[Hannah-NL]

So here we are, planning on taking the kids and the pets. But... when we look online at rental places we see "NO Pets" all over them. Even if at first look they don't state no pets, when you check the details out, it says either no pets or Cats only. (Whats up with that anyway?)
So how are you supposed to take your cat and 2 dogs like we are planning to do? We have very well behaved pets, 2 border collies that are used to flight benches already, thats their "nest" and they sleep in there when we are on holiday as well. So that won't be a problem when we get there and rent they would be going in their bench when we are not around.
Anyone have any experience yet? We dont' know yet which area we will end up, but so far we have been checking out Realenz and some other property sites, and most say No PETS! :?

Hannah from Holland.

[mechidna]

I've run into the same problem. Although I did find a couple long stay motels that allow them. Go figure.

If you find something out, let me know. The most I can say is that I was told you literally have to talk to the landlords about pets.

[veronica]

While you look after your dog there are people who don't and thats what the landlords are trying to avoid. One option is to offer to post a bond on damage or nuisence that could be caused by the pet and see if that will help.

[Moorf]

As you may know, we now have a dog, Summer.

Before we could consider having her we had to talk with our landlord. We get on well with them and they know we are responsible tenants. When we asked they said that they didn't really want to allow pets in case of damage / dirt / smell etc.

I promised them that I would clean / replace / etc on leaving and that if they wanted we would be happy to sign an additional contract/agreement. That seemed to do the trick - and they are quite happy for us to have her here now.

Just talk to the landlords.. many of them probably have pets of their own and if assured you are responsible and dogs are well behaved may allow you to rent with pets.

[Hannah-NL]

Thanks for the tips! It's just I really want to take the pets.
The oldest one is 10 years old and I'm not saying she's like a child, but she IS part of the family.
The younger doggy is my hubby's doggy and he trains her with sheep, thats his only hobby.
They're both getting pretty good at it, so she has to come too, right? :)
Well the cat, he's our house tiger, a sweet cuddly guy, even hubby likes him and he's not a real cat person ;)
If there's any other Pet owners here, please: ALL input is welcome, not only about rentals.
"See" you in NZ this year hopefully!

Hannah from Holland.

[Lesly]

Hi Hannah, or should I say "hoe gaat 'ie?"

We are a Belgian family, moved to NZ in November with 1 dog. It 's just a small Lhasa Apso, but we had serious trouble in finding a rental here in Auckland. As you had already noticed, almost every owner says 'no pets'. We were lucky to have found a house were the owner was happy to take a dog. We feel we pay too much rent per week now, but we had no other choice at the time. We really needed the house because the dog was released from quarantine on 4th of December, so we had a deadline. We stayed in a motel as long as the dog was quarantined, so we had to find a house before release date.

I assume you speak Dutch, so you can take a look at the website I created about our move to NZ. Here's the link:
www.wannabeekiwi.mysites.nl

Groetjes,
Cheers,
Lesly :P

[Hannah-NL]

Hi Lesly,
Natuurlijk spreek ik ook nederlands :)

Thank you very much for your reply, your website has so much to offer!
I have already read a lot, but will return laters for more.
Lots of interesting items and some come very close to our own situtation with two young kids and some pets.

So I think you will hear more of me soon. Thanks so much for sharing!

:nice1 Hannah

[Lesly]

Graag gedaan, Hannah! Ik hoop dat je er iets aan hebt.

Good luck with your plans :nice1

Cheers,Lesly.

[sarahw]

When we looked around properties last week some places allowed pets and some didn't - some specified cats only or no dogs so I guess you can let any lettings agents know who will be looking for you and get them to do the legwork for you.

[Arlevien]

what could be the reasons why landlords be very particular on having a cat or a dog? :roll:

[veronica]

Because some people aren't responsible pet owners and allow the animals to damage the property, either because they are not kept clean and make the place smell or by scratching at the woodwork, digging holes etc.

[Juniper]

i recently got a puppy, and i have to say that they are much more havoc-creating than a cat. they are incredible chewers too, so all kinds of house damage can occur.

as far as smell goes though, i have to say that cat spray is the worst smell issue we've ever had...and they have really done quite a bit of house damage too, so maybe there is a bit of prejudice at work here...

maybe noise is the big difference. dogs usually bark at least some of the time, while you never hear cats screeching on the porch for hours. sometimes neighbors have to deal with hearing a lonely dog bark all day while you're at work.

[Hannah-NL]

Still I dont see why they would not want dogs, and cats will be allowed.
I have seen cats rip open a couch at the bottom in a few weeks.
(Those were the neighbours young kitties, they were having a ball, poor couch.)
Btw they havent seen what damage kids can do!
Not mine of course, next to the dogs, we have those trained very well too ;)
Thanks for all the replies, I think youre all very helpfull :nice1

[Arlevien]

Because some people aren't responsible pet owners and allow the animals to damage the property, either because they are not kept clean and make the place smell or by scratching at the woodwork, digging holes etc.

Well thats pet in general.. what I am intrigue is they post particulary for a DOG or CAT not to be allowed.

When the LO says no PEts ..its PETS. But when they say CAT allowed ( why not DOGs? ) or the other way around?

[Moorf]

I rent out a property in the UK and I specifically specify no pets or children :no

Why? Because it's my property and my decision - most of the time I should probably advertise as "cats only, no tenants" as the ones renting the property are usually worse than their pets!! Just kidding... it's a decision I made and I will stick to it.. other people can chance their property to a pet owner but I prefer not to.

You just have to respect the landlords decision.

[sarahw]

One of my friends has 2 dogs and they have demolished her kitchen, :wah, the interior washing machine rubber (they have learnt how to open it) and have chewed through the plaster walls - almost to the electrics!, her kitchen table and the door frame. As well as regularly leaving presents for her in the kitchen! Would you want to rent your home to someone who had dogs like that?! I know I wouldn't!

[veronica]

This sounds like a case of dogs being shut in the kitchen all day while someones at work. Bored dogs are like bored kids, they find something to do.

[miep]

Dag Dierenliefhebbers,

I have to say I do understand I understand the landlords viewpoint too; we lived in 2 rentals where cats weren't really allowed but they let us have them anyway after we asked. The first one had no damage but the second one we left with a badly scratched door. The landlord didn't make us pay for it, it probably helped that we looked after their cat when they were on holiday! To the landlords any damage is just a pain.

The rental market is different here, most are privately owned and most people rent for much shorter periods than we are used to in Holland (is it the same in Belgium?) Here you only rent to save for a deposit so that you can buy. We didn't like renting because you can't really make the house your own because you're not allowed to touch it, no paint, a change of carpets (not even when they're all moldy) or even picture hooks. We put up curtains in the living room and the landlord thought we were mad :roll: .

But in general you will be able to find somewhere where you can have pets, especially when you are willing to sign a longterm lease.

Good luck, Miep

[Hannah-NL]

Hallo Miep! and all others that reply :)

I think with Pets its the same as with children, as with any humans too, they can all damage a property, altho pets might do it more easily, but then again I think a good contract should cover any damage tenants cause. So we will indeed look for the rental that allows well behaved pets.
I always supply my pets with the needed cheweys and scratchpoles. Younger dogs who are getting new teeth need stuff to chew on, and bored animals try to play or get out of their kitchen indeed.
I must say our animals arent alone for full days on their own and I'm not going to get rid of them all either! I could get the cat to a "foster home", temporarily at my sisters and then have him come over when we have our own place tho.

[Juniper]

This sounds like a case of dogs being shut in the kitchen all day while someones at work. Bored dogs are like bored kids, they find something to do.

that's why we decided to crate train our dog - with all the destructive exploration she does, there's no way we could leave her free for 8 hours! i don't dare look away from her for even 10 seconds, or she gets her teeth on something! it's impossible to watch your dog constantly all day, so in the crate she goes when i'm busy.

[mechidna]

Crate training was the best thing I ever did for my puppy. That's her own special place and she knows it. Now she's full grown and at 85 pounds, she could probably tear up quite a bit of my house if she wanted. She definately doesn't wander the house when I'm not home.

[Moorf]

I have heard that crate training is v. popular in the States - I have a friend who tried it in the UK too with good results.

It's just not something I could do - I guess I am just tooo sensitive :laugh

But our new doggie is proving to be a total angel and I will be leaving her in the house for a few hours on her own tomorow (max 2hrs) to see how she gets on!

:hopeso

In any event we don't intend to leave her more than 4/5 hours on her own when I get a part time job.

[Juniper]

i have heard that crate training is a sensitive topic, because it seems unpleasant to coop someone up like that. however, all the dog trainers and articles i've seen however seem solidly for it, and i only look at the positive reinforcement/humane resources (not old-fashioned style with choke chains and such). here's what i've learned on the topic:

dogs are den animals, and unlike humans they usually like confined spaces. that's why cats and dogs like to hang out under couches/chairs/tables. it feels safer.

i know metaphors can be unreliable, but i've been told to think of it as being similar to putting a child in a crib. sure they don't like being confined, but sometimes it's the safest thing you can do with them, and they also have to learn to be alone sometimes. little kids would rather stay up and play, and be free all the time, but that doesn't work either.

of course your puppy isn't going to love going in a crate against their will, but that's the training part. one technique to make it enjoyable is to drop special treats in the openings while they're inside. also, instead of draging the dog inside, i put a treat in my fist, put my fist inside the crate, then don't let her have the treat until she walks all the way inside.

it can be hard to hear them bark and whine and dig, but as long as you are giving them plenty of free time each day, then stick to your guns and don't let them out.

it is very important that you only let them out once they have quieted down, or they will learn to bark and bark until you let them out.

our puppy has become nice and quiet at night and during car trips, now that she's used to her crate!

[mechidna]

Juniper, I absolutely agree with you. I began crate training my puppy a few weeks after I got her. I wouldn't have waited, but she was dreadfully ill and I didn't want her confined. Of course, she barked and whined. Now she goes there whenever she wants to be alone and she knows no one will mess with her until she comes out--or I call her.

It's also safer for them. I have read stories about people forgetting to put medicines and cleaners away and the dogs had a wonderful time playing with them. Then they died. My dog is part of my family and I would be devastated if something like that were to hapen.

mechidna

[veronica]

Our dogs are part of the family and have the run of the house the same as we do and in 20 years of dog ownership I haven't had a real problem, so I have mixed feelings about this crate training. I can see the usefulness if you travel or show a lot but as they are pack animals it seems a bit like shutting them away from the rest of the pack which would be a punishment. Having said that I didn't use a play pen for our kids either.

There is no one correct way for each of us to train out dogs, even with the two dogs we have now I have to use different methods to suit the character of the pair of them. What gets ones attention in a casual way would make the other really submissive. So please don't take what I am saying as a critisism more trying to get my head around the idea.

[Juniper]

So please don't take what I am saying as a critisism more trying to get my head around the idea.

course not, no offense taken :P every dog is an individual, methods naturally vary...i've never even been a dog person before, so these last few months have been a real lifestyle change! it's a lot of learning and plenty of patience. :angel

[Moorf]

... and alot of walking... anyone have any blister plasters???!!!

Our life has changed overnight.. for the better! I am walking 40mins to 1 hr each walk 3-4 times a day.. running on the beach.. trotting round the neighbourhood.. stopping off at beaches and parks we'd never have seen otherwise.. meeting new people each day on the beach and meeting same ones each day too.... it's like a dog get-together in the evenings down by the sea.. and most of all Summer is very happy too!!

Man, I've gone all soppy....

[mechidna]

Veronica...no offense taken. Eveyone has different ways of raising pets, just like they have differen ways of raising their children. My dog is very energetic even at 6. I tried several times to leave her out during the day. I gave up after she demolished my antique dolls which we put up out of reach (I thought). I found doll hair for days. It was funny actually, I could just picture her throwing them up in the air and catching them. :laugh

Moorf...I am so jealous. Walking on the beach. someday....

[Hannah-NL]

LOL Moorf , walking is sooooooo good for you. I love walking and meeting other dog people too..and enjoying the beach of NZ sounds wonderful!

About the crate training, you're not supposed to see it as a "lock them up so they are out of the way" thing.
When we had our first dogs and they were not potty trained yet, we had a house with carpet all over except the bathroom. So when we had to go away, (never for a whole day tho) they went in there, on lots of newspapers. Well I can say, they really had a go in that bathroom at times.

It was just us untrained humans who did not know about what little sweet puppies (who are teething too after a while) can do with a bathroom. There was that day I thought the laundry hung high enough and found among other items, my favorite jeans had been the victim of a "Who's the best at tugging" game. And then we had that centrifuge (uhm to spin the water out of wet clothes?) They chewed off the spout! The shower curtain was high up on the rail, or so we thought... And that was only a few things.

Even when they grew up and were safe to be alone on the carpet for a while when we were gone, while they were teething they started to chew on our bed... I can tell you we were not really happy with that, esp not since it was on the spot you sit...I mean those wood splinters hurt you know!

Anyway, as soon as we had another pup, we bought a crate and we made that her comfy nest, lots of toys and chewies. (Buy lots of chewies for teething pups). She sleeps in there all the time, she's 10-yrs old now and she feels safe in there when thunder or fireworks make her feel bad.
We don't have to lock her up in there when we go away and she has never demolished anything. It's her place for rest, no kids or cats allowed ;)

***One thing tho, never stick them in their crate for punishment, btw we call it the bench, because it's a flight bench actually, which will come in handy when they come with us to NZ :)

[Moorf]

In the week we have had her I have lost nearly 1kg!!! OMG :eek

[Hannah-NL]

:P Moorf you'll be superthin in 20 weeks, if you keep this up!

Another question by the way, how is it with access to beaches and dogs, on or without a leash?
Are beaches banned for dogs certain times of years as they are here in Holland for example?

[Moorf]

I hope so - was even running today :eek !!

Beach access is fine. There are restrictions around popular bathing areas and busy seafronts - i.e in Sumner you can't take dogs on the beach during the summer but you can take them, off leash, further along about 100m north of the Surf Club.

Likewise, many beaches do allow dogs - there are always very clear signs to let you know if they need to be on leashes or not.

And, on Sumner parade, there are free dog poo bags! And they are fab ones too.. not cheap plastic.. brown paper with their own inbuilt scoopers - I collect a couple each t ime I am there and have quite a collection.

Oh boy, what has become of me.. I'm becoming a dog poo expert :roll:

[Moorf]

A bit off topic, but for all you doggie lovers and owners.. how many of you have a dog that goes up to bed before you????

Weird, Summer does .. she just goes upstairs and gets into her bed (which is on my side of the bedroom) and goes to sleep!

Normal?

Of course, we have no idea of her previous routine.. could this be it showing through?

Moorf

[Hannah-NL]

Hahaha, yeah thats what happens when you get a doggy...
You boldly go where you've never thought of before (inserts Star Trek theme)

[Hannah-NL]

How old is Summer again?
Our doggies always seem far away, until we close down our computers, then all of a sudden they are wide awake,
tail wagging and walking to and from the door, talking about a Pavlov reaction...
Has Summer already been out for her last walk when she goes to bed?
Maybe she's just tired, young doggies can get quite exhausted and need their sleep like babies do too.

[Moorf]

Summer is approx 3/4 yrs old - I am at home with her all day at the moment and I feel terrible as she sits on the sofa staring at me as I tap away on the keyboard for hours. I go out at intervals and play in the garden with her and I walk her 2/3 times during the day - then she has a long walk again about 7pm then her tea then we go out approx 10pm for a night-time wander. We don't go to bed until late .. do you think she is telling us something?

Am I exercising her enough? She's a pointer cross. She always runs around like mad when out .. off leash most times too.. chasing seagulls. I just worry that it's not enough for her.

[Hannah-NL]

LOL staring at you, she's trying to make you feel guilty?
Naaah she just looks at you attentively so to be able to react to your actions.
You can make a dog as active as you want them to be, at least I have noticed with our Borders they will get busier and busier the more action you provide, and the other way round as well.
As I see you walk her 5 times a day, she gets a long walk after 7 and then one at 10...she should be ok. This is more then lots of dogs get you know! :nice1
Maybe the late walk should be more before your bed time, I don't know what her first walk in the AM is at what time?
But if she goes to bed, she will be sleepy I guess!

[Moorf]

Her first walk is sometimes 8am, sometimes 9am and :oops: the other day I overslept and it was 11am!

I know that's bad.. I know I should get into a routine.. or should I be more flexible and not get too wrapped up in routines? I keep reading different approaches on the internet and meeting people..

You see, we don't really have a routine ourselves.. :no

[Hannah-NL]

Well it doesnt really come to an hour I know, but I always think "What if I would have to go to the bathroom really badly, and no one would let me out?" but I know our doggies sleep in when we do too, so unless she is waking you up, no need to get out of bed rrrrrreally early...
Now it's time for me tho to walk our doggies! See you!

[Moorf]

Thank you so much Hannah - much appreciated. :P

I may PM you in future otherwise this will turn into a Pets-R-Us thread!

Moorf

[foolsgold99]

Our collie Lucky, always goes to bed before us. At some point between 9:30 and 10:00pm, He'll get up and toddle off to the dining room where his bed is and go to sleep.

[Moorf]

Thanks - always good to hear others experiences ... I don't feel so worried now.. :nice1