10,460 answers about dogs
From a puppy’s first feeding schedule to a senior dog’s comfort care, dog owners ask it all — this page gathers the dog library of KinsLe Answers in one place. Browse by topic below, from feeding and training to health, grooming, safety and travel. Every answer is original, written by KinsLe, and tied to a real KinsLe feature.
1,249 answers in Home & Lifestyle — page 44 of 53
Boston Terriers should be treated as poor swimmers even when they seem keen, because their short muzzle makes breathing while paddling hard work and their compact, front-heavy build tends to tip them nose-down in water. Many Bostons enjoy splashing in a shallow paddling pool, and that is the safest level for the breed…
Most Border Collies like swimming, often intensely, because this driven herding breed treats retrieving from water as another job to work at with total focus — but that same intensity means a Collie may keep swimming long past sensible tiredness. Set firm session limits, break up water retrieves with bank work, rinse…
Bichon Frises vary — some enjoy gentle paddling once they feel safe, but this small companion breed was not bred for water, has a cottony coat that mats when wet, and can chill or panic in deep water, so swimming should always be optional and shallow at first. Use a tiny life vest, stay within arm's reach, rinse and…
Bernese Mountain Dogs are divided on swimming — many enjoy wading and a gentle paddle, especially in cool water, but their huge, heavy double coat becomes waterlogged and tiring, so they are rarely strong distance swimmers. Keep sessions short with an easy exit, watch a Bernese closely in heat because that thick coat…
Beagles are mixed about swimming — most can paddle and some enjoy a splash in shallow water, but as scent hounds bred to follow ground trails they were not built for water work and many prefer keeping their nose to the shore. Introduce a Beagle gradually in water he can stand in, keep him on a long line because a good…
Many Australian Shepherds love swimming and take to water eagerly, especially when a ball or a job is involved, though some individuals are cautious at first and should never be thrown in to find out. Aussies are athletic herding dogs with energy to burn, so swimming can be excellent exercise for them, but rinse and…
Yes, Yorkshire Terriers are one of the easiest breeds to keep happy in a flat, because their tiny size means indoor play and short walks can meet much of their exercise need and they love being close to their person all day. The trade-offs are specific to Yorkies: they can be sharp barkers at corridor sounds and…
Yes, a Standard Poodle can live happily in a flat if the exercise happens outside it, because this tall, athletic and very bright breed needs long walks, running and brain work far more than it needs a big living room. Indoors, plan on puzzle play, training games and a clear settle spot so pent-up energy does not turn…
A Siberian Husky can live in a flat, but this is the hardest pairing on the list and it fails more often than it succeeds. Huskies are high-energy endurance runners who need hours of exercise, they sing and howl in a way thin walls cannot contain, they shed astonishingly, and a bored Husky will dismantle a small home…
Yes, a Shih Tzu is one of the happiest flat dogs of all, because the breed was created for exactly this life: a companion dog whose job is to be near its people in comfortable indoor rooms. Shih Tzus need only moderate walks, adapt to their owner's pace and are small, sturdy and friendly with neighbours. The work is…
Yes, a Shiba Inu can be an excellent flat dog in the right hands: the breed is compact, remarkably clean, naturally quiet for long stretches and fastidious about toileting outside. The trade-offs are character, not size — Shibas are independent, strong-willed and aloof compared with most breeds, they shed their double…
Yes, a Shetland Sheepdog can live happily in a flat if the household is calm, routine-loving and ready to manage two breed hallmarks: sensitivity and voice. Shelties are small, devoted herding dogs who bond intensely, learn routines beautifully and need moderate daily exercise plus gentle mental work. They can be…
Yes, a Pembroke Welsh Corgi can live happily in a flat, as long as you respect that this is a full-sized herding dog on short legs, not a lap ornament. Corgis need real daily exercise, jobs for a busy herding brain and firm, kind training, or flat life brings out their famous barking, heel-nipping and stubborn streak.…
Yes, a Miniature Schnauzer can do very well in a flat: it is a sturdy, cheerful, low-shedding dog of genuinely portable size, with moderate exercise needs that pavement walks satisfy. The one trait that decides success in a block is the voice — Schnauzers are born watchdogs and will announce visitors, lifts and…
Yes, a Miniature Poodle can be a strong flat dog: small enough for any building, athletic enough for real walks, and carrying a low-shedding coat that keeps a small home noticeably cleaner. The catch is the brain — this is a genuinely clever breed that needs training, games and involvement in the day, or it will…
Yes, a Labrador can live happily in a flat, and many do, but a young Labrador is a boisterous, chewing, tail-sweeping force that will test a small home for its first two years. The deal is exercise: proper walks, play and ideally swimming or retrieving most days, plus training to channel a clever, food-obsessed brain.…
Yes, an Italian Greyhound is almost designed for flat living: tiny, quiet, clean and devoted to soft furnishings and warm laps. The breed can burn off its famous indoor zoomies in a hallway sprint and then sleep for hours under a blanket. The real flat challenges are different — housetraining can be slow and is harder…
Surprisingly, yes — an adult Great Dane is often calmer indoors than many small breeds, spending most of the day draped over the largest available soft surface. The challenges are physical rather than energetic: a Dane needs room to turn, stretch and sleep fully extended, a lift instead of endless stairs, and a…
Yes, Golden Retrievers are among the easier large breeds for flat life, thanks to a friendly, adaptable nature that cares far more about being with people than about square footage. A Golden still needs a good hour or more of exercise, play and sniffing daily, plus company through the day, because a lonely young…
Yes, a German Shepherd can live happily in a flat, but only if the outdoors does the work the garden would have done. This is a large, bright working breed that needs long daily walks, training games and a real job for its brain, or that cleverness turns into chewing and pacing indoors. Plan for elevator and stairwell…
Yes, the French Bulldog is one of the most popular flat dogs in the world for good reason: compact, undemanding about exercise, relatively quiet, and happiest within a few feet of its owner, and a couple of short walks and some indoor play satisfy most healthy adults, and the breed settles contentedly in small spaces.…
An English Springer Spaniel can live happily in a flat, but the arrangement only works when life outside the flat is generous. Springers are energetic sporting dogs who need around ninety minutes or more of varied exercise a day, ideally including off-lead running, retrieving and swimming, and they bring the…
A Doberman can live happily in a flat, and people are often surprised how calm and tidy this large breed is indoors once its needs are met. Those needs are substantial: around ninety minutes or more of daily exercise, serious ongoing training, and close human company, because Dobermans bond intensely and do poorly…
Yes, a Dachshund can live happily in a flat, and its small size and love of burrowing under blankets make it a natural homebody. Two breed traits need planning, though, starting with that long back, which is vulnerable, so a flat up several flights of stairs is a poor match unless there is a lift or you use ramps and…
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