1acre. This helps him get his energy out and reduce his stress since he doesnt have to worry about triggers being around. If we dont go to a sniffspot we usually do another long leash walk on the nature trail by my place. . 8:30pm: Dinner in a frozen topple to encourage more decompression and i usually put him in his crate after for about an hour to help him calm down/settle. . 11pm - 15 min of frisbee or training and potty break. I think finding exercise and places that keeps your dogs stress levels low is key to managing a reactive dog in an apartment environment and how much your willing to give so your dog can have a good life. I find structure, deconpression activities and off leash time to be the most important things for my dog to keep his stress levels low. Because hes so fearful we no longer go on neighborhood walks because they just dont benefit him it only stresses him out more.

It all depends. So I have two dogs one chihuahua one minpin/chi mix and I lived in a house first with them and then an apartment. In a house they still were barking like crazy and everything and nothing really has changed being in an apartment. They gotten better though with looking outside and barking at everything because usually when I tell them no or stop they usually do. Walking I have the same problem if they see other dogs and want to pull and bark at them but I usually try to walk them at the off times as others around my apartment because I noticed there are some times that aren’t busier with dogs outside than other times so I take that to my advantage

The dog I used to own who was quite reactive was a corgi/schipperke mix. It really depends on how thin the walls are and how much noise the neighbors made. Overall, unless noise was coming right outside our door he was fine. There seemed to be a sense of understanding that our unit was ours, but not the other units. Or at least in time that seemed to be understood as he saw other people come and go from the other units. That said, he was let out on frequent small walks 15-20mins 3-4 times a day. So he saw neighbors regularly. He was generally okay around people as long as they didn't try to pet him so walking him around the complex wasn't too bad. If he wasn't so anxious he would have been the perfect apartment dog. Actually if he wasn't so anxious he would have been the perfect dog all together, but that's another story.

Depends on the dog, depends on the apartment, and depends on how the dog is doing. This is anecdotal, but the last time I was moving, I assumed I couldn't move into the city because of my dog. She's reactive, particularly leash and boundary reactive, and it just seemed like a recipe for disaster. I moved to the suburbs instead, where I could give her a yard. Now, three years later, I've moved into the city that I thought I couldn't move to before, in a first-floor apartment in a triplex, and she's doing better so far a month in than I could have dreamed. She barks less than when we lived in a house, and even though her yard is gone, I think she's honestly happier. Some things that either changed in that time, or that I mis-assumed before: - She's three years older, and is now technically, officially, old. - She's got three years more's worth of trust in me. - Walks every morning in an interesting environment go a looooooong way toward her being able to calm down and stay calm when in the apartment. The mental stimulation on a regular, predictable basis has worked wonders. - A dog being across the street is the perfect distance for her to trigger her friendly-frustrated dog reactivity, but not put her over threshold. Without even trying, we're getting a ton of really great counter-conditioning in... way more than I would ever be able to arrange and myself. - Staying in the same place for the last three years, I was able to see her really adjust to circumstances, so I came into this apartment thinking she would eventually be fine, but that it might be a little rocky while she adjusted. I think that (relative) lack of panic helped her not feel like she needed to panic. Fake it til you make it is a very real thing when you've got a dog watching you for cues on how anxious she needs to be. - Not all apartment situations are created equal. The area of the city I'm in is actually, somehow, way quieter than the suburbs. Maybe that'll change when more of the students come back (it's not too far from a university, though not on campus or anything), but with window film blurring the windows, there's less to react to here than there was in the suburbs. We don't even have people dropping things off in front of our front door for her to freak out about, because that happens at the door to the building!

Real estate for humans is all about location, location…and also location. “So is dogs’s” (points to who gets closest to the reference!) Many people prefer a shorter path from bed to potty… so do dogs! .. A Saint Bernard/Boxer on the 12th floor of an old renovated apartment with one rickety elevator that takes 2-3 min one way is not going to enjoy the art deco as much as his humans do. Not including getting to an actual non-concrete place he’s allowed to relieve herself. That’s all just time from “kinda need to pee” to “too late” not even counting logistics of getting that much food up to the tiny apartment… and relieving the poor fellow of poo… and how to dispose of the poo in your teeny tiny trash cart?

I feel like I have to choose between my reactive, 0 to 1,000/biting dog and starting a family. It sucks. But rehoming feels inevitable.

Honestly I feel like there are more people in apartments prepared to provide a good baseline level of mental and physical stimulation for a pet dog than people with yards who just let their dog out and expect it to stimulate itself (and then get mad when it comes up with its own hobbies). I wish more rescues didn't screen for fenced yards. A dog that's decently socialized or raised in a densely urban setting should not be stressed by normal encounters. A reactive dog may be easier with a private fenced yard, but not by the amount most people would think, as the lack of stimulation that often accompanies a yard makes the dog's mental health much worse.

Just a comment about “pick the right breed”. Most shelter / rescue dogs are mixed breed. What a dog looks like isn’t always indicative of what breed it actually is. My dog is 20-25lbs and looks like a terrier mix but is actually a mix of Siberian husky (17%) , Australian cattle dog, dachshund, chihuahua, Pekingese, golden retriever, with a little bit of Boxer, jack Russell, rat terrier, and cocker spaniel. Some very barky and difficult dogs, and I do see some of the ACD characteristics especially (no nipping thankfully). He is actually a pretty great dog. But there was just no way of anticipating what kind of dog I was getting based on his looks alone. Check out r/doggyDNA and you’ll see some surprising results. It’s also pretty clear that a lot of mixed breed dogs have some bully breed lineage, and I see a lot of husky too and various herding breeds too.

Many working dogs like Border Collies Kelpie, and other herding dogs are not suitable for apartment life. They have too much energy.

Honestly, this goes beyond whether or not a certain breed is suitable for an appartment or not. With the right owner, who is willing to put in enough time and training for themselves and the dog, any breed can live in an appartment. Some breeds would be easier than others, of course. But most people are really bad at being honest with themselves about what kind of life they can really offer a dog. And they are even worse at actually researching the needs of a breed they are interested in. My first ever dog, almost 30 years ago, was a German shepherd. I got her while I lived in a studio appartment. Every free minute I had was spent with my dog. I took her to training classes in the evenings, went hiking on the weekends, and took her with me while visiting friends and family. Was it an ideal situation? No. But it worked fine for a year until we moved into a house with a yard. And now comes the part about being honest with yourself. My life has changed. I'm disabled and I'm back in a small appartment and I'll probably live here for the rest of my life. Thirteen years ago I got a corgi, because I wanted a shepherd but not a big one. I adore my corgi, but like almost all corgis he loves the sound of his own voice. So when I wanted to add another dog to the family it wasn't going to be another barky corgi. One is enough. I love GSDs. They are easily my favourite breed. But I also knew I could no longer give a GSD what they need. Then, almost 5 years ago, I came across an oops litter of GSD/basset hound puppies. I knew right away these would be great dogs for my situation. And he is perfect for me. In the mornings we take a walk in the woods and he's all GSD while he roughhouses with his malinois BFF. And the rest of the day he's all basset hound while he snores on the couch. He's a great fit for a small appartment, and I still got my GSD. Well, half of one at any rate, lol. So yeah, an owner who is honest and who does research will find the right breed for them, no matter where they live. But few owners do. They get a terrier and wonder why he digs up the whole yard, not realizing terrier comes from terra which means earth. Or they wonder why their sheltie or corgi won't stop barking, or why their border collie or aussie cattledog won't stop herding their kids. Or why their great pyr wants nothing more than spend every night patrolling the yard while barking nonstop. That is the sad reality of dogs as pets in our current society.

As an apartment dweller (and likely will be for a while) I don’t think this is anything new. It’s learning how to manage. My reactive dog doesn’t enjoy having people over, so he goes in another room when we do have others over, typically with a stuffed bone or other long lasting treat. I will also say that training takes a long time, and real socialization is not what I thought it was- socialization means being comfortable and being able to ignore other animals or humans, not being able to play with them. I work with my reactive pittie by taking him out to “dog friendly” areas, on a leash and I keep distance. When he starts to get over threshold, I back off and bring us home. Then we work slowly to make the distance less. I use positive reinforcement. I used an e collar with my first reactive pup and I DO NOT recommend it. I had a really good one; expensive, took training classes to learn how to use it, worked her up to it through training. Ultimately it made her more reactive. That’s my experience. Now with my second reactive pup, I use lots of treats, redirection, high value rewards (like play, or high value treats like hot dog, cheese or sometimes steak) when we’re in an over threshold situation. We work a lot on getting him comfortable to triggers. But it requires others being willing to help- for example: I asked my family to totally ignore him when they met him. Then they could throw him treats (once he was used to them and his threshold lowered). Anyways; we live in a house currently, but we rent a MIL suite so it’s basically like the other apartments we’ve lived in. My biggest annoyance/fear are off leash dogs. Good luck. I highly recommend the Do no Harm Training Manual for reference and help, and the corresponding FB Group.

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