Question on Barking and a TT in a Condo setting

"My wife and I are in love with Tibetan Terriers and are prepared to buy a pup from a good breeder we have been in touch with. However, we have one concern - BARKING!

We live in a 7 unit condominium and our neighbors/ bldg. Trustees are reluctant to allow us to get a dog. We are completely sold on the breed, but ask if they are generally noisy...we both do work full-time but are committed to training the dog properly. Importantly, as watchdogs, do TT's respond to all noises? Will the TT bark when ANYONE enters the bldg., their apartment, or parks a car?

If so, what can we do to remedy the situation?

Thanks"

Response

Many TT breeders are reluctant to place a puppy in a situation where the owners are not home during the day, for various reasons. The main reason is the lack of contact and potential resulting frustration for the puppy. This breed does not often do well in these situations, because they are obsessed with doing everything you do and being around their people. They are usually a little older before they realize that you actually come home after you go out - but it takes a while to sink in. So you may find that barking, or howling or pining (pining for the fjords!) is the result. With no one home all day you may have more difficulty in trying to establish a good socialization program including toilet training, learning not to bark, chew things etc. this will be made more difficult by the fact that you do not have a yard for the dog. Also a puppy until trustworthy should be in a crate (chewing wires, making mistakes etc.) and a full day is too long for a dog this young to be locked up in a crate for an extended period.

I would say that a puppy would be a risky proposition and in my opinion I wouldn't let a puppy be an experiment in this situation. It is highly unfair to the dog if things don't work out.

Having said this I know of several TT's who have been placed successfully in similar situations but they were usually slightly *older* dogs.

You might be better off considering a young adult or slightly older dog, who has an established personality and can be trusted. TT's will tend to bark at unusual noises with their warning instincts, and a building such as your might pose a problem with the plethora of noises that likely occur. If the trustees are reluctant to begin with then even 1 or 2 small mistakes could lead to problems, and almost regardless of the dogs' age there are bound to be a few barking scenes. There have been several cute messages on this list lately regarding TT's howling in a car or other situation. These are not yappy or barky dogs...it is just that they miss their people and have been known to pull all kinds of highjinks to get attention.