Top 5 Estate-friendly dog breeds
Category Lifestyle
Known as man's best friend, dogs are incredibly loyal, faithful, and affectionate pets that are considered the best domestic animal to keep in a residential or suburban setting. While it may be easier to keep a German Shepherd or Border Collie in a property with large open gardens and plenty of space to run and play, when living in a lifestyle estate, larger breeds are generally restricted.
The concept of an Estate Friendly Dog is becoming more and more popular. Especially in South Africa where the demand for secure and leisurely living is on the rise.
So what defines an estate-friendly dog?
Generally speaking, you'll want to look for a smaller breed that is easy to toilet train, and not bounding with limitless energy (sorry, husky lovers!). If your home in a lifestyle estate has a private yard, you'll only be letting your dog out to quickly do their business which means that they'll be spending the majority of their life indoors.
Adding to that, an estate-friendly dog cannot shed too much fur. This means that you are better off looking for a breed with a thinner coat for better convenience. Beyond that, your dog needs to have a friendly disposition and an outgoing temperament towards both adults and children.
You may notice that most of our selection comes from the toy classification of dog breeds. Toys are named as such due to their tiny statures and are part of seven other dog classifications including Gundogs, Terriers, Working Dogs, Herding/Pastoral Dogs, Hounds, and Utility.
While keeping all these essential qualities in mind, take a look at our top 5 picks for estate-friendly dogs.
#1 - English Bulldog
Small to medium-sized, short in coat, and perhaps one of the sweetest furry chums you can find, the English Bulldog needs very little maintenance. This breed has an average lifespan of 8 - 10 years and is often touted as being pretty lazy. This is perfect for an estate home since they'll most likely spend the day lying around as opposed to causing havoc with your upholstery!
Beyond their well-mannered disposition, English Bulldogs are easy to toilet train and take pride in their surroundings.
#2 - Shih Tzus
Known as the "little lion" when translated from the original Mandarin, Shih Tzu's are super affectionate lapdogs that are both highly attentive and alert to their surroundings. They pine for human interaction and want to spend as much time with you as possible. They have quite a particular coat that will require a lot of grooming to keep neet so be prepared!
Not quite as lazy as bulldogs, Shih Tzus enjoy going out on walks with the family and will never say no to a game of razzle. Apart from their fur shedding tendencies, Shih Tzus are also easy to toilet train and make for pretty effective guard dogs... at least, in terms of a warning system!
#3 - Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
Gentle, graceful, yet super playful, the Cavalier King Charles is fond of exploring but quite happy to stick to what he/she knows. These incredibly affectionate dogs don't need to work out that much and are quite content with keeping to themselves. Although be prepared for a little ball of fur darting excitedly around your living area!
While cute and loves to snuggle, this breed tends to shed quite a bit of fur unless you stick to a regular grooming schedule. The trade-off to this is that they love playing with kids and are perhaps one of the best breeds for families living in complexes.
#4 - Pugs
Pugs compete with bulldogs for being so ugly that they're cute! This highly commercialised breed is hailed overseas as the third-best pet to keep in an apartment next to goldfishes and cats.
Pugs are exceptionally playful and always maintain a cheerful disposition as they happily chug around your living room like a freight train. On the plus side, pugs are super lazy and are quite content with resting on the arm of your couch for hours straight. Short coated and easy to maintain, the only downside is that pugs require a lot of work to get properly toilet trained.
#5 - Beagles
Highly intelligent and super alert at all times, the Beagle comes from the Hound breed classification and is known for being people dogs that are friendly with children and other pets as well.
While there is an argument around whether or not this breed works within a lifestyle estate, the fact remains that if you take them on regular walks and pay attention to their needs they are happy to call a confined space home. While they're the largest breed on our list, they still fit within the size requirements.
A dog is a family friend for life!
While it's always fun and exciting to get your first puppy, you have to remember that a dog is a major responsibility and should be your life companion. Adopting or buying a dog is like having your child. They have wants and needs both physical and emotional so unless sure you're going to be with them until they're old and feeble - DO NOT get a dog.
If you're thinking of purchasing any one of these breeds you should always first consider looking to adopt from one of the various breed rescue schemes that are available. There are so many abandoned animals looking for love so consider adopting from our list below.
There is, of course, nothing wrong with purchasing a puppy from a reputable breeder. And while we still recommend approaching a rescue scheme first, be sure that your breeder is a registered member of the Kennel Union of South Africa (KUSA). This means they adhere to a strict set of guidelines for ethical breeding and puppy homing.
Contact Ikonic Real Estate today
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If you are looking to live in Silver Lakes Golf and lifestyle Estate, Silver Stream Estate, Lombardy Estate & Health Spa, The Ridge Estate, Six Fountains Estate, or Willow Acres Estate and surrounding areas then Ikonic Real Estate is your preferred property practitioner to assist you in all aspects of the selling and buying process.
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Author: Lisa