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Moving with a dog


DumBaby

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So my partner and I are moving in together, and we live in something of a small town. The rental market here is not incredibly vast, so we're having a difficult time finding a place that suits all of our needs. That being said, there are many places that meet all of our needs save for one: pets. I vigilantly monitor five sites every single day waiting for the right place to come up, so I've been getting disappointed by this every day for about a month. I feel guilty because I'm starting to resent the dog. I've never really felt like that before. I've always had pets, and I love dogs, but I just think about how much easier rental life would be without that obstacle. Most of my frustration is with the system of property managers that overwhelmingly choose to forbid animals, but also I just feel like I'm trying so hard and I have no control. I'm a firm believer that a dog is a lifelong commitment too, so I could never ask him to re-home the dog. But I secretly wish he would, and I feel like a bad person because that's something that goes against my own principles, and I know how close the bond between people and their dogs are. It just sounds so nice to live without worrying about pets for a while. I'm working on a pet resume with pictures and sentiments in hopes that I can appeal to a prospective landlord and sway their decision. If anybody has wisdom for me please share.

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Has he always had a dog? Our building allows dogs. For the most part it's been challenging -most of the times we've complained -and we rarely complain -it has to do with thoughtless or selfish dog owners who allow their dogs to be alone all day and barking, who don't keep them under control in hallways or elevators or common spaces, etc. And of course who allow their dogs to relieve themselves in those spaces. I don't blame landlords for being selective about pets in their homes/apartments. Why do you have to live in this particular town?

 

Your partner and his dog are a package deal. Consider now whether you're ok with this for the long term. That's my advice.

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What kind of dog is it? Really, if you're both still gainfully employed and have a good rental history, you'll likely have a lot of bargaining power right now. Are you simply not bothering to reach out to any of these prospective apartments? I know you probably don't wanna drop $$$ on rental apps for no reason, but a lot of landlords run the "no pets" tag as a strong preference rather than a requirement. What are your current living situations?

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Why are you not able to move into the place where he and his dog are already? You don't have to answer if it's too personal but that would be the obvious option and much less of a headache compared to finding a new place.

 

Is it absolutely necessary to move in with each other now?

 

My opinion is that you shouldn't force yourself to make any decisions especially if you're feeling a mix of emotions towards the dog or the living situation in general. Hit pause for a few days or a few weeks or even a few months and don't rush into this.

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Rent a private house or condo or townhouse. Skip the dog resume and offer a pet deposit.
Was kinda gonna **** on the dog resume idea just because it sounds super cringe, but looking into it, I guess some people have success? Though not sure how you could prove a negative otherwise.

 

But definitely big up on offering a pet deposit. I've leased more than a couple apartments that were listed as "no pets allowed" only to add an additional refundable pet deposit. It was just a matter of reaching out to the landlord or talking to the agent first. If they're still willing to dig into their time to give you a showing, they're open. Again if you've got a decent income and good rental history, they're not going to be looking for too many reasons to turn you down.

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It took me five months and sheer luck to find a place that would let my husband and I rent with our 30 lb Welsh Corgi. Our dog had documented advance training, nonaggressive, and received the Good Caine AKC obedience certificate.

 

Landlords did not give a S because they have came across lousy tenants who were terrible dog owners. Our last landlord nearly refused us because his last two tenants cost him thousands of dollars of home repairs because their pit bull and Rottweiler tore up the house. We eventually bought the property from him and noticed some damages like teethmarks on wall corners. I got a colleague right now who has two Yorkies and is trying to movie out to a better place to rent, and she is stuck because landlords do not want dogs.

 

A “dog resume” does not work. If a landlord does not like or want dogs, they will pass you up no matter what. They rent out to earn investment from tenants. Many do not want to risk having a dog tear up their property and they lose money to repair the damages from the dog. Beggars cannot be choosers when it comes to rental. What will stand out is having outstanding credit and a good reference from the last landlord.

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If you can't find a rental in town, search out of town.

 

I'm a dog lover. Try not to re-home the dog which is heartbreaking for the confused dog. I imagine your partner is attached to the dog. Postpone moving in together until you can find an apt or house that will accept a dog.

 

I agree with Wiseman2 and j.man about negotiating with the landlord or apt manager about offering a large pet deposit.

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About 14 years ago I had split up with my then partner and lived in my sisters garage for 8 months before I found a perfect rental for my dog and myself.

It looks like you are not in as bad a position as I was.

 

What’s your hurry to move?

And are you turning down places that allow dogs for other reasons?

Is your partner also looking at sites for rentals?

 

Have you put an ad out locally looking for a place to rent that will allow the dog?

 

A prospective landlord might see the ad before listing with real estate!?

 

What would your partner think if he knew you had thoughts about wishing he would give his beloved pet away??

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This is a huge mistake. A prospective landlord does not want to love or adopt your dog. If you want success, think like a landlord, not like a puppy. In other words all they care about is that your pet does not trash the place, disturb neighbors, etc.

 

Enlist the help of a realtor or look on craigs list to find privately rented options, you have more bargaining power in that setting rather than apt complexes with corporate policies. A dog would do better in a situation with a yard. Apts are horrible places for dogs. Also why are you not filtering for 'pet friendly'?

I'm working on a pet resume with pictures and sentiments in hopes that I can appeal to a prospective landlord
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This is a huge mistake. A prospective landlord does not want to love or adopt your dog. If you want success, think like a landlord, not like a puppy. In other words all they care about is that your pet does not trash the place, disturb neighbors, etc. Enlist the help of a realtor or look on craigs list to find privately rented options. A dog would do better in a situation with a yard Apts are horrible places for dogs. Also why are you not filtering for 'pet friendly'?

 

My building has a dog run and is pet friendly - I am not happy with certain of the pet owners and have hated being in harms way, enduring messes and barking middle of the night but apartments can be awesome places for dogs. We also live down the block from a huge park with two dog runs.

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Why can't you move in with him since he's already living there with a dog? How big is the dog? What breed? As long as you take care of it, and it's not a complex where they don't allow dogs, most places just take a pet deposit. I would have him look, so he can feel the pain looking. Don't fret. Or if you're living with parents, save up for another year. Trust me, moving in together will NOT get you married faster. In fact, it does the opposite. But loving that dog, and accepting that dog as family, definitely will. Always wait till you have a wedding date before moving into together.

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