List Only - Will my apartment allow me to have this dog for therapy?

Will my apartment allow me to have this dog for therapy?

My appartment allows their tenants to have dogs. We currently have one chiuaha so we arent allowed to have any more. "the rules are one dog per house". But that dog is my aunts dog who moved from somewhere else with it so we asked my apartment manager if they would allow us to have one more that would be mine. They said that was fine as long as a doctor said that I needed one which he did. So I have been looking for a dog and have decided on getting a AKC registered rottweiler from this lady who breeds them. This is the only dog we have been able to find in our price range. Which is rare since we are on a fixed income since my mom got into an accident. We choose to look into getting a rottweiler since we have had one before and we think that they are very good companions. The problem is our apartment has a 50 lb weight limit. My manager said that she doesnt know if they will make an exception for a depression therapy dog so she said that she will call me back. I dont know how good our chances are of this but I hope they are somewhat good. Please just give me an answer as to what it will be and if there is anything I can do to get them to allow it. Thank you so much. Someone on the third floor had a pitbull so idk if that helps. We dont adopt since that costs more than what it would be from this breeder. AND before you say something against that we choose the breeder since its AKC registered. And dont tell me how bad rottweilers are or that they can turn vicious. NO BREED IS VICIOUS ITS HOW THEYRE BROUGHT UP AND RAISED WHICH MAKES A DOG.

Public Comments

If a doctor prescribes the dog for you they cannot refuse (As far as I know). You are on a fixed income and you want another dog? why can't you be happy with the chihuahua and why do you want to cause problems with your apartment manager?
I absolutely do not think a rottweiler is the right dog for you. It is going to get a lot bigger than the 50 lbs and what if they decide later that you can't keep it. A rottie is not a good dog to have with depression, and it also not only costs a lot to feed correctly, but they can and do suffer health problems which costs thousands at the vets, so unless you are in a financial postion to take on a rottie then I wouldn't. They are really not an apartment dog either and if not brought up well and socialised intensely then the rottie might not be the same as the other one you remember. The lady selling this AKC registered puppy has not put a lot of thought into this I don't think. Sorry but I hope you don't get this dog.
If you are on a fixed income, is there some reason you do not go to the Humane Society to pick out a homeless dog? You would be helping everyone in that way. Also, get a smaller dog who would not eat so much if you are on a fixed income and as for depression, a smaller dog would fit on your lap. Can't see a Rottweiler on ones lap or helping with depression. Dr. will say anything I guess, if you pay them, but he didn't specify the breed of dog. Why on earth would someone in an apartment want a pit bull? Sounds like you may be living in a terrible neighborhood/apartment if you need pit bulls and rottweilers.
None of us can answer this question for you. Your landlord and their insurance company are the ones to answer it. Weight and breed limits often stem from insurance coverage. Rottweilers and pitbulls are clumped into the bully breeds (many times unfairly, but that's how it is). If someone in your building has a pitbull, you really have no way of knowing if that dog has been approved by your landlord and I wouldn't make it the basis of your argument. Best of luck. Dogs are truly masterful healers of the heart.
I'm really sorry but it honestly wouldn't be fair to have such a large dog in an apartment... In my dog breeds book it says they need 4/4 for living space and it just wouldn't be fair... Also, rotweilers are extremely territorial and if it decided the Chihuahua is taking up space that'll be the end of the mini sweetie... Rottie's aren't easy breed for first time dog owners and if you WERE to get one eventually you should get a nice calm one that needs re homing when you are in a HOUSE... If you are a first time Rottie oner and took on a puppy, well your screwed and the puppy too because you wouldn't have enough experience to train and dominate him... I'm sorry but a few other suggestions more suitable: Italian Greyhound; these dogs are miniaturised versions of Greyhounds and need minimal grooming, feeding and living space. They only need a mall amount of exercise a day... one hour walk maybe?? Pug: Minimal attention for everything, truly good pet!! Teacup Yorkshire Terrier: Mini version of the Yorkie and cute as!! Affectionate too... I really truly hope I helped and I actually beg you not too get the Rottie for reasons I have stated below... Thorn... xxx
I don't understand why, if you're on a fixed income you are looking at AKC registered dogs...when they're so much more expensive than mixed breeds. Not to mention, Rottweiler's have aggressive and unpredictable temperments...which is NOT suitable for dwellings where so many other 'strangers' will be around. I hate to say this, but you're totally disregarding the rules and regulations of the apartment complex. The rules say "one dog per house" and yet you want two. The regulations stipulate a "50 pound weight limit" and yet you want to get ANOTHER dog that well exceeds that weight limit. Management is already willing to work with you on allowing you to have two dogs...the least you could do is to get one that isn't so big...or aggressive. There are MANY options. You're also not taking the dog into consideration...for starters...you could pick a smaller breed that would be content being penned up in an apartment most of the time...
If your Doctor says you need a special use dog You qualify for one free of charge if you need one. These dogs are specially trained to assist you in many ways & it takes about 2 years to train them. This is the definition of a Therapy Dog. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Therapy_dog This describes a Service Dog http://www.dogsforthedisabled.org/ A service dog is what you need, not a therapy dog. But you have to qualify for one. Just because your doctor says you need a dog is not enough. You have be disabled to qualify for one. http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=free%20service%20dogs Look up "Service dogs in _________," type in the name of your city or state. If you got a Rott puppy now for a service dog it would not be a service dog for another 3 years. It would need to grow up & it will need special training. (2 years) I hope I was able to show the difference & make you aware of your right if you are disabled.
A "therapy dog" is a specially trained pet dog that visits nursing homes, hospitals and schools by invitation to help with the healing process. What you describe here is not a "therapy dog". What you are describing is known as an "Emotional Support Animal" or ESA. The key points to having an ESA are that you must have a determination from your doctor that the animal will help you with your condition, and that the request for such allowances and accommodations be "reasonable" under the terms set forth by the Fair Housing Access Act (FHAA). If the management deems that it is not "reasonable" to have a Rottweiler (or any other large breed dog) as an ESA in a small apartment, then there will be no Rottweilers (or any other large breed dogs) in the apartment. If you truly need an ESA for a mental/emotional condition, I suggest a small breed, which is usually best. Then you will not have any issues with the "reasonable" clause in the FHAA. Also remember that you have no public access rights with an ESA, as an ESA is not legally termed a service dog.
they are allowing you to have a second dog for your depression.. that doesnt mean they have to bend the rules farther to allow a large dog. I think you still have to follow their weight/breed restrictions. If a breeder is "cheaper" then rescue then I would NOT use this breeder. rescue dogs are also fully vetted.. your "cheap" puppy will still need at least $500-600 in vet care to get all his shots, worming, spay/neuter, etc.
First of all, what you're describing is an emotional support dog, not a therapy dog. You need to meet the legal definition of "disabled" in order to qualify for an emotional support animal because you'd be requesting a reasonable accommodation to have it. No disability = no reasonable accommodation. No reasonable accommodation = no emotional support animal. I find it very hard to believe that the only dog in your price range is an AKC registered rottie. This hardly seems like a reasonable accommodation to me. They do not have to allow any dog you choose. The request needs to be reasonable. Any dog can provide emotional support. You'll have the burden of proving why the dog you have now can't provide the emotional support you claim to need.
What we are talking about is *reasonable* accommodation, not any accommodation requested. Is it reasonable for them to limit the size of a dog you don't have yet? Sure. Because emotional support can come from a dog of any size. Their size limitation would not be a barrier to accommodating you. Please be aware that AKC registration actually says nothing about the quality of the breeder or of the dogs they produce. Puppy mills often have AKC registered pups. If health is a concern, look for pups from parents that have health certifications, specifically OFA certifications for hips and elbows and CERF for eyes. A breeder who does not routinely get these certificates for their breeding stock (the sire and dam), is not a good breeder. If this breeder charges less than an adoption fee of $150 or so, then again, it's not a good breeder and you can reasonably expect greater veterinary expenses over the course of the dog's life as a result of poor breeding.