Can Australian Shepherds Be Indoor Dogs?(+Training Tips)

The compact body, heavy bodyweight, muscular figure, and furry coat make Australian Shepherds the best pets to have. But that’s not all! They are also highly intelligent, easy to train, and show affection to their owners. Keeping all these abilities in mind, these dogs can be the ideal pets.

But, do Australian Shepherds make good indoor dogs? Yes, Australian Shepherds make good indoor dogs. But, they are working dogs and need a lot of exercise and training to satisfy their instincts and prevent excess barking behavior. If you keep the Australian Shepherd inside the house, make sure to train and exercise it consistently.

Let’s talk more about the consequences that come with keeping Australian Shepherds indoors and how you can tackle them.

Can Aussies Be Inside Dogs?

Aussies that are kept as family pets are ideal inside dogs. But, all Australian Shepherds were originally trained to be working dogs, and that’s why they need excessive training and exercise.

So, keeping an Aussie as an inside dog doesn’t mean it will stay in the house all day. You have to take it out for a walk and exercise it to help it release the pent-up energy and satisfy its instincts.

If you don’t do so, your Aussie will become aggressive, and in such cases, excessive barking is the most common outcome.

Can Aussies Be Apartment Dogs?

Although Australian Shepherds aren’t meant to be apartment dogs, you can make your Aussie adapted to apartment life by ensuring regular exercise and training.

The traits of affection and intelligence in Aussies can help them live in apartments. But, they are active and playful at the same time. So, you’ll need to keep a check on their physical and mental stimulation to make them apartment dogs.

Also, if you live in an apartment, a better idea is to choose a small Aussie instead of going with a large dog due to their requirement of a large space to live.

Do Australian Shepherds Get Bored Indoors?

Being active dogs with a playful nature and lots of energy, Australian Shepherds can get bored indoors if they don’t find a way to release their energy and play. While Aussies can stay indoors, they are best suited for athletic families that enjoy outdoor activities and sports.

If you keep your dog occupied in a limited space inside the house, it won’t be able to play or exercise. In such conditions, not only Aussies but every other dog will get bored and show laziness and aggression.

So, it’s essential to keep track of your Aussie’s physical activities and ensure regular exercises to prevent it from getting bored when kept inside the house.

How To Keep An Australian Shepherd In An Apartment?

If you’re afraid of keeping an Australian Shepherd in an apartment, here are all the tips that can help your dog adapt to apartment life easily.

Ensure daily walks

Long walks once a day in the neighborhood can definitely help your Aussie get rid of all the energy.

These walking sessions also help you bond with your dog and help it socialize. As you cannot walk inside the apartment, the neighborhood or road can be the best option.

Ideally, you can race with your dog to make it excited and happy!

But, make sure your daily walking routine doesn’t mess up. Fix a time for these walks, and never ever skip a day!

Take it to the dog park

If you have a dog park near your apartment, it’s a bonus for your Aussie! Dog parks are the best places to train your dog, exercise it, and let it use all the pent-up energy.

So, make sure to avail this opportunity and take your Aussie out in the park daily. In this way, your dog will not only play and run around, but it will also get to explore the environment.

If your area has other dogs as well, you can make them friends with your Aussie and let them play together.

Give it puzzle toys

While physical activities are essential for Australian Shepherds, mental stimulation needs the same attention.

Apart from ensuring regular walks and playtimes in the dog park, you should also find a way to keep your Aussie busy when inside the house.

Dog puzzles come in handy here! You can buy some puzzle toys for your Australian Shepherd to play with when inside the apartment. As Aussies are intelligent dogs, they love to solve puzzles and win rewards at the end!

Train it not to bark

If you don’t train your Australian Shepherd not to bark, you’ll be disturbing your neighbors, and you might be thrown out of the apartment.

As Aussies can develop excessive barking behavior when they feel alone or don’t find ways to release their energy, it’s essential to follow the steps mentioned above. You can also teach your Australian Shepherd some commands and implement them whenever it barks.

In this way, your dog will learn to keep its barking behavior under control.

How To Keep An Australian Shepherd In A House?

Keeping an Australian Shepherd in a house is quite similar to keeping one in an apartment. While you can implement those tips for Aussies living in an apartment, here are some additional tips for keeping them in a house.

Exercise it regularly

Exercising your Australian Shepherd is the best solution to keep it busy inside the house. However, it will also require attention from your side.

Ideally, Aussies need at least one hour of training daily to keep them physically stimulated. You can make it exercise in the house and reward it with treats to encourage positive reinforcement.

Train it to stay off the furniture

Although sitting on the couch or bed is not bad for dogs, some owners don’t like their dogs leaving the fur on the furniture. Australian Shepherds are large dogs, and just like any other dog, they can leave fur when on the couch.

If you don’t like this, train your Aussie to stay off the furniture by using commands and rewarding it. It’s also necessary that you provide your Australian Shepherd with its own comfy place, like a fluffy dog bed.

Play hide-and-seek

Playing hide-and-seek with your Australian Shepherd inside the house is an excellent idea to provide it with mental and physical stimulation.

As Aussies like to use their mind and solve tricks, they will keep finding you around the house as you run from them. In this way, they will also release their energy.

Such games can also help you strengthen the bond with your Aussie.

Train it

When keeping Australian Shepherds in a house, you have to train them to get along with other people in the house. Also, it’s essential that your dog behaves like a good boy when some guests come over.

So, you should pay attention to its training and obedience sessions, which are also an excellent way of keeping it occupied.

Related Post: Are Australian Shepherds Good With Cats/Dogs?

Final Words

While Australian Shepherds can live in houses and apartments, this lifestyle also comes with terms and conditions. Ideally, you have to train your Aussie for indoor life and provide it with excessive physical and mental stimulation as you would provide outdoors.

Only in this way, your Aussie will be able to adapt to indoor life and won’t show aggression.