These dogs might love you but still wreck your shared living situation in record time.
You want the cute dog, the loyal dog, the smart dog. What you don’t want is the dog that gets you passive-aggressive texts from your roommate because it just barked through their Zoom interview and shredded the couch throw. Some dogs are just not built for shared walls, shared food, or shared patience. These breeds might thrive in a one-person bubble—but in roommate land, it gets messy.
1. Belgian Malinois will outwork your entire house and still be bored.
According to the American Belgian Malinois Club, this breed was designed for military-level tasks—not couch naps or small talk. They’re intense, obsessive, and need daily training sessions just to stay mentally balanced. When they don’t get that structure, they spiral into destruction or reactivity. Your roommate isn’t just dealing with a dog—they’re dealing with a canine tactical unit pacing the apartment waiting for orders. Miss one walk, and suddenly your throw pillows are evidence.
2. Chihuahuas pick favorites and make everyone else the enemy.
These dogs are tiny drama machines. As stated by the University of Helsinki’s aggression study, Chihuahuas rank near the top for human-directed aggression among all breeds. They’re loyal to one person and suspicious of everyone else. They don’t just bark—they threaten. They guard rooms, snap at strangers, and get loud every time a roommate walks in like it’s a hostile invasion. You might think it’s adorable until your third eviction notice.
3. Italian Greyhounds break easily and act like glass statues.
They’re sweet and affectionate, but their bones are thin and their tolerance for clumsiness is nonexistent. One wrong step from a roommate and you’ve got a fractured leg and a four-digit vet bill. They also shiver in light breezes, refuse to go outside in the cold, and treat loud laughter like an emotional attack. Your roommate walking too fast across hardwood floors could spark a full-blown crisis. They belong in quiet homes with padded furniture and drama-free people.
4. Shiba Inus act like your roommates don’t exist.
This is the dog version of the roommate who won’t make eye contact or acknowledge anyone else in the house. Shibas are independent, aloof, and completely unbothered by house rules. They’ll bolt through doors, ignore commands, and let out an actual scream if restrained. They’re clean and quiet with their favorite human, but that doesn’t translate into warmth for others. Your roommates may never bond with them. And if they try too hard, they’ll get the cold shoulder or worse.
5. Huskies have no indoor voice and zero respect for boundaries.
These dogs are beautiful chaos. They sing, they talk, they scream. And they do it whenever the mood strikes. Quiet time is not a concept Huskies acknowledge. They also open cabinets, escape fences, and treat crates like suggestions. Add in the fur, the energy, and the stubbornness, and your roommate will start asking how much longer you plan to live there. It’s not their fault. But you definitely brought the noise.
6. Tibetan Mastiffs have no interest in roommates or their social lives.
These dogs are ancient guardians, and they treat your apartment like it’s a fortress. Roommates entering at night? Suspicious. Delivery people? Enemies. Friends staying over? Not allowed. They’re massive, territorial, and wired to be in control of their surroundings. Most don’t care to be trained by anyone but their primary person, and even then, it’s conditional. Unless your roommates are ready to be background characters forever, this is a relationship-ending dog choice.
7. Akitas treat everyone who isn’t you like a possible threat.
Their loyalty runs deep, but their trust doesn’t. Akitas were bred as guard dogs, and they take that job seriously. They don’t do well with houseguests, new smells, or spontaneous movement. They watch everything. They don’t forget anything. Roommates who bring friends over or leave food on the counter may suddenly find themselves on the Akita’s no-fly list. And they don’t bark to warn. They act.
8. Cattle Dogs need jobs or they start bossing everyone around.
They’re not trying to be rude. They genuinely think they’re helping. But if a cattle dog doesn’t have something to do, it will assign itself tasks like herding your roommates into one room or guarding the fridge from “suspicious” sandwich behavior. These dogs are intense about boundaries and movement. Shared spaces confuse them. And roommates who try to pet them casually may get nipped—not aggressively, just professionally.
9. Pekingese pretend your roommates are peasants.
These dogs were once royalty, and they still act like it. They demand attention, space, and silence—on their own terms. Roommates who move too fast, laugh too loudly, or breathe in their direction get judged hard. They don’t want to play. They want to be worshipped. And if that doesn’t happen, they sulk or bark or leave little passive-aggressive presents on shared rugs. They’re not going to make friends. They’re going to rule the common areas.
10. Weimaraners will develop separation anxiety with or without your approval.
They’re velcro dogs, which sounds cute until you realize that includes panic howling, destructive chewing, and nonstop pacing when you’re in the shower. Now add in a few roommates who can’t tell if the dog is sad, bored, or just broken. These dogs need a stable, quiet environment and someone who’s always nearby. Rotating schedules and random guests don’t make them feel safe—they make them spiral.
11. Border Collies will try to run your house like it’s a ranch.
They can’t turn it off. These are working dogs with massive brains and way too much energy. If you don’t give them a job, they’ll find one—and it’s usually micro-managing your household. They’ll track roommate routines, react to every door opening, and try to out-strategize your weekend plans. They’re smart enough to open doors, hide your keys, and fake injuries for attention. Living with one is like rooming with a brilliant, twitchy, very bored project manager.
12. Dalmatians don’t settle down and don’t want your roommates near their stuff.
High energy doesn’t even begin to cover it. Dalmatians are alert, athletic, and famously territorial. They tend to bond hard with one or two people and get weird around others in their space. Especially if those people mess with their food, toys, or sleeping zones. If your roommate accidentally steps too close to their bed, they’re getting a side-eye or worse. These dogs need consistent structure—and shared living rarely delivers that.