Cane Corso puppy

[Jon Lafferty]

Hi all,

I have a great tenant who has been requesting I allow them to get a dog. I have decided to go ahead and allow them to get a dog as I believe it will create a 'home' like environment. These tenants pay the rent early, take care of the home and are just generally good people. I said they would need to sign an addendum to our lease to reference pets and the tenants responsibility for any damages caused by the pet and they had no issues. Since I told them I could not allow any dogs on my insurance deny coverage list I really expected them to come back with a small breed dog. They want a cane corso! From what I can see this seems like a docile large breed dog but I am nervous about damages. This is a small 3/1 1100 Sq Ft home.

Thoughts?

Should I have asked for more in the monthly rent? Did I just destroy my chance at profit due to animal destruction?

Thanks

[Jeffrey Stasz]

I've dealt with a LOT of dogs in my life (like well over 300) as an owner, trainer and bird hunter. And in my experience big dogs are way less headache than little dogs. They bark less, they destroy fewer things and are generally easier all around (with the exception of rescue pitbulls). 

Here is what I would recommend: Ask them to enroll in a reputable dog obedience class. The kind where the owners and dog go together. Most new dog owners have no idea how to train a puppy and the information available online is all over the map, and frankly, its not the dog that needs training, it's the new owners that need help. Taking a class with a legit trainer will teach them a lot about how to handle a dog, how to keep it from destroying your house and make life easier on everyone overall. (sorry about the bold I can't turn it off) 

Classes last anywhere from 6 - 12 weeks and the AKC maintains a list of classes and certified trainers on their website. In my opinion, that would be a better use of funds then asking for an extra $30/month. It will mean you have a well trained animal, happy tenants and a little piece of mind (no one robs houses with dogs).  

Hope that helps. And I am obviously pro-dog.