Renting a house with a pitbull in Knox Henderson or Greenville? (Dallas: apartment complex, renters)

[kernel610]

My wife and I relocated to Uptown late last year. Our when our lease is up, the plan is to rent a house in Knox Henderson or the Greenville area, maybe even out by White Rock Lake. We currently have a pug but we are looking to add another dog to our family. I've grown up with german shepherds most of my life so we've been looking to adopt one lately. We were looking at a shelter and saw the sweetest pitbull but my only concern is renting. Our current apartment complex allows them but we don't really want to renew because we've heard prices will increase 20%. Anyone have experience renting a house in one of these areas with a dog (any dog) and were there breed restrictions? Also, will having a german shepherd be as hard to find a home with as a pitbull? I know we can try the trick of saying he's a stafford terrier or say a mutt but in honesty, the dog we looked at doesn't look like a mix of any other breed and I feel most landlords know a stafford terrier can be a pitbull.

Also, I hate the stereotypes that the breed has gained so I would probably have the dog certified as a therapy dog to prove how non-threatening the dog is. I have a knack for dog training so that shouldn't be a problem, but does that even mean anything to landlords? I also have to check with my renters insurance to make sure the breeds are covered, but I'm mainly looking for feedback or past experiences of someone in a similar situation. Realtors feel free to chime in too.

If not these areas, we would also consider the bishop arts area. We're a professional married couple in our late 20s so we're still looking to stay in Dallas where we can have some sort of nightlife and activities nearby.

[ChristieP]

Many landlords will prohibit pit bulls or pit bull mixes in their rental properties just due to liability concerns.

Since you haven't adopted the dog yet, why not just try to find another breed dog to adopt?

[Squirl]

I am a LL so maybe it will help to know what I do. I have no breed restrictions on my properties but I insist on meeting the dogs. this is what I require: no puppies, must be house trained, must be spayed or neutered, must be on flea preventative and up to date on vaccinations, must live inside and cannot be left outside when the dog's owners are away, no history of aggression, no "free feeding" of pets (no full food bowls just hanging around the place is what that means) because that attracts insects. No barkers or other behaviors that annoy neighbors -- if there are complaints the dog must be rehomed w/i 48 hours.

[kernel610]

Originally Posted by Squirl

I am a LL so maybe it will help to know what I do. I have no breed restrictions on my properties but I insist on meeting the dogs. this is what I require: no puppies, must be house trained, must be spayed or neutered, must be on flea preventative and up to date on vaccinations, must live inside and cannot be left outside when the dog's owners are away, no history of aggression, no "free feeding" of pets (no full food bowls just hanging around the place is what that means) because that attracts insects. No barkers or other behaviors that annoy neighbors -- if there are complaints the dog must be rehomed w/i 48 hours.

Thanks for the information. I wish all landlords were as knowledgable as you when it comes to renting with a pet and realized that its the owner and not the breed that causes issues.

[kernel610]

Originally Posted by ChristieP

Many landlords will prohibit pit bulls or pit bull mixes in their rental properties just due to liability concerns.

Since you haven't adopted the dog yet, why not just try to find another breed dog to adopt?

We may not adopt the dog, which is unfortunate. Before making a decision, I was hoping to see if it would be as much of a problem as I thought it may be since we would likely be renting from individuals and not management companies like we do now.

[FourFiftyFour]

Unfortunately, having certain breeds will make it way more difficult when renting. I have fostered many dogs (from Dutch Shepherds to Border Collies) and I had to make sure my foster Dutchie found a home before moving up here as he was a LOT of dog (protection trained sort of dog) and would have been dang near impossible to find a rental home that would allow him.
I train dogs in agility and dockdogs, and have had *fairly* good luck with renting places. But I specifically say they are show dogs, and that they are not the average pet. If you have a dog and are actively doing competitions with them and they are trained to the extent of mine, I see there are way fewer problems. Of course, if you have not even adopted the dog yet, then it would take lots of time to be able to get to that point in the dogs' training.
If you need any help researching breeds and training, feel free to private message me. I have been training dogs for several years and can help point you to places for training, for adopting, etc. if need be.
Good luck!

[Mulching]

I would say wait and adopt a pit bull once you have your own property. Even if you find some one who allows you, what would you do if they can't renew your lease next year or you have to move for some reason.