Help please! Renting with a dog...
 

Hello all,
Having a really hard time trying to find somewhere to live.
My OH's work had said they would find us somewhere to live, but the place isn't available...anyway to cut a long story short, we have emailed estate agents and enquired about properties.
They are really positive and then we mention the dog again...then deadly silence.
Basically the agent we have seen lots of nice properties with has said that it will be really difficult to find somewhere with an 'inside' dog.

What can we do?!! Any help would be greatfully received. Having my dog back is what is keeping me a bit cheerful at the moment.

Re: Help please! Renting with a dog...
 

Hello we've found a place and offered to pay more bond and had references from our old landlord on what a good doggie she was (had cute pictures at the ready) - she's pretty small though and a complete inside dog, and one of the recent emails from the agency made me wonder whether they realised she would be spending her time inside :blink: so a bit worried now. We'll fix it when we are over there though!

Most of the agents said that it wouldn't be a problem though, just that our choice of places would be restricted (we are moving to Auckland). Good luck with your search :)

Re: Help please! Renting with a dog...
 

Thanks for the reply!
We have no cute pictures (shes a hulking big bulldog!) and we moved from our parents into the house we bought, so no references :(

We wrote in the original email that we had a dog and they seem to gloss over it, it was only when we double checked she asked the breed and whether she was an indoor dog!
Im sure it will work out, but everything else has gone so smoothly this is a bit of a shock!

Re: Help please! Renting with a dog...
 

I'm really worried about this too. I've been told its really hard to find a place that will take the dog :unsure: Its not like he is a little thing either, we've got a boxer. Hope we can find somewhere because I cant be without him.

Good luck with your search, :fingerscrossed: for you and your bulldog :) Let us know how your getting on. Where are you heading?

Re: Help please! Renting with a dog...
 

Just tell em it,s an outside dog and offer a bit more bond a lot of people are desperate to rent out there properties we found a place and we had 3 dogs

What area are u in ?


Neil

Re: Help please! Renting with a dog...
 

We have two dogs (border collies) and a cat, and had pretty much the same experience as you with the property managament businesses -they either ignore you completely or suggest horribly run-down places. When I asked one of the property managers if she could phone the landlord to ask if they could consider pets, she told me that "we're not really a renting service, we just manage the property", which was a bit strange :confused: but explained at least her unwilling attitude to make any kind of extra queries to the landlords. This was one of the big companies, btw. Try private landlords from TradeMe or the local newspaper, and try to meet them in person so that they can meet you and see that you look like a responsible person: Our house was advertised as no pets, but after meeting us the landlords were happy to rent their house to us and allow the pets. We offered to pay the maximum bond and have the carpet professionally cleaned after our tenancy but in the end the landlords were fine with just one extra week's bond so we didn't even pay the maximum bond we offered.

Kiwi dog culture seems to differ a lot from the UK/European one. Many agents said "you'd be looking for a really big section then for the dogs to run free", and were very surprised when I said that the dogs stay in if we're not at home. It seems that fewer people here go for actual walks with their dogs and let them get their exercise by running free in their garden. I've been asked so many times "do you take your dogs for walks every day?" and when I say that yes, they get three walks a day in the nearby parkland areas, people are really surprised. We never leave our dogs out when we're not at home as they're pretty clever and I couldn't trust them not to find a way of escaping from the garden. Here leaving dogs outside and keeping them largely outside seem to be the norm, at least in estate agents' minds. I heard that a couple of decades ago the dogs were often fed some kind of offal from which they easily got some kind of a disease that could spread from them to humans, and that was the reason why dogs were kept out of the houses. I guess some of the attitudes I've encountered are due to that legacy.

Re: Help please! Renting with a dog...
 

We've emailed EVERYONE! One company have said they have some properties, so maybe it will be ok!
We are heading to Napier/Hastings.

Re: Help please! Renting with a dog...
 

Awwwwww but that is a cute picture :D I am sure you will find somewhere for the pooch to live! Have you tried Trademe? That is where I found our house....and reading through other threads people had success with private landlords (as the other poster has said). Agents are just looking for an easy life - we had similar experiences renting in the UK where they couldn't be bothered to contact the landlord :sneaky: I miss owning my own place....

We just getting my MiL to get in touch with the agent to suss it out a bit more. Apparently the agent was talking about a small room off the main bedroom 'where the dog would be' which is encouraging but we need to be clear that ours has the run of the house both when we are in and out. Am now kicking myself for not making this clear before we paid a deposit doh :(

As another poster has said, there's no way she's an outside dog as a) she'd howl and b) she'd escape :eek:

Re: Help please! Renting with a dog...
 

On the topic of inside/outside dogs...

We found somewhere rural to rent with our three dogs (we have four now) last year, and yes, we said they were "outside" dogs even though they weren't really, and they would have escaped... and we did leave them in the house.

But we liked the area so much we bought our own house nearby, and now have 2.5 acres - all garden. As we now have three sheepdog-type dogs and a staffie, who do need a lot of running, we looked at the garden and identified an area that could be securely fenced off and so we could leave them in about 0.5 acres when we are at work. This area has grass and a garage for shelter.

We soon found that they ate better and slept better when they had been out in this compound all day, and as they have each other for company they don't howl for us :rofl: so we started experimenting with giving them all 2.5 acres to themselves, under supervision when we were there. We had one neighbour ring to complain the dogs were visiting her :rofl: although she said they were lovely, and we found there were several gaps in the windbreak (green) stuff on the number 8 wire, plus the Shepherd can jump the fence :rofl:

However, we decided to persevere, and Neil installed an electric fence and collar system round the whole two and a half acres. We got the system off Trademe, but full price it would have been about $800. The two dogs most likely to escape wear collars, the other two are so territorial they don't need them. The collar-wearing dogs learnt the boundaries within less than 10 minutes, and sit respectfully a few yards from fences.

The dogs are fit, well, happy, playful, and when we are in the house, they can have 2.5 acres all day if they want.

When we recently took them to kennels, she asked if they were inside or outside dogs. Without thinking we both replied "outside" and then laughed. "Outside" doesn't mean they are not our pets - they still all scramble up onto our laps in the evening and the staffie still sleeps in bed with us given half a chance...

So - how our attitude has changed :rofl: We too thought "outside" dogs was a bizarre idea for our beloved pets, but it's great - they are safe in their large compound when we are out, they have all the garden when we are in, and the house stays cleaner :rofl: I am happy for them, they need and deserve the space :thumbsup: and I love seeing them run so far off in the garden I can hardly see them :rofl: We have identified commands for them to return into the house, and there is a particular door they go in and out of, and it works great.

Pic of four very lazy dogs attached

Re: Help please! Renting with a dog...
 

zoexr you have such a cutie, she is adorable :wub:

Jan n Neil, what a life your dogs have with all that garden to run free in all day. They must be having a great time :thumbsup:

Re: Help please! Renting with a dog...
 

Hi Zoe,

try this one
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-me-pr...-302186293.htm
Location: 2/145 Nelson Crescent
Napier South
Napier
Hawkes Bay

Available: Now
Property ID#: BFG430
Furnishings: Dishdrawer­ New Roman blinds. New carpet Freshly painted
In the area: Close to Napier Boys, Napier city, the sea and McLean park
Parking: Integral garage and two other off street parking spaces
Ideal tenants: Would suit profession­al couple(s)

3 bedroom townhouse with 1 bathroom.

Three bedroomed townhouse with off street parking and integral garage. Separate toilet/ bathroom. Small BBQ area. Heat pump just installed. New carpet and blinds being put in before new tenants. Available Now. Good neighbours Great landlords!!

Suitable for up to 5 tenants.
Pets and smokers OK.

Re: Help please! Renting with a dog...
 

Thanks everyone, I knew you would know what to do! We found a few from agents and then a lovely one on trademe.
We signed up for trademe, but somehow they know we are outside NZ so have disabled our account! :sneaky:
Feeling a bit better about it a now. If all else fails I'll go and live with Jan and Neil!

Re: Help please! Renting with a dog...
 

Everybody is welcome :rofl:

Re: Help please! Renting with a dog...
 

would you include two shy retiring german pointers in this invite.

I think we will be telling potential landlords that we have two lap dogs that dont take up much space or exercise rather than the truth!!

tent will be first thing packed me thinks as I can see us spending a lot of time in it.

Re: Help please! Renting with a dog...
 

The more the merrier, we have a german shepard so they will be able to understand each other :o