I have lived in apartments and condos for the past 15 years. This is my ideal living situation and it has never prevented me from owning a well behaved dog. Recently I brought home my American Bully Chester, who at the time of writing this is only 6 months old. This has been my experience with an American Bully in an apartment.
Can an American Bully stay in an apartment? As a whole the American Bully will do just fine living in an apartment. The American Bully is an average energy level breed and will require daily outdoor exercise. When properly exercised the American Bully is quite content staying in an apartment.
My American Bully is an active young puppy and needs a few short walks a day. Living in an apartment has not prevented me from keeping him well exercised and happy inside. I have an average sized condo that allows him to roam around and lounge in various spots. So long as he gets outside he is a happy boy.
In this post I will go over several other rules to live by when it comes to an American Bully staying in an apartment. Aside from exercise there are a few other things you must keep in mind to keep you, your American Bully, and your neighbors happy. Let’s dig in.
Exercise Your American Bully Every Day
I find living in an apartment with my American Bully and Staffy actually allows me to exercise them more than if I lived in a house. The convenience of a yard would be an easy excuse not to walk my American Bully and just let him run around the yard. This is fine on occasion, but dogs need walks.
Staying in an apartment means there will be less space to move around. This can lead to boredom and mischief with an American Bully. Daily walks in the morning and in the evening are going to be a minimum requirement to keep your American Bully happy and out of trouble in the apartment.
It is recommended that you give your American Bully at least 60 minutes of moderate exercise per day. I break my exercise routine up into 2-3 walks around 20-30 minutes each. I also like to work in some activities like fetch, or let my American Bully and Staffy have a good wrestle in the park.
Exercise will keep your American Bully much happier when staying in the apartment and greatly reduce unwanted behaviors such as barking, chewing, and general mischief. A tired dog is a happy dog. Keeping your American Bully active outside the apartment will keep them chill inside the apartment.
Give Your American Bully Mental Stimulation
With the lack of space and different things to explore in an apartment you will need to provide something for your American Bully to do. Mental stimulation is important for American Bullies. They are an intelligent breed and require mental exercise as much as physical exercise.
I like to do a variety of activities with my American Bully. A few sessions of training each day, a good variety of durable toys, and food puzzles like Kongs. Training and puzzles will keep your American Bully mentally engaged and prevent them from finding their own sources of entertainment in your apartment.
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Socialize Your American Bully
American Bullies need socialization from a young age. Just like any other breed of dog. This is especially true when staying in an apartment. You will be in much closer proximity to other people. A well socialized American Bully is important when living with other people, pets, and environments. It will be crucial for a peaceful apartment living situation.
Narrow hallways, elevators, and stairwells are all potential meeting places with neighbors. An American Bully must be comfortable with these encounters in various places. Introduce your American Bully to as many neighbors as you can, both human and pets.
Apartments offer a different variety of noises and surroundings compared to houses. Upstairs neighbors, sounds in the parkade, and noise from other pets are all a reality of apartment living.
Get your American Bully accustomed to the various sounds in the apartment complex through guided exposure and reassurance when they become uncertain.
Elevators are a strange thing for some dogs. I know when I first brought home my American Bully puppy he was very wary, and even scared of getting in the elevator. Be patient and guide your dog into these new environments.
Reward them for overcoming and reluctances or fear. Within a week of working with my American Bully puppy he was eager to jump in the elevator
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Be A Good Bully Neighbor
Staying in an apartment will have you in close proximity to many people. Be a good Bully neighbor. Represent the breed in a positive light as best as you can. Some people are nervous around dogs, or certain breeds of dogs. The goal is to be a great neighbor and showcase how well behaved your American Bully can be.
American Bullies as a whole are not known to bark a lot. Typically they will alert to someone at the door, or a perceived threat, but rarely does barking become excessive. Plenty of exercise, mental stimulation and training will go a long way to avoid being that noisy neighbor.
Pick up after your dog. You will be taking your American Bully outside your apartment a few times a day to do their business, and nobody likes a messy neighbor. Always keep extra bags on hand and clean up after your dog.
You might be living in an apartment with downstairs neighbors. Try to be respectful when it comes to noise. Allowing your American Bully to bomb around your apartment and make all sorts of noise will disturb the people downstairs. Try to save the extra active activities to the outdoors, or at least at a respectable hour.
Check To See If American Bullies Are Allowed
Always check with your landlord or condo board about the rules and possible restrictions on pets. Some apartments have very specific rules when it comes to dogs. Ranging from various size restrictions to breed restrictions. I had a terrible time finding a place with my Staffy because of the breed restrictions.
One of the first things you need to ask your landlord or condo board is if there are any restrictions on pets. My condo board required approval of new pets, but had no restrictions on the number of pets or breed. Thankfully. Other places may not be as open and pet friendly.
If you are moving to a new city, state, or province, check to ensure there is no BSL (Breed Specific Legislation) in place. American Bullies often fall under the “Pit Bull Type” label of certain legislation and may be banned or heavily restricted in your area. Check before you move.
Final Thoughts
A responsible owner will have no issues keeping an American Bully in their apartment. Exercise, stimulation, socialization and some basic common courtesies will be required to keep your American Bully happy and well liked by your neighbors.
The American Bully is first and foremost a companion animal breed. Lounging in the apartment next to you is pure bliss for them. When they are well balanced and you have followed all the rules mentioned above, the size of your place will not matter.