Apartment living means we have to be a lot more considerate about our neighbors. Not that this is a big surprise to me; it’s just an adjustment. Moose, Lally, and I spent the last three years living in a house with a huge yard and now we’re living in an apartment with no yard and lots of people close by.
So what makes a good neighbor? Friendliness, for sure — I’m in a totally new area and while I knew some people before I moved, I don’t know anybody here at the apartment complex. We’ve made friends with another dog owner who has an apartment on one of our favorite walking routes. It’s always so nice to see little Oscar (the dog) come running out with a happy bark to greet us! The human family is friendly, too.
But being a good neighbor is more than just smiles and small talk. Apartment complex life means responsibility, too.
- Pick up after your pets. Sadly, there are a lot of pet owners around here who don’t bother. I keep poop bags tied to the handles of my retractor leashes, and always try to have two at all times. I’ve learned where many of the doggie bag depots are around the complex (I’ve found four so far) for when I need to restock.
- Keep your pets under control. Some people walk their dogs on a very long leash and let the dogs run up to anyone and everyone. This doesn’t bother me — I’m a pet lover. I’m perfectly happy to pet any strange dog that comes up to me. Not everyone loves dogs, or even likes dogs. Unless you know the person is dog-friendly, keep your pups away.
- Be careful around children. There are a few kids around the complex who have gotten to know and love Moose and Lally, and there are times when one of the dogs has wrapped up a kid’s legs in the leash. Moose is a big dog; I worry about him knocking over a small child. Children don’t always have the reflexes and reactions an adult has.
- Watch the noise levels. This apartment complex has some AWESOME sound proofing. The only thing I hear from my neighbors is creaking from the ceiling when they walk around. No TV, no voices, no music… it’s really great. But I worry about my little bark-a-holics disturbing the peace. I’ve had to keep the blinds closed on the windows that face the street, because Moose tends to bark at just about anything that moves.
- Respect everyone’s space. I have a neighbor who will let his dog come right up onto my patio — this gets Moose and Lally VERY upset, which in turn gets me upset. Moose thinks the next-door apartment is his, and will often ram his head against the door — more than once they’ve thought it was someone knocking! I do my best to steer him in the right direction, but I feel bad that he’s “knocking”. Both dogs like to investigate open car doors, too.
Being a good neighbor isn’t always easy, but I think it’s worth the effort.