Avoid these 'faux-paws' when living with a dog in New York City

By Leah Hochbaum Rosner | October 6, 2015 - 4:13PM

Even if you live in a pet-friendly building, your dog should still be on its best behavior at all times. Here are some "faux-paws" (sorry) you should avoid:

Peeing on the building’s planter: Since most dogs tend to simply walk out the front door and urinate on the first planter they see, train yours to relieve itself a respectable distance away from your building.
Treating your lobby as a dog run: Your apartment is the only place in the building where your dog should be leash-free. Most buildings require you to leash or carry your dog through the lobby.
Biting someone: If your canine companion does the unthinkable and actually sinks its teeth into someone, profuse apologies and reimbursement for medical bills can go a long way toward keeping a board from kicking you both to the curb.
Constant barking: Try to get to the root of why your dog is barking all day (or all night) long. If it’s separation anxiety, he might need desensitization training. If he’s bored, he might just need some more stimulation.
Not reporting accidents promptly: If you don’t let building staff know when they need to clean up after your dog’s unpleasant surprise, they’ll be forced to police all dog-owners in order to catch the offending pooper. This can be awkward for everyone involved. (Or: quickly and thoroughly clean it yourself.)
Being an elevator offender: Take the freight elevator with your puppy if your co-op or condo’s rules demand it, keep her on a short leash, and if kids are present or space is tight, wait for the next elevator.

For more, read “Petiquette 101: Apartment manners for your dog.”

In Case You Missed It: Every so often, BrickUnderground digs through the archives to find the best advice our experts have shared through the years.

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