It is a New York broker's nightmare. The perfect buyer emerges from the fog of the uncertain real-estate market, willing and able -- even eager -- to put hard cash down on a classic Upper East Side apartment with a multimillion-dollar price tag.

Only one problem stands in the way: a King Charles spaniel with fluffy ears. Or maybe a Yorkshire terrier named Max or Princess.

It happened to Robby Browne, a broker for Corcoran Group, when he put a $5 million, three-bedroom condo with a balcony and terrace on the market last year. Mr. Browne was forced to turn away a stream of would-be buyers who counted their pets as members of the family. This included a couple with a King Charles, which typically weigh no more than 18 pounds and stand 13 inches tall at most. An exception would not be made.

'Two-thirds of the calls [seeking information] were turned away because of pets,' Mr. Browne said. 'No-pet policies cost the sellers money in any market.'

Dogs ownership has climbed in New York City in the past decade as middle-class families have returned from the suburbs in significant numbers and brought Rover with them. Much of the city, in turn, has become more dog-friendly. But as the real-estate market attempts to regain its footing, some are finding that old anti-dog biases are hard to break.

'Buildings fight tooth and nail over dogs,' said Steven Wagner, a real-estate lawyer who represents many co-op and condo boards.

Last year, Michele Kleier, a broker and president of Gumley Haft Kleier, put a Fifth Avenue duplex on the market in a building with a strict no-pet policy. The family-size apartment was listed for more than $6 million, she said. But 23 of 26 potential buyers were turned away because they owned dogs or cats.

'We had no one to show it to, and the owner took the apartment off the market,' said Ms. Kleier. 'One of the worst things a building can do is have a no-pet policy.'

One prospective buyer, Annie Schulhof, recently looked at an apartment on East 70th Street. but decided to look elsewhere when she learned the building set both a weight limit and required a bond for dogs. 'My dog is a member of the family,' said Ms. Schulhof.

Some older co-ops and condos have abandoned" target="_blank" title="a.被抛弃的；无约束的">abandoned anti-dog policies in the face of legal challenges from dog owners.

In January, the board of Penn South, a 15-building, limited-income co-op development with 2,820 apartments, voted to abandon a no-dog policy dating back nearly 50 years. Instead, it agreed to allow one dog per apartment with adult weights of less than 80 pounds or two dogs weighing up to 30 pounds each.

A few years ago, the residents had narrowly rejected a plan to allow dogs. But Naomi Goldstein, communications director at Penn South, said the board reversed the policy to avoid continued spending on legal fees to battle pet owners.

Some newly constructed condos try taking a middle line, welcoming pets but under restrictive conditions. That might mean only certain breeds of dogs or those weighing less than 20 pounds are allowed.

Still, most co-op boards that ban dogs are unlikely to drop their no-pet policies. 'I am not seeing much flexibility,' said Stuart Saft, a co-op and condo lawyer. 'Boards are not changing their rules because the market is a little soft.'

Mr. Saft added that any significant change in pet restrictions will have to come from the City Council, the state Legislature or the courts. 'It is not a problem for the co-op or condo boards,' he said. 'It is a problem for the people who are trying to sell.'

Josh Barbanel

• uncertain [ʌn´sə:tn] a.不定的；不可靠的 (初中英语单词)
• willing [´wiliŋ] a.情愿的，乐意的 (初中英语单词)
• apartment [ə´pɑ:tmənt] n.一套房间 (初中英语单词)
• stream [stri:m] n.河 vi.流出；飘扬 (初中英语单词)
• exception [ik´sepʃən] n.例外；反对，异议 (初中英语单词)
• lawyer [´lɔ:jə] n.律师；法学家 (初中英语单词)
• elsewhere [,elsweə] ad.在别处；向别处 (初中英语单词)
• abandon [ə´bændən] vt.抛弃，放弃，离弃 (初中英语单词)
• director [di´rektə] n.指导者；....长；导演 (初中英语单词)
• classic [´klæsik] a.第一流的 n.杰作 (高中英语单词)
• terrace [´terəs] n.梯田 vt.使成梯田 (高中英语单词)
• decade [´dekeid] n.十年(间) (高中英语单词)
• significant [sig´nifikənt] a.重要的；意义重大的 (高中英语单词)
• regain [ri´gein] vt.收回；恢复 (高中英语单词)
• finding [´faindiŋ] n.发现物；判断；结果 (高中英语单词)
• strict [strikt] a.严厉的；精确的 (高中英语单词)
• potential [pə´tenʃəl] n.&a.潜在的；可能的 (高中英语单词)
• decided [di´saidid] a.明显的；决定的 (高中英语单词)
• learned [´lə:nid] a.有学问的，博学的 (高中英语单词)
• seeing [si:iŋ] see的现在分词 n.视觉 (高中英语单词)
• nightmare [´naitmeə] n.梦魇；恶梦 (英语四级单词)
• broker [´brəukə] n.经纪人，掮客 (英语四级单词)
• balcony [´bælkəni] n.阳台；(戏院的)楼厅 (英语四级单词)
• ownership [´əunəʃip] n.所有权；所有制 (英语四级单词)
• policy [´pɔlisi] n.政策；权谋；保险单 (英语四级单词)
• prospective [prə´spektiv] a.预期的；未来的 (英语四级单词)
• legislature [´ledʒisleitʃə] n.立法机关 (英语四级单词)
• trying [´traiiŋ] a.难堪的；费劲的 (英语四级单词)
• fluffy [´flʌfi] a.绒毛似的 (英语六级单词)
• middle-class [´midlmæn] a.中产阶级的 (英语六级单词)
• footing [´futiŋ] n.立脚点；基础；地位 (英语六级单词)
• abandoned [ə´bændənd] a.被抛弃的；无约束的 (英语六级单词)
• narrowly [´nærəuli] ad.勉强地；严密地 (英语六级单词)
• taking [´teikiŋ] a.迷人的 n.捕获物 (英语六级单词)
• unlikely [ʌn´laikli] a.不像的；未必可能的 (英语六级单词)