[oot]

Hopefully I can word this so I don't offend anyone.

I only want those who own dogs and take them for a walk around the villages to answer this one. I don't want this thread to be another one about curbing your dog (go to the dog issues thread to comment on that one please).

So here is my question:

"Do you feel at ease when you take a walk with your pooch - or do you feel eyes watching your every move and find it uncomfortable to do so?"

I know there are wonderful dog parks in the area...but not everyone will take their dogs there and many still want to walk with their dog.

I had a wonderful Brittany who was my baby, but had many health issues (blind - diabetic, etc) near the end. He still loved to walk and smell the other poochies around the neighborhood. Yes, we tried to have him go in the yard, but sometimes accidents happen. We carried our baggies just in case and never felt uncomfortable taking him out. It will be one year coming up, and we still miss him so. We don't have a dog at this time (still a little hard for us to think about it).

There are many of us potential villagers which read TOTV to gain some knowledge before making a purchase. I know many have said not to worry, and others have had incidents with the neighbors. I also know that many want-2-b's would like an honest answer to this one. So come on all you people who have dogs - put in your answer - good or bad... Thanks in advance for your help!

[graciegirl]

You asked if dog owners felt that people were watching them. I am a dog watcher. We have three kitties, but all of us like to watch the dogs walking their people. We have TWO Great Danes in our march, one is a six month old puppy. We have TWO Afghan hounds who own the same person. We have a lot of Peekapoos and Schnauzers and Dachshunds and other dogs that we don't know their breed and call them miniature Chippendales. OH and a beautiful Greyhound. It is a parade up and down Havana Trail, everyday. Some of them know us and we run out to pet them, but everyone makes us smile.

We watch from the kitchen windows and the den windows and we sit on the front porch and watch....and even have two fellows walk through our back yard. They are our neighbors.

I am not a dog owner. I am a devoted dog watcher.

And when the kitty guys say it's o.k. we may have a dog live with us someday.

[Boomer]

Hi oot,

I know that I am not supposed to be answering this one because I do not own a place in TV at this time. I am stuck in dreary Ohio right now, but I am watching.

I am a dog owner though, and I just had to jump in here and try to make you feel a little bit better about this one.

Don't worry about those dog poop threads. It's just like everything else. There will always be those who have bad manners and give their dogs a bad name. Just like there are people everywhere who do all kinds of things with no consideration for those around them. And as a result, there will be those who get aggravated by those people.

But from observation and from reading TOTV forever and from visiting TV and meeting people and knowing people who live there, I know for sure that there are a lot of dog lovers in TV.

And while all of the above is just my theory on all this, I also wanted to tell you that I know what you mean about your Brittany. Our first dog of our married life was a Brittany. She was the most beautiful creature. And she was absolutely the smartest dog I have ever known. And she lived for nearly 17 years. And until almost the end, she loved a nice walk, too. Kind of moseying around and sniffing to check those messages left by other dogs. And every once in a while, she would still throw her head back and wiggle that wondrous sniffer of hers in the air to check to see if there might be some birds somewhere that needed her attention.

Now, we have Annie. She is not a Brittany. Annie is of the breed I like to call Nature’s Finest Genetic Engineering. She is also beautiful and wonderful. She is almost 16.

Anyway, I wish you the best in your decision about TV. And as far as the dog thing goes, from what I can tell, it really does seem to work out just fine for a whole lot of Villagers and their dogs.

Boomer

[MSNPA]

When I walk my dog we walk around the streets in my neighborhood and venture out on sidewalks as well as the shared paths and I have always felt very at ease. When walking her I always make certain I keep her close by my side when passing people who may not care for dogs, but not once did I ever feel uncomfortable.

[Pturner]

Dear Oot,
I understand your concern after reading some of the posts. I was a bit surprised too. I've never before heard of people being so upset about dog pee. That doesn't mean they are wrong to be upset. It's just new to me. Maybe it's a regional thing.

The assumption seems to be that people walk their dogs so that their dogs will pee somewhere else and not in their own yards. That could be, but I doubt it. I think it's more that dogs are dogs and are hardwired to pee when they smell something interesting, even if they've already peed a hundred times.

People who come from regions where this is frowned upon perhaps have trained their dogs not to pee when they go for a walk. However, to people who come from regions where neighbors walk their dogs; neighbors' dog stops, sniff and sometimes pee; and neighbors don't give this a second thought, it seems peculiar.

We don't live in TV yet, but have a vacation home there. We have a small dog and enjoy walking with him in the neighborhood. We let him relieve himself in our yard first, and always take a bag just in case. We walk him on the street and don't let him wonder into yards.

When we've stopped to talk with neighbors, they have been warm, friendly and welcoming. Likewise, when we've been in our yard and seen neighbors out walking their dogs, we are friendly to them. We've had dogs pee in our yards when neighbors stopped to talk. I never have and never will think anything of it. That's just me.

Having said all that, I think if you give it a chance, you will find TV just as you imagined it before you read the dog posts-- a lovely place filled with friendly, happy people, fabulous amenities and a great quality of life for people and their pets.

[redwitch]

Don't you love how all of us non-dog owners are ignoring your request and responding anyway? I'm a dog walker, which means that I've walked all types and sizes of dogs in many different villages here. My favorite dog to walk was a French bull mastiff (think Hooch of Turner & Hooch). She was such a sweet girl. I'd even take her for rides in the Miata. People consistently wanted to say hi to her and she loved the attention.

I've met two grumps -- one just truly afraid of all dogs and the other just naturally a grump. Otherwise, people come and say hi to the dog if they know it; give it a treat if that's their thing to do with that particular dog; pull their dog inside because their dog doesn't like big/little/other dogs. All in all, walking a dog in The Villages is fun!

There is the issue that dog urine can yellow a lawn and it is nice if the dog is gutter/street trained. I usually walk a dog around its home first and then go for a walk. This takes care of most issues most of the time but not always. I once had an incident walking a collie where I was talking to someone I knew who wanted to meet the dog and the dog very sweetly lifted his leg on my acquaintance. To say I was embarassed was putting it mildly. He laughed. Some homeowners do mind if a dog does its business on their lawn. I've found that a simple apology and a promise to try to keep the dog off their lawn works quite well. Keep the baggies visible and that helps a lot in letting others know you will be a responsible dog owner/walker/lover.

So, don't let the threads here worry you that much. Come on down and you'll see that dogs of all shapes and sizes are generally adored here.

[ajbrown]

Originally Posted by oot

Hopefully I can word this so I don't offend anyone.

So here is my question:

"Do you feel at ease when you take a walk with your pooch - or do you feel eyes watching your every move and find it uncomfortable to do so?"

Our third year here with Caly. I have never felt uncomfortable walking her around, ever. People in general love dogs.

That said, I would feel uncomfortable walking her on a 20 foot leash out of control sniffing and doing business in my neighbors yards uninvited.

I am proud of the fact that Caly walks off leash (before anyone starts, she is in FULL control ). I have only had two dogs in my life that I can say I could walk anywhere without a leash. She walks at my side and always wants to sniff or whatever in a yard but is simply not allowed to. To my knowledge this does not make her unhappy, we have great walks and people love to stop and say hi, pet her or share a story of their dog....

So, in answer to your question, responsible and respective dog walkers will never feel uncomfortable in TV and it is a great place to walk.

[Army Guy]

We have just started bringing our dog down with us when we come. And yes, I do feel like people watch us when we walk. I carry bags and dispose of his poop before it hits the ground, just kidding! But I do pick it up as soon as he is done. As far as his peeing, I never thought that to be a problem, I like a nice yard also it doesn't bother me when I see other walking their dogs and they pee on a bush in my front. As long as they pickup the poop which MOST do. But behind my back wall at the Bonita Pool...........that is another story, the other day I stopped counting at 12 piles...but this is not that thread.
But yes, I do feel others obsess over all of us walking our dogs.
Guess that is why I do it when it is dark out!!

Army Guy

[mikeandnancy1112]

We have a 10 pound Shih Tzu. No one has to worry about our dog pooping on anyone's lawn. She doesn't like to walk so we just take her out on our lawn and pick the poop up every time. She loves to ride in the golf cart but other than that she loves to be inside and watch Animal Planet.

... and have never had any problem with grumpy home owners. Once in a while, a lonely Villager might stop you and tell you her or his life story, but that kind of goes with the territory.


There was an incident in the area about a year and a half ago when a dog walker with a small dog was attacked by another visitor with a much larger dog. Both the small dog and the large dog handler were injured by the much larger dog. I guess the larger dog wanted to get at the smaller dog so badly that the dogwalker's hand and arm were injured from the pulling of the leash.

You do have to watch out for visitors to the Villages and their dogs. That could and does happen at the dog parks too though.

[oot]

Thanks to all you dog owners (and friendly non-dog owners) for your comments. Our next step will be to rent for a month and really get the feel of being down there......

[J & J plus M]

We've been to TV three times so far and are coming down for two weeks in April. All of the recent postings about "dog problems" in TV has my 5 lb poodle mix a little worried. Meko asked me if there is going to be a open hunting season for dogs this April... he's hoping it wont start until May... or til everyone comes to their senses and as sombody famous once said "can't we just all get along". Don't know about the rest of you... but sooner or later, we'll all learn that life is too short to sweat the small stuff! ( like I said before - Meko weighs 5 lbs) ps. I always carry a bag.

[greg802]

Sounds like someone needs to develop doggy diapers, should be great sales there with all the dogs!