The one I feel sorry for here is the dog. It is obviously not getting enough time and attention from the owner. I am in the process of renting an apartment in another state to be sort of a crash pad and second home, and am severely limited in what I can rent because I have a dog. (Eight pounds, house-trained, neutered, one year old.) My dog gets a lot of attention and time with me--long walks, play sessions, sit together on couch, etc. The longest I have ever left him alone is four and a half hours. If I have to be gone all day, I would board him in a dog day care, and if I had to be gone for an overnight, (like the tenant who was out all day, came home for an hour, and then went out until 3 am), I would board the dog or get a pet sitter. My only concern about when I rent an apartment for me and him, is that he will bark and disturb others. But he will not be left alone long enough for it to be a huge problem, I don't think, and I intend to communicate with my neighbors to make sure he is not disturbing anybody. I'm just thinking that maybe landlords could ask more detailed, searching questions, if they can legally do it, to at least get some idea of how much time the potential canine resident would be spending alone. If I were a landlord, I would keep it simple and just say, "No pets." But as a dog owner and potential tenant , I can't say how much I appreciate landlords who will take a chance on me and Bandit. And I don't mind paying a one-time pet fee, or a pet fee and slightly higher rent. I just look at it as part of the cost of dog ownership.