Hi Salt Water Cowboy,
If you look at the map below, during rush hour you obviously get traffic on 9th Avenue, coming from downtown. It usually moves at a decent pace and pretty much every car is heading to 19th street so they can turn left and get to Deerfoot.
I know Blackfoot can be fairly slow going during rush hour, and if I'm coming that way, I usually turn off at Alyth road. The only time I'm coming home on Blackfoot during rush hour is when I go to the gym (Lindsay Park/Talisman Centre). If I do this, it probably takes about 15-20 minutes, as opposed to the 7 or 8 minutes it takes me when there's no traffic.
The other option that people sometimes forget about is that you can take Memorial out of downtown, and go across the Zoo bridge into Inglewood.
I really like this part of Inglewood because you're so isolated from the traffic. As you can see on the map there's nowhere for anyone to cut through, they'll either hit the river or the wildlands park/bird sanctuary. This area is extremely quiet and has very few cars. You'll only see traffic from people who live here. However, when you want access to Deerfoot, it's a simple matter of turning right on 19th street and driving across the river, very convenient.
Regarding the pets, I don't have any, but pets are allowed as long as they are under a certain weight, I think it's 30 or 40 pounds? Basically, no large dogs, just small to medium sized ones.
Many people in the complex have dogs, as Inglewood is probably one of the most dog friendly communities, especially in the inner city.
If you'd like to come check the place out, or have any other questions, just let me know, it's available for viewing any time.
Chris