Barking dogs in courtyard villas??

[angel222]

I'm thinking of downsizing and considering either a patio villa or courtyard villa. I am a full time resident and both homes have pros and cons but ever since I moved to TV 4 years ago, I've been warned by some that to sit on the lanai of your courtyard villa may not be a quiet experience since lots of owners leave their dogs in the yard while they are not home and the dogs bark. I am a dog owner but would never just leave my dog outside while I'm out. I totally enjoy using my lanai to read and am wondering if anyone could share any pro and con experiences about this. The patio villas do not have this problem but I'm concerned about having only rental neighbors if I purchase one. Any comments would be welcome...

Thanks!

[Barefoot]

I'm thinking of downsizing and considering either a patio villa or courtyard villa. I am a full time resident and both homes have pros and cons but ever since I moved to TV 4 years ago, I've been warned by some that to sit on the lanai of your courtyard villa may not be a quiet experience since lots of owners leave their dogs in the yard while they are not home and the dogs bark. I am a dog owner but would never just leave my dog outside while I'm out. I totally enjoy using my lanai to read and am wondering if anyone could share any pro and con experiences about this. The patio villas do not have this problem but I'm concerned about having only rental neighbors if I purchase one. Any comments would be welcome... Thanks!

I think there are just as many barking dogs in patio villas as in courtyard villas. And when dogs are left in the front screened area of a patio villa, there is no wall between you and the barks.

However, I think most residents are very considerate and respectful of their neighbours, and will leave their dogs indoors when they go out.

[gomoho]

Buy one on a golf course - can guarantee you a barking dog would not be tolerated on a golf course.

[rubicon]

Buy one on a golf course - can guarantee you a barking dog would not be tolerated on a golf course.

spot on

[DougB]

I'm thinking of downsizing and considering either a patio villa or courtyard villa. I am a full time resident and both homes have pros and cons but ever since I moved to TV 4 years ago, I've been warned by some that to sit on the lanai of your courtyard villa may not be a quiet experience since lots of owners leave their dogs in the yard while they are not home and the dogs bark. I am a dog owner but would never just leave my dog outside while I'm out. I totally enjoy using my lanai to read and am wondering if anyone could share any pro and con experiences about this. The patio villas do not have this problem but I'm concerned about having only rental neighbors if I purchase one. Any comments would be welcome...

Thanks!

Why concerned about only having rental neighbors with a patio villa? We have a patio villa and only one on the street is a rental.

[obxgal]

We live in a courtyard villa area and have never had a problem with barking dogs. Guess it depends on your neighbors.

[Uptown Girl]

We live in a courtyard villa and almost everyone has a dog or two. (62 units) You'd never know it.
All our doggies are beautifully trained by courteous owners and we live happily among them.

There is only one dog that the neighbors find a problem- a beagle that howls for (sometimes) hours, until he's frantic and hoarse.
However, this beagle does not live in our compound, but a distance beyond our village walls- in a cottage home. The sound carries our way and can be heard throughout our neighborhood.

So, in general, it is probably luck of the draw.

[keithwand]

Buy one on a golf course - can guarantee you a barking dog would not be tolerated on a golf course.

Coyotes maybe.

[asianthree]

the voices can carry also in cyv that's why our rep had us rent one before we bought..i loved the private back but the conversations for that six weeks drove me nuts..along with some barking, but i would take the barking over someone on their cell anytime

[tommy steam]

I was looking at a villa in mission hills . We parked the car several villas away. As we were walking past one of them a loud barking sound came from inside the villa. The dog continued to bark for quite a while . These things will happen.

[cquick]

I think the problem is usually dealt with by neighbors living near the barking dogs. There were two dogs in a villa that has an open fence onto a retention pond that barked a lot, but now I don't hear them.

[angel222]

Thanks for all the comments....please keep them coming!

[linedancingdottie]

we moved into a large home with a large lanai and we hear our neighbors' dog barking all the time (we hear the from dog inside our house) . The owners live behind us and are new to the area and out working most days (they leave the dog on their lanai for maybe 5 hours or more). I haven't been able to catch up with the owner yet to him/her how awful it is for us (and my visitors) and probably the dog as well. I don't think the owners know how bad it is. The dog must be very unhappy to bark so much.

[bimmertl]

Most counties have an ordinance against constant barking from dogs. So if talking to the owner fails you can attempt to resolve the problem that way. Here's some info for Sumter County.

Sumter County, FL - Official Website (http://www.sumtercountyfl.gov/faq.aspx?qid=58)

[DianeM]

Dogs don't only bark in The Villages. They do at times bark. It's just their nature. I think most owners would never leave their animal out all day. Seems mean.

[peggyb]

Unfortunately the barking dog problem can occur anywhere...as well as loud neighbors. I live in a cottage home on a corner lot and am bothered 5 times a day to a barking dog across the street. It would be a good idea no matter where you decide to buy to visit the area at different times of the day and night and see what it is like. But then again, my neighbors dog came a year after I bought so you never know.

[George Bieniaszek]

We bought a CYV in Pennecamp almost 4 years ago and never had an issue with barking dogs. The neighborhood in general is very quiet and everyone seems to be respectful and get along very nicely. Yes, you will hear conversations outside, but no more or no less than anywhere else.

Personally, love the CYV over the Patio Villas cause of the very private back yards, especially if there is a pet in your family.

[Vinny]

We live in a Courtyard. Villa and have installed doggie doors so my dogs come and go as they please. The dogs love it and it allows us to go,on day trips. Do they bark? Rarely but they do bark briefly if the are chasing a gecko. While we are home, the command of Quiet and Come takes care of that problem and when we are out one sleeps either inside or on the lanai while the other stands watch all day at the window waiting for us. We have been told that they do not bark when we are gone but we knew that from our previous home.

But dogs are dogs and if they hear another dog nearby barking they and all other dogs in earshot join in. However it it brief and after three years not one person has complained. I am on a corner do I have two homes in back of me. The people near me either have dogs or are renters so we have few homeowners nearby that do not also have dogs.

Having said this, it is very quiet here. No one really sits in their lanai and aside from the occasional barking once or twice a week, it is very quiet around here. Most of us who bought CYV homes did so because we have dogs. So you will hear the occasional bark IF you happen to be outside while it happens. We never hear other dogs bark while indoors and everyone is good about stopping it when it happens.

Like anywhere, you can get stuck with an inconsiderate dog owner so make sure you check with the neighbors before you buy. We love it here because where we used to live there was the constant sound of kids playing in the street.

[perrjojo]

We live in a courtyard villa area and have never had a problem with barking dogs. Guess it depends on your neighbors.

Same for us. I love our courtyard villa and most of us have dogs. The only time I hear a bark is when someone wants to come inside and it is very brief. Good communication amount neighbors is a must. We all constantly check with one another to be certain barking is not a problem.

[perrjojo]

I was looking at a villa in mission hills . We parked the car several villas away. As we were walking past one of them a loud barking sound came from inside the villa. The dog continued to bark for quite a while . These things will happen.

We live in Mission Hills and I'll bet I know where you looked. That dog has since been silenced due to neighbors cooperation and some great trainers called Bark Busters. As I said previously...communication, communication.

[ladydoc]

It really kind of silly to ask this general a question. The situation will depend on where you want to buy. Dogs bark..thats a fact of life. Some bark when someone walks by the house, some bark when their is someone at the front door, some bark when the dog next door is in their yard. You have to just see what the situation is at the property you are interested in. The only generalization that can be made is that most people try to control their dogs barking. Our dogs lived their entire lives on 5 areas in the country where they could bark their heads off and no one would hear them. We trained them in a few days that they could not do that anymore. They only bark now when someone is at the door and when they want to come in (a mx of 2 barks).