It’s pretty hard to have a dog in a big city, especially living a busy apartment life. Dogs need walks, lots of movement, and fresh air – and many of us scarcely have time or reachable outdoor space. To ease your dog’s life, adapt your apartment balcony to give your furry friend at least some outdoor experience for the day when you are extremely busy.
It’s not a solution to everything, but much better than leaving your dog with nothing. For this to work out, a balcony needs to be dog-proofed. The answer to how to dog-proof your balcony isn’t hard and after reading this you’ll be ready to do it. These are all the main things for adequate dog-proofing of your balcony.
Wondering about dog-proofing balcony? Read this detailed article for a helpful guide to keeping your pet safe on your balcony.
Dog-proof balcony railings
Most balcony railings don’t come in the perfectly dog-proof form – they have quite large spaces between the bars.
That is dangerous for small dogs who can squeeze through the bars and fall, and a middle-size dog or even a large one can try the same and get stuck, let alone the risk of dropping toys.
Besides having holes, the balcony railing might also be too low to keep your dog in.
To solve this, equip the balcony with netting or another similar measure that would obstruct jumping and make the balcony railing impenetrable for a dog in general.
Netting of a balcony railing
Netting is a good way to make a balcony puppy-proof or safe for a small and generally calm dog. There are several ways to achieve railing safety with netting. You can use special safety nets for children or pets.
The other way to ensure balcony safety for your pup is to install a fine chicken wire. It serves the same function but obstructs the view significantly less. Chicken wire is cheap and easily replaced if damaged.
Both ways, however, are not a guarantee of safety if you have a large or high-energy dog that hasn’t left behind the chewing habit. In this case, consider other options.
Glass or plexiglass
The most transparent option for dog-proofing your balcony is (obviously) glass. This way you’ll dog-proof your balcony with something unchewable. Also, it is a stylish look.
Installing glass panels, though simple, is costlier than a net, and also obstructs the flow of fresh air – which is its main drawback.
As for choosing between glass and plexiglass, glass is cheaper, less prone to scratching, and recyclable. But if you foresee a high possibility of it being broken, you’d rather opt for plexiglass. It is designed to endure risky situations and also weights less.
Bamboo or lattice fence
How to dog-proof your balcony if netting or glass is not for you? Explore the options for an additional fence. By choosing a bamboo fence, you get extra privacy for your balcony on top of it being an eco-friendly, light, and interesting-looking material great for small balconies.
However, it obstructs the view quite a lot, which is not the case with lattice fences. They are made of thin wood and have diamond-shaped openings throughout their pattern. Having such a fence is a cozy choice that brings a certain outdoor vibe to the look of your balcony while also having a well-defined structure.
Collar bumpers
Sometimes you just can’t dog-proof balcony railings, but other things are dog-proof. How to “dog-proof” your dog? By using dog collar bumpers. A collar bumper is placed around a dog’s neck preventing the pet from exploring the balcony bars too much.
This dog-proofs the moment your pup attempts to squeeze through the balcony railing. The dog’s experience with it is similar to having a pet cone on: they protest initially but get used to it pretty fast.
A collar bumper is a good precaution when you can’t dog-proof balcony railings, but it’s more of a half-measure and doesn’t work in every case.
Proper furniture placement
You can be inventive about how you dog-proof balcony railings, but what’s the point if your pup will have a piece of furniture available to support the big jump? Make sure everything is placed in a way that makes escape attempts impossible.
Sharp objects, bumps, and angles
There isn’t much to do on the balcony for a dog, and they can easily get distracted and emotional from observing the street.
In this state, one wrong move may lead to an injury or even the death of your pet if the railing has sharp edges of any kind.
Use a chisel or sandpaper to eliminate the sharp edges and make every inch of your railing smooth and safe.
Chemical safety
A few more things need to be safe on your balcony beside balcony railings. Dogs love to chew things, and we somehow love to leave dangerous things on our balconies. Make sure your dog has nothing dangerous to chew on your pet-proof balcony.
Poisonous plants
A little garden on your balcony is might be gorgeous, but you need to remove poisonous plants from it. The list of unsafe plants includes tulips, lilies, peonies, iris, poinsettia, philodendron, pothos, English ivy, jade plants, dumb cane, elephant ears, asparagus fern, and even aloe vera.
Always do research on a plant before placing it on the balcony.
If for some reason you still want t keep the unsafe plants, use hanging planters to keep them as high as you can.
Other hazards
Do not store chemicals on your balcony. Finding a place for storing such things is not an easy thing for many apartment dwellers, but for dog owners, a balcony is no longer an option.
Keep a dog away from your grill
It might seem counterintuitive to see your outdoor grill as poisonous for a dog, but it smells like food, and a dog will try to lick the grill to taste that food. The dangers here are either microparticles of spoiled food contaminated by bacteria, or the residue of washing chemicals.
Also, a dog might try to jump on the grill, which may lead to all sorts of accidents, from turning the device upside down to jumping off the balcony.
Doggy comfort zone
A balcony time is not a replacement for proper walks, but a dog must have everything to be able to chill there with comfort. Equip the doggy place with water bowls, pet toys, and a comfy bed. Also, don’t forget it needs to have some shade on hot days.
Access to water
Dogs overheat fast and get thirsty a lot, so keeping drinking water always within the pet’s reach is very important, especially in summer. The dog’s water bowl must be hard to chew or turn upside down, be safe to drink from, contain enough water, and be always placed in a shady part of the balcony.
Another way to keep your dog from dehydration is installing a small drinking fountain, which will also give a little entertainment to a bored pup.
Dog bed
Having naps on a balcony must be comfortable for your pet. When it’s really hot, your friend might prefer lying on a cool tile floor somewhere under a table, or a special cooling mat, but on most days you’ll need a doggy bed.
It must be a piece of dog-friendly furniture or a special doggy bed that fits your pet well, with a machine-washable cover that’s free of unsafe chemicals like bad fabric paint. Opt for those filled with plastic filling balls rather than natural materials like cotton – it will be much easier to clean.
Shade
To prevent your dog from overheating, don’t leave the pet under the sun on a hot day.
Creating a shady shelter is very important for a dog-safe balcony.
Some pet owners go for an umbrella or use a dog tent made of a durable waterproof fabric, while others get their pet a dog house, which is perfectly size-appropriate to keep on a balcony if you have a smaller dog.
Potty
We all agree that dogs should go potty while being walked, but having an emergency backup plan is always better than not having one. Use a dog grass pad or a porch potty to make things easier for both of you. Most home improvement stores sell patches of artificial grass that can be used to DIY a balcony dog potty.
But things don’t always go as planned with animals, and your balcony flooring needs to be prepared for this. Use waterproof materials which will protect both your floor and the sealings of your neighbor’s balcony in case your dog pees in the wrong place.
Weather protection
Not all dogs have it easy when the weather is bad. If your dog does not have weather-resistant fur or is in fragile health, do not neglect to have pet clothes, like jackets and sweaters on. Don’t let your pet freeze on a balcony.
Preventing bad behavior
Just because you made a comfy dog place out of your balcony, doesn’t mean your dog will see it that way all the time and won’t attempt something stupid or just misbehave. There are some extra things to lessen these bad behaviors.
Use a leash
Maybe balcony railings won’t keep your dog away from trying to jump away. And if your pet’s legs are long, there is a high chance the dog will try and escape. So, it might be necessary to use a leash when you enjoy your balcony together with your dog.
Important! If you use a leash for your balcony time with your dog, don’t attach it to a dog’s collar. Use a harness instead. There’s always a chance that you will get distracted by something and decide to tie a dog to balcony railings – just for a minute. If the dog tries to jump that minute and hangs himself on a leash as a result, having a harness on instead of a collar will likely save the life.
Never leave your dog alone
There’s no answer to how to dog-proof everything.
Dogs shouldn’t be left unattended and locked on your balcony. Many things can go wrong in this scenario.
The smallest of the problems will be if the dog turns to destructive behavior and chews the furniture.
The dog can also cause noise complaints, and a police visit followed byyour firstmeeting with animal protection services. Your pup can also accidentally harm himself or simply overheat. Just don’t do it.
Teach the dog to be quiet
It takes some obedience training to make an energetic dog behave.
But if you teach your dog not to bark on the balcony, your neighbors are definitely grateful to you. Use treats and praise and be patient, and it will work eventually.
FAQs
Would a dog jump off balcony?
While some pups instinctively feel that jumping off the balcony is dangerous, others will likely try to escape this way anyways. It depends on the dog’s breed, size, temperament, and training. Also, even the most well-behaved pup gets distracted by outdoor events if left on the balcony for long or unattended, which is why you never leave your dog alone there.
Are dogs allowed to pee on balcony?
Your dog can have a regular potty time on your balcony once you equip it with a porch potty and take care of it regularly. Some dogs have no problem using it from the get-go, and others might need special training, but it is worth the effort.
Without special equipment, never let your dog go potty on the balcony. On top of everything else that is wrong with it, if the urine leaks to your neighbors, the consequences might go as far as a legal case against you.
Conclusion
So, it is not that hard to dog-proof your balcony for both you and your pet to enjoy the second-best thing to the outdoors – when you are too busy to go for a long walk. The main things to focus on to keep your balcony safe are the following three:
- A secured balcony railing can prevent your dog from escaping.
- A poison-free environment with only non-toxic plants and without chemical hazards in the dog’s reach.
- A doggy comfort zone that includes access to water and shade, and a safe potty place.
If you have these positions covered, your balcony is safe and ready to accommodate your dog.
Read More: 10 Dog-Friendly Ideas for Apartment Balconie
