Banned dog breeds in apartments are a concern if you’re looking for a dog or looking for an apartment for you and your dog. I’ve gone over apartment living with a couple of different breeds. Along that same vein, I’d like to discuss the most widely banned dog breeds among apartment complexes. Even if you have all the knowledge you need to have a particular breed in your apartment, your landlord may not allow it.
Banned Dog Breeds – Which Ones and Why
There are a few reasons why certain dog breeds are not allowed in apartment complexes. These reasons are size, weight, or a perception or a reputation for perceived aggression. While that last part sounds like some sort of legal jargon, what it really means is that many dogs are banned because they perceived to be aggressive, either due to their look or due to improperly trained animals making it on to the news. So let’s take a look at some of the more commonly banned dog breeds and how they got there.
Pit Bulls, Staffordshire Terriers, and American Bulldogs
All three of these breeds are generally lumped into the same category when it comes to apartments. They’re generally lumped into the same category across the board, actually. While they are different breeds, they have certain commonalities that make them easy to categorize under one heading. All three are loving, affectionate, intelligent animals. All three love children and their families. Unfortunately, all three also have erroneous reputations as killers because they are used in dog fighting and as “guard dogs“.
As a result of their incredibly powerful frames and jaws and the horrible things they are trained to do by a small part of the population, Pits, Staffordshires, and American Bulldogs are always at the top of every apartment’s banned dog breeds list.
Neapolitan Mastiff
The Neapolitan Mastiff is one breed that you won’t hear me saying is misunderstood. While this breed will most likely be banned for size rather than temperament, you need to know that the Neo is a dangerous animal. All Mastiffs have their roots in battle. They were bred as war dogs. However, whereas the Old English, French, and Bull Mastiffs have all been bred to be far more mellow, the Neo has kept a substantially larger portion of its aggressive nature. If this dog feels that he or his family are threatened in any way, he will not hesitate to attack a potential threat.
Doberman Pinscher
This is another breed that has somehow earned a reputation over the years for being dangerous. Although some studies have shown that Dobermans ranked high on stranger-related aggression, I have personally never seen such a thing. And I have been around a lot of Dobes. Doberman Pinschers make the list of apartment’s banned dog breeds due to their look and their absurd reputation as dangerous dogs.
Rottweiler
I personally believe that Cujo is responsible for the Rottweiler making the list of banned dog breeds in most apartment complexes. These dogs are larger than most weight limits in apartments allow, but they are mainly banned due to a reputation of being dangerous. Although the Rott is a self-confident, powerful dog with a penchant for protectiveness, all they really need is proper socialization to be sweet animals.
Banned Dog Breeds – an Unfortunate Reality
The unfortunate reality is that we will almost certainly always have banned dog breeds both in apartment complexes and in communities. Between people using dogs for fighting and other horrible activities, improperly training them, and the general fear that people can have when seeing a large or imposing dog breed, it’s only natural that there are banned dog breeds and that there will continue to be.
If you’re looking for an apartment, or if you’re looking for a dog for your apartment, it’s a good idea to check with the landlord to find out which dogs are on your apartment complexes banned dog breeds list. Chances are, all the ones I listed above will be on the list.
