Haha....not in the middle of the night I don't, I get far too hot! Luckily, even though we have houses next to and backing on to our garden, I can't be seen if I stand at the conservatory doer. : )

I genuinely believe that any dog can live happily in a flat with the correct care/exercise etc, which clearly the dogs in this article didn't have.

I'm currently living in a ground floor flat, and while I plan on being moved out by next spring, I will only be moving to a small house with a small garden and I still plan on adding a third dog ( large breed ) to my little pack then also.

It's nice to see so many of us in favour of dogs being kept perfectly well in flats sad that rescues rarely believe that though as there would be a lot of people who would be happy to give an home to a dog if the rescues would see flats as an option.

I homecheck for a lot of rescues and they will rehome to someone in a flat if they are suitable.

That's good to hear, sadly the biggest just laugh in your face if you have no secure garden or live in a flat.

We live in a top (2nd floor, 3rd to Americans) floor flat with a communal, not-properly-fenced garden. We have three dogs: two are medium sized, one is large. This sounds pretty horrible, but the flat is a decent size (big enough so that they can have their own sofa in the living room, where they can look out the window) and we live right next to a canal walk, a short way (and a very annoying crossing) away from a huge park, and another short way away from a riverside walk. My husband works from home, and I don't work, so we have time to spend with the dogs and take them out and about.

I think it's down to each person to evaluate whether you have the space and the time for any kind of dog at all-- little dogs may only need small beds, but they still need a lot of space. Of course, people make truly terrible decisions (a guy I knew adopted a Rottweiler who had been kept in a high-rise flat and *never let out of the close ever*-- that was one messed-up dog before he got hold of him) but it's usually down to ignorance. They get dogs without understanding what the dogs are going to need. If you do understand, and you are able to provide the space and the attention and the walkies, then I think it's fine if you live in a flat.

That said, we are actively looking for a house with a big garden. Old Dog can be carried up the stairs if need be, but Big Dog is coming up for seven and I can't even lift him, so top floor is getting less and less ideal.

That's biggest problem we have ever had having dogs in a flat, all our others I could carry but I can't even get Mollie off the ground. Have a sling thing to help her up the stairs we use sometimes, but not sure what we will do when she can't manage altogether.

The sling things are great. We had one to help Old Dog after his heart operation-- he was very weak for a while, and though I can carry him, he's big enough (and I've only got short little arms) that it wasn't really comfortable for him to be carried. Brilliant, and very easy and reassuring for a dog struggling with stairs. I've seen people out in the park with them too.

That's great. We had a guy come out from the rescue organisation for Big Dog. He was happy with us and our flat-- and so is Big Dog, so all is well.