Thinking of moving to Houston after college & have a dog

[mirjaja]

When we first moved to TX, our Bullmastiff was 140 lbs and we found several nice apartments that would accept her. What helped tremendously though was having a "Good Dog Reference Letter" from our previous apartment complex.

[tstone]

Bulldogs are notoriously heavy. They look small until they raise up and place their front paws on you. They can easily knock you over if you're not ready for it.

That said, i'd like to see some of these little 700 sq ft shoe-box apartments after move-out, when a big dog was living in them. I've known too many people in apartments who owned 40+ lb dogs that trashed their places up because they couldn't stand being alone 10 hours a day, and/or the owners didn't give them the proper space to allow them to run around. Aside from having a trendy status symbol/object, I can't understand why apartment dwellers get working, herding or Rott+Pit junkyard mix breeds without giving them the proper romping ground (acreage).

[Jezer]

I brought my dog over when I lived in Houston.

She didn't have the greatest of times as we're used to rural life in England.

The dog parks, great though they may be, were a poor substitute for what she was used to and the leash laws and possibility of snakes did not help her to have a great time.

[Malvie]

Originally Posted by tstone

Bulldogs are notoriously heavy. They look small until they raise up and place their front paws on you. They can easily knock you over if you're not ready for it.

That said, i'd like to see some of these little 700 sq ft shoe-box apartments after move-out, when a big dog was living in them. I've known too many people in apartments who owned 40+ lb dogs that trashed their places up because they couldn't stand being alone 10 hours a day, and/or the owners didn't give them the proper space to allow them to run around. Aside from having a trendy status symbol/object, I can't understand why apartment dwellers get working, herding or Rott+Pit junkyard mix breeds without giving them the proper romping ground (acreage).

Well, I didn't WANT to move into an apartment, but when I first moved here, I had not sold my previous house and had to live somewhere---so my Border Collies came with me, and they moved into the apartment with me.

She didn't have the greatest of times as we're used to rural life in England.

It doesn't matter if you're in Rural England or Rural Texas, if you move into a congested urban area from a rural farming area, you have to adapt to the city, not the other way 'round. If I were to move to Central London (as I would love to do), what would I do with my 2 beautiful Border Collies? Hard to have them in the big city. I have a great house now with a nice big yard, a great neighbourhood in which to walk, and Terry Hershey Park nearby for really long walks.

[Jezer]

Malvie- did I ever for a second suggest that the city should adapt?

Of course not!

What I'm saying is that the dog did not enjoy Houston as she does here.

If someone is to bring a dog here they have to understand the situation and as I said the dog parks and even Terry Hershey Park, which I love, were no substitute for my dog.

Therefore the question arises as to whether to bring a dog into that enviroment, and that is for the owner to decide.

I and the other posters here are merely sharing their thoughts and experiences.

[digout]

I think you will find that Houston is VERY dog friendly. We currently have a beagle, two bassets and a terrier. My wife is very active with Basset Buddies Rescue of Texas and we attend adoption activities at least once a month for all breeds. The heat is not an issue unless you intend to leave your dog outside, which i do not recommend for anyone.

[miamichica24]

Originally Posted by karuna95

I live inside the loop, about a mile from a dog park. Lots of really pampered and loved dogs in my neighborhood!

Where inse the loop do you live? Im moving with two dogs and am trying to get the best place, between Montrose and Midtown..

[houston lover]

Welcome to Houston! I'm an ex-Oregonian as well. When people ask if I'm a native Texan I say, "I wasn't born here but I came as fast as I could!" Swap the "you guys" for "y'all" and you're ready to go!

My next door neighbor had a pug and he didn't have any more of a problem then he normally did, the poor little snorty guy. He did love being shot in the face with my water hose though. Silly fella!

I also lived in Austin for 6 years. Austin is like a large small city, if that makes any sense. It has a more college town vibe than Houston. Houston, however, has many cultural things to offer and we are known for our science and art museums, art districts and artist studio buildings, ballet, and live shows.

Because Houston is so large and spread out, different parts of town here are like their own city, many once were their own city and they have different "vibes". The Heights is the most like Portland. You will find many people here who are interested in small footprints, green living, arts, etc., Montrose is the edgier, artsy part of town that has a large gay population. West End is for restaurants and townhouses, Rice Military is for townhouses with lawns and is more expensive (West End is part of Rice Military).

This city is crazy dog friendly. If you go to Tila's on Shepherd and sit on the patio, they will bring you a margarita and your dog a water dish with a bone motif on it. Then trek down to Memorial and take that pooch for a walk. We do it at night in the summer with our dog. Either then or early morning. My friends have parties and our dogs are also invited. Yeah, Yeah, I know, we're nutty.

It's not hotter in Houston than in Austin but on some days the humidity will trick you into thinking it is. Don't get me wrong, Austin is great city. I just moved to Houston because there is more opportunity here and I stayed because once you really learn this city, and there is more to learn than what I described above, you really won't want to go anywhere else.