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Renting with a big dog — landlords keep saying no

Jake Miller ⭐ Helpful member
24 Aug 2026, 18:36

ok so moose is a 40kg mountain dog mix with the soul of a lapdog and the body of a small horse. every landlord in guadalajara takes one look at his photo and says no, even for places that say "pet friendly". pet friendly apparently means one tiny chihuahua

we're on a short-term place that ends in november. anyone had luck renting with a big dog? what worked?

4 replies

Diego Fernandez 🏆 Community expert
24 Aug 2026, 19:16

Jake, the pet CV I described in Fatou's thread worked for us with a large dog too. A few photos of him being calm at home, a reference from a previous landlord, his training certificate if he has one, and an offer to meet the landlord with the dog. The meeting was what won them over. Once they saw how calm he was, the size stopped mattering.

Anna Kowalski 🏆 Community expert
25 Aug 2026, 13:31

Houses rather than flats were our breakthrough. Private owners with a garden were far more open than agencies managing a building full of neighbours, and they were often happy to meet the dog first.

Jake Miller ⭐ Helpful member
27 Aug 2026, 03:37

the meet-the-landlord move is genius. moose is excellent in person, terrible in photos. houses with a yard, noted

Carla Romano ⭐ Helpful member
29 Aug 2026, 14:10

A bigger deposit offered upfront helped us with a nervous dog. It shows you're serious, and it answers the landlord's real worry before they have to say it out loud.