Keeping a dog in a Pakistani apartment — is it fair to the dog?

Flats are getting more common in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, and so is the argument. A dog in a two-bedroom apartment is either fine or it is cruelty, depending on who you ask.

The honest answer probably has less to do with square footage than with walking. A Lab that gets out twice a day is better off than a Lab on a rooftop nobody visits.

If you keep a dog in a flat — which breed, how many walks, and what do you do about the lift and the neighbours? And if you moved a dog from a house into a flat, what changed in it?

Flat is fine. Bored dog is not. Those are two different arguments and people keep merging them.

We have a beagle in a 2-bed in DHA Karachi. Honestly the neighbours were harder than the dog.

The nails point is one I have not seen anyone make before and it explains something I have been wondering about for months. Thank you.

Depends entirely on the dog. A desi or a small breed, no issue. A GSD or a Husky in a flat with one walk a day is a dog slowly losing its mind and the owner usually blames the breed.

The one thing I would add: a flat dog needs its nose used, not just its legs. Fifteen minutes of hiding food around the house tires my dog out more than a half-hour walk does. On days when it is 44°C and going out is not sensible, that is what saves you.

Moved from a house in Gulshan to a flat last year with a 5yo desi. He was miserable for about three weeks and then completely fine. The adjustment was much shorter than I expected.