Finding a Home for Fido

By Kerrie Kennedy

If you’re in the market for a new condo, you probably have at least a couple of items on your wish list, whether it’s garage parking, a balcony, a home office or a guest room.

But if you happen to own a dog (or two), you might find that nothing on your wish list matters as much as this one: Finding a building that is pet-friendly.

“It’s a huge issue for buyers,” confirms Prudential real estate agent Chad Duda. “Most of them think of their pets as part of their family.”

Unfortunately, says Duda, many buyers are surprised to find out that quite a few buildings in the city aren’t exactly “family-friendly”—especially when your “family” includes large animals that bark.

“A lot of older high-rises have a no-pet policy that even excludes cats,” Duda says.

In fact, says Chicago Aquarium clerk Thai Tran, some buildings even go so far as to restrict fish (well, fish tanks). Leaking fish tanks, while rare, are a serious enough matter to compel some condo boards to outlaw them. Apparently, 55 gallons of leaking water is no laughing matter.

But the pets that handicap buyers the most are dogs—and the bigger the dog, the bigger the handicap.

“A lot of buildings that do allow dogs have weight restrictions,” Duda says. “I recently had a client who had to bring his dog to the condo board for an interview. They had a weight restriction and wanted to see the dog for themselves.”

In fact, dog owners might just want to steer clear of larger high-rise buildings altogether, especially those in Lakeview and the Gold coast, says Duda.

“Most of those buildings have dog restrictions of some sort,” he says.

Even if your dog meets the weight restrictions imposed by a larger condo building (usually no more than 45 pounds), he or she might have to pass another kind of test: Behavior.

“I once had a listing at a co-op where they interviewed the dog,” says Millie Rosenbloom, broker associate for Baird & Warner. “They were looking for a well-behaved dog.”

According to Rosenbloom, many of these large condo and co-op buildings have legitimate concerns when it comes to pets.

“Your dog is probably going to be sharing the elevator with a lot of people who don’t want dogs sniffing at them or jumping up on them,” Rosenbloom says. “Dogs who live in high-rise buildings need to be properly trained.”

Smaller buildings, especially new construction and rehabs, tend to be good bets for dog owners, says Duda. Besides the fact that they usually don’t have dog restrictions, smaller buildings offer buyers more opportunities for outdoor space, including decks, side yards and courtyards. Plus, they’re usually no more than two or three flights away from the great outdoors, an important feature when you’re training a puppy.

But smaller condo buildings aren’t the only game in town if you own a dog. If you don’t want to sacrifice the convenience of a doorman building, Duda suggests you head to the South Loop, Printer’s Row or River North.

“For some reason, these locations have always been very dog-friendly,” Duda says. “They’re great options for someone who has a dog and really wants to be in a larger building.”

If you don’t have a dog, however, you may want to proceed with caution.

“It’s certainly something you need to consider,” agrees Duda. “I had a listing in a South Loop building recently and when I walked down the hallway, I could hear all these sad little dog noises coming from behind the owners’ doors. If a buyer hates pets, I try to send them in a different direction. And if they’re buying new construction, I warn them that pets will probably be part of the package.”

For pet-owners, however, such pet-friendly buildings come with an added bonus: New friends for Fido.

Pet Friendly Projects around Town

Bluewater 5440. Located at the site of the former Lakeside Motel in Edgewater, buyers at this new construction project have the option of exercising their dog at the building’s dog run or at the Foster Avenue or Hollywood beaches, both nearby. Construction is set to begin late this year and first move-ins are slated for 2010. Prices begin at $180,000.

Opera Lofts. Like many South Loop projects, Opera Lofts—the former storage facility for the Lyric Opera located at 2455 S. Dearborn—is a pet-friendly project that features a substantial dog run. Prices start at $249,000.

1720 S. Michigan. Construction is nearly complete and 59 condominium residences remain for sale at this 498-unit building. Building amenties include a fully-staffed 24-hour doorman, a common-access garden area, a six-level heated garage and a large dog run. Condo units begin at $198,000.

Cornelia Court. This 63-unit development, located at 3001 W. Cornelia in Roscoe Village, features extra-wide two-, three- and four-bedroom townhomes priced from $490,900. A one-acre dog park surrounds the development. Cornelia Court also features a new 10,650-square-foot private park nestled within the 2.4-acre development.

The Huron. Located at 4 E. Huron, this 47-unit luxury boutique condominium high-rise, which debuted in November, features a luxurious covered dog run, perfect for those rainy days when you don’t want to go out. Prices for condos start at $992,000.

Edgebrook Glen. Perfect for large dog owners, this development of 64 luxury single-family homes sits on an 11-acre site that adjoins the western border of the Indian Woods Forest Preserve in the Edgebrook/Forest Glen neighborhoods. Homes are priced in the $700,000s.

—Kerrie Kennedy