Are American Bullies Good for Apartments? 10 Tips For a Happy Bully
If you are planning to get an American Bully and you are asking whether he can live with you in your apartment or not, you have come to the right place.
Are American Bullies good for apartments? American Bullies can be good for apartments if the apartment fits them. They’re energetic, so they need to live in a space that’s big enough for them to move freely without feeling confined. You need to establish an appropriate schedule for them, including their training, exercises, and nutrition
Continue reading to learn more about whether American Bullies are good for apartments and how to keep your Bully happy in an apartment.
Are American Bullies Good for Apartments?

When you decide to get an American Bully in your apartment, you must ask yourself some questions, such as:
- Does the apartment have enough space to fit the presence of an American Bully?
- Will you be able to handle the American Bully’s high energy levels?
- Will you be able to give the American Bully enough time for all its needs?
- Are you even allowed to have your Bully in the apartment? Does your landlord allow it? Does the neighborhood or community allow it?
If your answer to these questions is “Yes,” then it should be fine to keep your American Bully in the apartment.
American Bullies are a smart and obedient breed. They love to be told what to do by their owners. So, you can easily train them on everything you need them to know and do so that they will be comfortable with living in an apartment.
However, if you are a busy person and don’t have enough time to spend with your dog, then an American bully is totally not recommended in the apartment in this case.
American Bullies are super energetic, and they love spending most of their time with their owners. So, if they don’t get enough exercise and quality time with their owners, they will develop destructive behaviors and be unstable mentally and physically.
So, if you want to keep an American Bully in your apartment, you have to establish a special schedule to meet their physical and mental needs, including their exercise, training, and nutrition.
How to Keep Your American Bully Happy in An Apartment?

Here are some things you need to take into consideration if you want to keep your American Bully happy in an apartment.
Exercise
American bullies require a lot of exercise because they are so energetic. Their energy needs to be released frequently to prevent any destructive behaviors such as chewing and biting your furniture, doors, and anything in your house.
If you cannot take your American Bully outside the apartment to exercise, then you need to find a way to exercise it inside. It’s recommended to exercise your American Bully for at least 60 minutes a day. You can break down the exercise sessions into 20 minutes 3 times a day.
Socialization
You need to socialize your American Bully when it’s young to prevent it from developing any problems that would affect its behavior inside the apartment. Socialization will help your dog adapt to being in new environments and make it feel less isolated.
You need to expose the dog to new people, pets, sounds, and smells around the apartment building every day. For example, you need to expose your dog to the elevators if there are any, as most dogs get scared of entering them. Whenever your dog gets scared, try to comfort them by hugging it and talking with it in a soft tone.
Mental stimulation
American Bullies require mental exercises as much as physical ones. Let them do mental activities every day to maintain their intelligence and keep them busy from any destructive behavior that could be developed out of boredom.
You can provide the dog with mental stimulation by giving them some puzzle toys to play with. Here’s an excellent one that my dogs love very much:
My Pitbulls absolutely love this board puzzle toy here from Amazon that comes in different designs and intensity levels. It will allow the dog to interact with different knobs and sliders as well as multiple open flaps to find hidden treats.
Making a designated space
It’s better to set specific areas in your apartment where your American Bully is allowed to walk freely, while the other areas are forbidden. That will keep the dog well-behaved in the apartment and not cause any kind of a mess, especially before it’s trained.
The dog’s designated space should be big enough to fit all of the dog’s supplies, such as its crate, food and water bowls, toys, etc. You can learn more about how to make this space suitable for your dog here.
The dog will be allowed to enter and live in specific areas, and eventually, when it gets trained and well-behaved, you can allow it to access other areas if you want.
Crate-training
Crate training is very important for your American Bully, especially if you are a person who goes out a lot, as you will need to leave him in the crate while you are out without him being upset or stressed.
You need to train the dog to feel comfortable and protected inside the crate. Try to place some of the dog’s favorite food and toys inside the crate, and eventually, he will get used to it and feel like it’s his territory.
Potty-training
Potty training is essential training once you get an American Bully, especially if you live in a closed space like an apartment.
You don’t want him to mess around your home. So, you have to determine the area where you want your dog to pee and train him to go there whenever he needs to.
Train them to walk on a leash
Training your American Bully to walk on a leash will make it easy for you to walk with him on the street without him misbehaving and pulling you while walking.
First, put the dog on the leash, and walk for a short distance. Make sure you have some treats with you whenever you’re going out on walks.
Next, call the dog’s name and let it look at you to see the treat, and then take a few steps back and let him come to you. When the dog comes to you, reward him with a treat.
Repeat this many times until he understands how to walk on a leash in the right way without pulling you or walking in front of you.
Train them to be quiet
If your American Bully barks a lot and makes noises, it won’t be able to stay in an apartment.
Luckily, the dog’s barking is controllable. You can train your American Bully to be quiet, when to bark and when not to.
However, don’t yell at your dog when it makes noises. American Bullies can be so stubborn if you act aggressively toward them. Instead, figure out what’s causing the dog to bark and solve the problem.
Keep the apartment clean
Try to keep the apartment clean to protect your American Bully and stop it from developing any health problems.
Keeping the apartment clean will also help prevent any unpleasant odors from building up and improve the dog’s mood so it won’t become depressed or act out. Regular vacuuming is also crucial to control your Bully’s shedding.
Change things up
Every now and then, you should change things up in your American Bully’s environment so it wouldn’t get bored or depressed from staying in the apartment all day long.
You can take your American Bully with you when traveling. It can boost his mental health and definitely will strengthen the bond between you both.
You can learn more about living with your American Bully in my guide to having a Bully for the first-time here, so make sure to check it out as the guidelines and tips there will be very helpful.
Are American Bullies Allowed In Apartments?

Many landlords ban owners from keeping American Bullies in apartments as they have a reputation for being aggressive and causing trouble.
However, there are some landlords who would allow American Bullies in apartments as long as they’re registered and sterilized.
Make sure to check in with your landlord about rules for keeping American Bullies in the apartment. You also need to check if the state or country you live in has any laws about keeping American Bullies.
Where Is It Illegal to Have American Bullies in Apartments?
If you live in the United States, here’s a list of all the states that have bans or regulations against American Bullies:
- Washington
- Kansas
- Michigan
- Alabama
- Oregon
- Iowa
- Indiana
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Missouri
- Ohio
- North Carolina
- Montana
- Arkansas
- West Virginia
- South Carolina
- North Dakota
- New Mexico
- Kentucky
- Maryland
- Wyoming
- Louisiana
- Tennessee
- Delaware
- Nebraska
- Wisconsin
- Mississippi
- Vermont
Meanwhile, if you’re traveling abroad, here’s a list of all the countries that have bans or regulations against American Bullies:
- Belgium
- Finland
- The Netherlands
- Poland
- Brazil
- France
- New Zealand
- Sweden
- Denmark
- Canada (certain provinces)
- Norway
- Puerto Rico
However, it’s not enough to know that your Bully is allowed legally in the apartment to get one, you must also make sure your Landlord is onboard with you getting a bully in the apartment. Otherwise, you may get into trouble.
You can learn how to discuss, negotiate, and even convince your Landlord and community that your Bully is safe in my guide to living with a Pit Bull Terrier in the apartment here as the same rules and guidelines apply to Bullies as they do for Pit Bulls (since American Bullies are Still part of the Pit Bull Terrier family).
Related Questions
Can You Hide An American Bully In Your Apartment?
You cannot hide an American Bully in your apartment. If American Bullies are not allowed in your apartment building, and your landlord doesn’t give you permission to keep one, then you will face serious legal consequences if you try to hide the dog behind the landlord’s back.
Which Dog Breed Are Suitable for Living in Apartments?
Some of the dog breeds that are suitable for living in apartments are Beagles, Pugs, Shih Tzus, Boston Terriers, Biewer terriers, Mini Poodles, and Chihuahuas. That is because these dog breeds can adapt well to living in a small space, and they’re not too energetic.
How Long Can You Leave An American Bully Alone In An Apartment?
You can leave an American Bully alone in an apartment for 4 to 6 hours at the most. If the dog is young and untrained, then you shouldn’t leave it alone for longer than 2 hours. If you leave your dog alone for too long, it will develop separation anxiety and behave destructively.
Helpful Resources
Breed Restrictions: What Should You Know When Renting with Pets?
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