[JMintzer]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

Of the 40+ houses on my street, fewer than 10 of them have dogs. One of them has three dogs. A couple of people have two dogs. And the other 6 or 7 have just one. So that's only around 25% of residents on my street.

Well, that's certainly true for your street...

Too bad it means nothing for the TV as a whole...

[Taltarzac725]

Doggie Doo Run Run just north of CR466 on CR101 is a ten acre private dog park that has a section for small dogs, big dogs, and a 5 acre back field. Just a moment...

You might want to check it out by talking with the owners. Worth a trip there to get a look of the dog park. At some times it is not that busy.

You mark the poop and an employee usually will pick it up every hour or two. You do have to watch where you step as some customers do not see their pooches go and do not mark the poop. I often would take extra flags and mark poop I walked past.

My dog is kind of getting old so I rarely go to Doggie Doo Run Run any more but would recommend it. Some of the younger as well as the older canines can play quite hard.

I had been going to Doggie Doo Run Run almost every day from 2007 through around 2022. Two different dogs though were involved.

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

My takeaway on this post:

You have already gotten a home here, and will be living here three weeks from now. And today - three weeks before you move in, is when you first decided to ask about the community's perspective of dogs?

If you really wanted to prepare yourselves, you would've asked these questions the first day you decided to even WONDER about the Villages as an option for your next move. What would've happened if you found out - three weeks before move-in day - that the only option for your two medium sized dogs was to keep them penned up in your courtyard for the rest of their lives? What kind of "preparation" would you be making?

SMH - what kind of dog-lovers would move in to a place that they believe bans their pets, and then wait til three weeks before move-in day to ask for confirmation.

So a person buys a house in TV and joins the forum (they did in Feb of 2024). The norm for moving to any neighborhood is bring your pets. That's the standard, unless it's a pet-free community. Why would you even think to ask about pets being welcomed. They're welcomed in the majority of communities.

After joining the forum, the new homeowner then comes across dog-hating threads of the 10-15 haters mentioned above, and starts to worry about it because he/she doesn't realize that this forum is a minute fraction of The Villages residents.

And then gets a snarky comment about not asking the community (that they weren't a part of till February) about dogs before moving here. From a person that doesn't have a dog.
Amazing.

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by JMintzer

Well, that's certainly true for your street...

Too bad it means nothing for the TV as a whole...

Right. And that's not the point anyway. I counted up 11 dogs in our CYV neighborhood, a small percentage but so what. The point is the people in our neighborhood that don't have dogs are perfectly fine with us that do.

And the couple of homeowners who aren't fine with that outside our villa neighborhood are well known and greatly avoided.

I walk our dogs nearly down the middle of the street. It's my only gripe about electric vehicles--they're not loud enough to hear coming

[TheWarriors]

Originally Posted by Jayhawk

Nailed it.

There are 10-15 hard-core haters who feel that they have to make multiple posts every time this subject is needlessly raised. They claim to "love dogs" but can't seem to understand that a dog going on their lawn will not ruin it, especially if picked up by the owner. Heck, most of these people probably put BlackCow in their yard. Guess what that is.

Learn who the chronic complainers are and you will be fine. If they're not miserable, they are not happy.

Your dog, your property, no problem. The problem seems to be some dog owners not understanding property lines.

[Maryland04]

A lot of dog owners take their dogs to the Polo Fields and walk them around the paved drive. Very serine in the morning.

[mrrmauu]

Originally Posted by Loriemoms

We are moving in mid march...we have two mid size dogs who are spoiled couch potatoes. We traveled a lot with them in our RV so they are used to being walked etc. We bought a courtyard villa so they will most likely do most of thier hanging out in our yard. We are super duper conscious of picking up after them. And hate people who don't pick up after thier dogs! My question is they do love thier walks..and one of them just LOVES people..he wants everyone to pet him but he knows he has to respect others. Is walking along the walking paths that big of an issue with your dog as I am reading? We don't care for dog parks as people don't watch thier dogs..is this the only options besides our yard? Are dogs really banned from the squares? Just trying to prepare ourselves...

I’ve found The Villages to be the most dog friendly place I’ve ever experienced. We don’t have a pooch (but are huge animal lovers) and from what I’ve witnessed, this is a dog owners paradise.

[rjn5656]

People walk dogs all day in my neighborhood. And people stop all the time to talk to the owner and their dogs. You and they will enjoy it here.

[GizmoWhiskers]

Originally Posted by Loriemoms

We are moving in mid march...we have two mid size dogs who are spoiled couch potatoes. We traveled a lot with them in our RV so they are used to being walked etc. We bought a courtyard villa so they will most likely do most of thier hanging out in our yard. We are super duper conscious of picking up after them. And hate people who don't pick up after thier dogs! My question is they do love thier walks..and one of them just LOVES people..he wants everyone to pet him but he knows he has to respect others. Is walking along the walking paths that big of an issue with your dog as I am reading? We don't care for dog parks as people don't watch thier dogs..is this the only options besides our yard? Are dogs really banned from the squares? Just trying to prepare ourselves...

Lots of replies. T V is pet friendly. Get to know your neighbors. Mine straight up told me who is dog friendly and which houses aren't.

Dogs are not band from the squares; however, if your dogs don't like LOUD music avoid taking them to hear the bands. Truly not something most dogs WANT to attend.

Squirrel.... I find it horrible to see dogs teathered in golf carts while the owners are inside establishments. Are the owners NUTS???!!??

People move to T V and become waaaay too trusting (and pretty stupid sometimes) and leave their dogs in their carts on hot or humid days, which is typically 9 months out of the year. It is out right cruel.

I see dogs panting away while owners are sipping coffee or eating lunch inside. Makes me sick. Dogs LOVE THE RIDE not the WAIT.

Note to newcombers and travelors visiting FL it is illegal to leave pets in cars. Golf carts, it's an invitation to loose your pet. Please don't assume T V is a safe utopia for your pet to be left alone. Times, they are-a-changing!

[GaryKoca]

It is pretty hard to keep your dog from peeing on a neighbor's yard, because there are no open lots or parks in the middle of our neighborhoods. But please make sure you pick up after your dog when it poops. Nobody wants to find poop in their yard when they don't own a dog themselves. That is very annoying.

[Papa_lecki]

The Villages is probably the most Dog Friendly Comunity there is. Lots of dogs, lots of places to walk them.

[KimmieK]

Some walking paths (conservation areas) do not allow dogs, signage will advise you. Squares (especially Festivals in The Squares) and the crowds can be a bit much for dogs. About 30% in our neighborhood have dogs. Dog owners, including former, keep dog treats in their garage for those that walk by and say hello.

[dolphin]

Originally Posted by Loriemoms

We are moving in mid march...we have two mid size dogs who are spoiled couch potatoes. We traveled a lot with them in our RV so they are used to being walked etc. We bought a courtyard villa so they will most likely do most of thier hanging out in our yard. We are super duper conscious of picking up after them. And hate people who don't pick up after thier dogs! My question is they do love thier walks..and one of them just LOVES people..he wants everyone to pet him but he knows he has to respect others. Is walking along the walking paths that big of an issue with your dog as I am reading? We don't care for dog parks as people don't watch thier dogs..is this the only options besides our yard? Are dogs really banned from the squares? Just trying to prepare ourselves...

TOO FRIENDLY. Dogs RULE here !

[MikeN]

Dog parks here are NOT well maintained and aggressive dogs have not been banned. Our greyhound recently broke a toe running in the mud. You can not add a fence around a property so make sure you look at homes with fenced in yards to keep yours in and others out. Good luck with your search

[midiwiz]

Originally Posted by tophcfa

The answer is the Villages is mostly very dog friendly. I would guess approximately close to have of the residents are dog owners. There are some bad/lazy dog owners that give all a bad rap and a small minority of vocal dog haters that don’t represent the general population. As long as you don’t let your dog(s) do it’s business on private property, pick up after your dog, and don’t put a fake service vest on it and bring it with you places only real service dogs are allowed, you will find the Villages to be a great place for dogs.

It is reasonably dog friendly, meaning that if you intend to bring them everywhere forget it. walks sure, squares ok, stores & restaurants no way.