Do Courtyard Villas echo with Barking Dogs all day long?
 

My wife and I are beginning the research, getting ready for a visit in March, and trying to narrow down where we'd like to live our winter months in TV.

Courtyard Villas seem to provide the most privacy with their walled/fenced property lines. Many comments have been made about CVs being the most convenient for dog owners. We'd love the privacy but would go nuts having to listen to a bunch of ankle-biters bark all day.:doggie:

Have any CV owners experienced issues, and how common are they?

Thanks!

Yes you will probably hear dogs barking from time to time , but if you have considerate neighbors it shouldn't be an issue.

Bow Wow
 

Yes.

You can pick your property but not your neighbor.

Dogs and Courtyard villas are hazard like golf homes and balls. But barking dogs on a lanai can be anywhere .

Don't forget the average Villagers moves 3 times - today's neighbor isn't a guarantee for very long.
My own observation after many years here is CV owners move quite frequently. Usually one's starter home.

Our first rental was a CV. A yipping dog was exactly what we encountered next door. Neighbor worked but left the lanai door open all day so Fido could rule the kingdom. Every slight noise Fido bolted outside and let everyone know he was the guardian.

OP, I think your concern is misguided. Dogs are not the only source of noise in The Villages. Look out for traffic noise, swimming pool pumps, waterfalls, pickle ball courts, landscape equipment, and my particular pet peeve, wind chimes. Buying a non-courtyard house offers very little protection from these noises. I would not rule out courtyard villas just because of potential noise. If you really want to avoid noise, buy 10 acres somewhere else.

The ones that are next to people who leave their constantly-barking dogs out in the yard, will find it incredibly common to experience issues with constantly-barking dogs.

The ones that aren't, won't find it common at all. You could pick a villa that doesn't have any dogs on either side of the house - but if one of those neighbors moves out and new people move in with constantly-barking dogs, you might have common issues again.

No different from living in any neighborhood that allows pets, anywhere in the country.

The difference is with designer homes, there is more space between you and your neighbor so a barking dog is less of an issue. In villas you are much closer to your neighbor.

Not exactly. Look at a map. The actual distance between designer houses and courtyard villas is about the same. And, courtyard villas have a fence or wall barrier between them. Designer houses are larger, but the distance between the houses is approximately the same, unless you are on a cul de sac. Even some interior Premier houses have very little distance between the houses.

Verandas also have fences not just Courtyard Villas.

You are right. I live in a Courtyard Villa in the Village of Tamarind Grove. Never heard of it? I’m not surprised. I live a five minute drive west of the intersection of Buena Vista and 466A. Except on days when yardwork is being done in the neighborhood, or moments when delivery trucks are delivering, it’s about as silent as a neighborhood could be. The speed limit is 15 mph in my little Courtyard Villa neighborhood. A few silent dogs and owners go by a few times in the morning or evening. Otherwise, no one seems to walk. It’s rare to hear a car. There’s a big golden retriever living next door, I hear a single bark perhaps every three months. I don’t hear music or people talking. It’s glorious. I’m about a one minute drive from St. Charles, which gets quite a lot of traffic, but where I live, no. In many neighborhoods, little dogs go out, do their things, and come back in. I’d guess that most dog owners in The Villages do NOT let their dogs stay outside all day and do NOT let them bark when outside in the yard. More dogs bark in the house, but if the windows are closed, neighbors don’t hear them often.

I bought my first house in The Villages sight unseen—indeed, before ever visiting The Villages. I had no trouble with dogs. However, if this is a concern, visit your potential neighbors and ask about barking dogs. If you have an iPhone, go to the App Store and download the free decibel meter called SPLnFFT. When you go house hunting, stand outside and use it! Hit reset, then look at the reading. Right now I’m in a silent house.the refrigerator and heater aren’t on. The decibel meter says distant road noise is 35 decibels. Using this meter will help you compare relative noise levels in neighborhoods. In the evening and night, traffic noise is lower.

We live in a CYV and love it. Many of our neighbors have dogs and dog barking has never been an issue. We also love the privacy a CYV offers.

I guess it depends where you live. In my neighborhood you rarely hear any dogs barking and quite a few dogs live here. It just depends on your neighbors. People will see me walking our dogs and say they never knew we had them because they never hear them bark! You could just as easily have loud neighbors in a designer neighborhood that back up to each other!

We live in Newell verandas. Dog barking is not an issue. Most of our neighbors have dogs

I live in a CV and have a dog. I have never experienced the echo of barking dogs and know there are 14 dogs that live in the neighborhood.

you could buy a CYV and the neighbors don't have a dog, BUT they could sell and your new neighbors MAY have a dog. No one knows what the future holds. Buy what you like now.

I’ve found that all you need is one inconsiderate dog owner and your living in hell.

We live in a CYV. When we were looking to buy we told our realtor, no barking dogs. She delivered.

A few feet in distance does not make much of a difference. If you're near a barking dog you will hear it.

No, if I walk down the street I might hear a stray bark now and then.

i'd say no, because most dogs are not kept outside all day. in my area, dogs are out when their owners are, and yes, they bark, but it's shouldn't disrupt your life to the point of despair. you should know almost everyone on my street has dogs, except for 2 people, and if you don't like them, i'd investigate the area 1st. either way, i wouldn't loose any sleep over it. (unless of course, there's relentless barking, lol)

We have a CV and have not experienced any of the issues mentioned. I would say that it’s a non issue here. We have 2 dogs as many neighbors have dogs. There is no echo nor do we hear barking dogs.
Hope that helps.
We enjoy the privacy and ability to just open the back door to let the dogs out. We have an oversized corner lot, some have hardly any yard space for a dog. Keep that in mind.

I had a 3/4 acre lot in Ohio, and the entire neighborhood was plagued by a barking dog.
The owners went to work and left it outside….or if they were home they also left it out, because they didn’t really like the dog much.
So lot size, or distance between homes doesn’t help with dog noise.
It’s been my Experience in TV that owners are retired, home with their pets, and they don’t want to hear them bark either. So they tend to keep them indoors and happy.
Yes, many dog owners choose CYV, for the convenience of letting them out in a yard to potty.
Most are loving pet owners and will let them inside as soon as they bark.

we have a home and a dog next door/ and it barks at us all the time so we heat the people next door

I live in a veranda which backs to courtyard villas. I hear an occasional barking dog. I think you would have to be very unlucky for that to be an issue.

If you want a little more house consider a Veranda home. They have the same concept (fences around all homes).

That being said I just moved into a Designer home (no fences) in the Village of Shady Brook partly to get away from barking. Guy across the street has a screen on his garage door. He puts two large dogs in the garage and they bark all day long at passing cars. Didn’t see that coming.

Lived in a CYV and a designer. No difference in noise levels from one to the other. And, yes, I agree that dogs bark on lanai’s throughout the villages. The Villages is not a quiet place to live. There is constant noise from a myriad of sources. If you are looking for tranquility this may not be the place for you.

I have lived in a CYV since 2021 and the answer where I am is no. Dogs won't be left out in the yard for fear of animals getting in there and harming your dog so they go out to do their business and come back in.

We LOVE our CV! What did bother us was being near a busy road!! We used to live in Duval (which I love) but now I would never move back to our old house as the road noise is super loud! I find my neighbors have always been courteous with their dogs and love them to be close to them ❤️. The privacy of the courtyard villa is the best and unless near a busy road !

We have lived in our courtyard villa for 20 years. There is no denying that we can hear the dog next door when she’s outside barking however the issue is so infrequent and I enjoy the privacy that is provided by the wall so much that staying wins the vote.

You know what is worse then a dog barking? Pickleball players hitting that damn ball constantly with their paddles. Make sure you don't live too close to these courts.

While I was working up north I had problems with barking dogs. One couple let their 2 golden retrievers out at 6am while they got ready for work and they barked constantly. When I politely told them about it the dogs were supervised then let in. A lady across the street had 2 dogs barking at the screen window a lot while she was gone. I asked her to please close the window when she is not home but she just snickered. Next time it happened I hit the window with a garden hose and lo and behold the window was shut from then on. I know, me bad! I've had dogs and NEVER left them out to bark. No one mentioned GAS golf cart noise!

I am a dog owner, I do not allow my dog outdoors alone for several reasons. Years ago up north, I had 2 sets of neighbors with several dogs barking for hours. I bought 2 ‘bird houses’ that emitted a high pitch sound only barking dogs hear. Buy lithium batteries or rechargeable.

Large Back Yard
 

Look at 5345 Dray Drive, The Villages FL (for sale)

I am selling my CV. I have 2 dogs and the yard is huge corner lot. I liked it cause when I look out the windows I am not right up against the large concrete fence. I do not hear dogs barking outback and my neighbors do not hear my dogs. There is a lot of privacy in my CV.

It's a gamble in any neighborhood. Knock on doors in a neighborhood that interests you. I suspect the residents will be happy to talk to you. There's no guarantee that nice quiet neighbors won't move and sell to a couple with shrieking grandkids that visit often, or barking dogs, or loud motorcycles etc etc. Anything is possible. We experienced the best and the worst. Best of luck.

Note that people under 19 can only visit for 30 non-consecutive days per year.

Who first hand has had that rule enforced - not my hairdresser, my friend's aunt, etc said. Barking dogs - call community watch and see what you get for an answer. Their specialty is overgrown weeds.

I have never had a problem with the rule. But, if I did, I would certainly file a detailed, documented complaint. This is a retirement community, and I like the rule.

I find all you need is one inconsiderate neighbor.