Q: I have a 1 year old, mixed breed, pup named "Peaches". She is a small dog (32 pounds) but the problem is we are moving from a house with yard to a 2nd floor apartment with balcony. She will still be walked often by my grandson, but since I have arthritis, the stairs are a problem for me. What I am concerned about is this: if I put her out on the balcony is there any type product (such as litter boxes for cats) that will help in case she relieves herself there? I am sure the people underneath would not appreciate this!!! Worrying in advance and thanking you for any help.

A: It's a shame you're going to have to deal with stairs, considering the arthritis. I wish you could find a first-floor apartment! Seriously, moving into this situation will not only create a problem for your dog, but also increase the degree to which your arthritis will disable you from leading a full life.

Thirty-two pounds is a bit big for a dog to use a litter box. Chances are, the neighbors would not be happy about the odors. You'll have to make sure the methods used for cleaning are absolutely right, and are done very frequently (which also means somebody running up and down the steps to dispose of the garbage this will create). No one wants to be walking to or from their car and smell dog poop. The urine smell could become very penetrating, and linger even after you have moved away, unless it is handled just right.

Another problem with her being on a balcony is that dogs frequently fall from them. You'd probably have to make some modifications to the fencing to make it secure for a dog, and apartment complexes take varying views of this. For her to be out there alone, you would also have to make sure she had adequate shelter from heat, cold, sun, rain and other weather elements. And any barking or other noise she made would be profoundly disturbing to neighbors.

You could make a special box for her--something the size of a cat litter box would be too small--or perhaps even set up a box of grass sod. But again, being on the second floor makes this a problem, unless the balcony is huge.

I wish I could give you some great practical solutions, but I think this situation is going to be quite difficult. I hope you can work something out to make it better.