Dog Parks
 

I have two large dogs and have been to all of the dog parks in The Villages and I have been to Doggie Doo Run Run, which is great. I think the dog parks in The Villages are too small, or have little shade, or too much sand. Why are they so small? How can we get nicer parks for the dogs? I notice a lot of dogs here, so there must be a need. I would love to see a really nice dog park inside of The Villages. Any dog lovers in The Villages have any ideas?

Sigh...

Really, where to start? We need a lobbying group for the dogs. It took years of lobbying to get a dog beach in our little Lake Michigan town, and now it's mobbed and has become a tourist attraction. The naysayers have all gone silent. (They thought we wouldn't pick up our poop! Why, there's a new thread for ya...)

The hotels have caught up with the fact that people WILL travel with their dogs. Now the communities have to catch up with amenities for them too.

DDRR is a great place, but it is not convenient to us in the lower forty. We have a dog park close to us in Tamarind Grove, but it is a joke for big dogs, and too much dirt.

Yes, we definitely need more dog parks! The three existing dog parks in The Villages are way too small, and people just aren't willing to travel the distance to access them. I think The Villages was designed with brilliant conceptual vision, however with thousands and thousands of dogs in TV, more dog parks are needed. When we're in The Villages we take our dogs daily to DDRR, which is a great place, and we don't mind paying a fee. But we need dogs parks that are accessible by golf cart.

There is a yearly "satisfaction survey" sent to all residents. There is a space for write-in comments. If enough people requested more dog parks, I think The Developer might give it some consideration. There are some scruffy areas around in commercial/industrial areas that could be fenced without bothering residents.

Last week on a post,Person said he is the only person there between 3 and 4..Seems by that statement they are large enough.

If you go to the Bonita Dog Park you will see why very few people go there who have small dogs. Think of a very small stretch of that winding street in San Francisco (Lombard Street) without the pavement but with grass and a lot of dog poop. Very hard to watch your dog while not falling over into dog poop.
http://www.visitingdc.com/san-franci...et-picture.asp

Someone could start a club to clean it up.

It's too hot for a large longhaired dog between 3 and 4 in the afternoon. That's probably why not many dogs are there; not the size. (The one in the south is very small for a large dog.)

But the main reason we avoid the TV dog parks is the lack of solid grass. In other words, too much dirt. Even though it's dry dirt, it's hard to get out of our dog's coat, and running around in it for too causes his skin allergies to flare up. Running around in grass doesn't.

DDRR has nice grassy fields, but it is a hike from 466A. We need a bigger, grassier dog park in TV that's more centrally located.

You know I am a dog lover, even though we don't have one of our own. Our kitties won't allow any more children.......and you know I think you are the greatest, C.

But isn't Doggie Do Run Run owned by someone? Would people use a dog park that was a commercial one if they had to drive their car to it?

Just wondering. It might be a good business venture for someone south.

Yearly Survey
 

I don't think the Developer takes much notice of the yearly survey. For years many of us have been trying to turn the Community Watch into a real watch group with no apparent success, so I don't think dog parks are high on his list.

This is not meant as a criticism of what you said Madeleine or political either, but when you add things to a business model someone has to pay. The developer is making a good profit to be sure but he also gives us LOTS of wonderful things that could be cheaper and could be less nice and that what is offered is very well thought out. In other words people are doing fairly well with their dogs without an added dog park and people are doing fairly well without an indoor pool or another or better fitness center or a performing art center or etc. etc.

We can't have everything we want. I think our amenity fee is very good considering.

I think the world of you Madelaine. Please do not think my post is directed at you.

I am just an old and satisfied person here in this wonderful place.

Yes, DDRR is privately owned, but I think somehow it is accessible by golf cart for some in the north. Can anyone of you DDRR users verify that?

We pay $ to take our dog to an indoor day care center to blow off some steam. I would definitely use a grassy dog park closer to home, even if it cost $. Right now we're chuckering the tennis ball for him across our tiny backyard when it gets afternoon shade.

We've probably had 17 cats in our lives. One lived to be 20 (still miss him, and he died in 1990). I would have one or two now, for Crosby looooves cats, but we have a bird. Been there, done that, and... well, never mind.

I agree with your comments, Gracie, and we are satisfied too. As far as the dogs go, we knew what was here for our dog when we bought. I'm satisfied with our arrangement with his exercise. Another good dog park like DDRR would be icing on the cake that I would be willing to pay for privately so nobody's amenity fees go up because of one small group.

Gracie - I think this could be excellent business venture for someone. A real dog park with grass and swimming available with a membership on th south side of things. If only...:doggie:

Why don't one of you open one, land around here can't be very expensive.

Sounds like if they added more dogs parks it would just be more areas like the one described above. Who would clean up the poop? People would not want to go to any areas that have a lot of poop.

IMO, that is so not true. We didn't go over the summer because it was too hot, but you have a nice group of people there and a nice group of dogs. People do pick up after their dogs. Mine always takes off for what I call "the jungle" on top of the hill, and she does do her thing up there.

Y'know, sometimes you have to cut people a little slack, when I'm in the jungle I pick up mine and what else I see. Who knows, maybe some of the older people can't.

There are lots of small dogs there, not so many large, but hey that's TV, not as many large dogs.

I think we do have a lot of nice, well thought out, beautiful things to enjoy here in The Villages. However, I am not against trying to make things a little nicer. If the developer did have some land that could be allocated to build a new, bigger dog park, one that you could actually throw a frisbee or ball and your dog would be able to run a little ways to catch it And what if it was big enough to have a swimming pool for the swimmers in the group, I would be willing to coordinate a group of volunteers to keep it cleaned and maintained. If enough dog lovers want to make the community a little nicer for everyone, I am sure it could be done. Since the survey doesn't get the attention of the developer. What about a signed petition and if it was signed by many, many Villagers, that want a bigger, nicer dog park, where would we send the petition? If we have enough people that really want this, let us at least try. I am willing to coordinate this effort. I wish I had a lot of money, I would buy a piece of land and start a new dog park.

A dog park takes land. And so do golf driving ranges and lots of other facilities residents would like to have more of.

Several times a year there are threads here where residents beg for more gym/exercise facilities, an indoor pool(s), a gas station near Lake Sumter Landing, a Costco Store, a Trader Joe's.....many things that require land.

I think it is up to an individual or group to buy a few acres of pasture just outside the borders of TV, to build a dog park and run it and keep it clean and grassy.

No legal access to DDRR for non-street legal golf carts. I have seen golf carts take a shortcut through one of the golf courses when a certain gate is open. But the driver had even said that he was worried about someone locking that gate and him getting trapped on the wrong side.

Street legal golf carts can get there via CR101 or through a back route to the Jewish Temple on CR101 which is about 1/2 to 3/4s of a mile north of the dog park.

What actually is the purpose of a dog park ? I have a dog, I have always had a dog. Do you take a dog to a park for the purpose of pooping, or do you walk your dog first, and then go to the park. Do you go to the park to throw your frisbee ? How do you stop twenty other dogs from chasing it as well ? I have found many places here in TV to play catch with my dog or frisbee or whatever. We disturb no one, when we leave, the place is just as clean as we found it. I have tried dog parks, even my dog doesn't like them. So many folks there want to socialize I don't have any time for my pooch. I also find that if my dog and I do not wish to join the party, we are whispered about as being anti-social.

I have a normal small property with a front yard and a small back yard. No electric fences or other barriers but, we manage to get her business done on our own property and then go for a walk. Once again we disturb no one.

Now, if you still think that you need a dog park, I suggest that you check with the folks that put together The Mulberry dog park. They formed a committee led by one very energetic woman and convinced the powers that be to donate the land and put aside enough money to build the park. In return those folks maintain the park and act as stewards to see to it that everyone obeys the rules. This is only one of the reasons that this is such a great place to live. If folks stop complaining about an issue that is important to them and roll up their collective sleeves and go to work, it has been my experience that The Villages will be more than happy to work with you. The Mulberry dog park is a perfect example of what I am talking about. TV is so happy about the way the park is being cared for, they added landscaping and an irrigation system to keep the park beautiful. Folks have donated bench's and tree's. while my pup and I do not use the park we sometimes ride up to watch all the fun inside. All things are possible in this wonderful place.

Go to a 10 acre or so dog park to see what I real dog park should look like. There are a number of good sized dog parks near the Villages.

Mulberry dog park is very small when compared with Doggie Doo Run Run or the other dog parks in Inverness, Ocala, Leesburg, and Gainesville.

I suggest you start by contacting the "Responsible Dog Owners Club". I believe they were the organizing force behind the Mulberry and Bonita dog parks.

I'm currently in Canada, but I'll be arriving soon and staying for six months. I'd be delighted to work with you on this project.

My dog doesn't need 10 acres, hell I had 4 horses on a lot less.

We go to the dog park just to get her out of the house. She's a "top peer" so the park by the firehouse is enough to keep her busy.

Prior to living here we never went to a dog park, they rarely walked on a leash, she doesn't get the concept of catch or frisbee. If I throw a ball she just looks at me like "What is your point".

If there was no dog park she'd be fine, we'd find something else to do.

The Bonita Dog park small dog section is about the size...
 

...of a front yard from someone's corner lot. But, it is also at about a 30 or more degree slope. My pooch would only spent about 5 minutes there before wanting to get out at the gate. Same with the other Villages' dog parks. He only wants to stay in them for a few minutes.

Y'know, unless your dog has hip problems running on a slope is not a bad thing, it builds up their back end.

Might build up the owner's back end too if they run up the hill with their pooch!

We chose a retriever breed because of the interaction we could have with him--they don't call them retrievers for nothing. We like to throw; he likes to retrieve. It takes space. And unless I'm mistaken, there is no space in TV to legally let your dog off leash and throw a frisbee, unless it's your own yard or a one of the dog parks, both of which are small. So "finding" a space to throw a frisbee in TV outside of those three places is not an option for us. There's enough doo doo brought down on the dogs and their owners here now without feeding the frenzy by breaking the rules.

DDRR is the perfect size and space. Yes, owners talk to each other, but they're also throwing balls for their dogs. Plus there's a back 40 where you can go be by yourself, throw the ball and not talk to anyone if you don't want. Each dog seems to have its favorite toy, and there are few fights. The owners keep control. It's a great place; it's just that it's so far away from our southern villages.

Thanks!!
 

Thanks Barefoot!! I will contact them. I'd be happy for your help also.

Tammy

We have been going to the Mulberry Dog Park for the last few weeks. It's lovely. I see large dogs playing there all the time with what seems to me to be plenty of space. There has always been grass. No sand. If you go later in the day as we do, the majority of the benches are in the shade.

I would definitely recommend this park. Another perk is that the dog parents who use this park are very friendly and considerate of others.

Give it another try.

Exactly where is the Mulberry Dog Park?

Joniesmom, where is Mulberry Park? We saw one TV park up in the northern part last winter, but it was total sand/dirt. Maybe it was a different one? or maybe grass has grown over the summer?

It is just east of Springdale Fitness Trail very close to the huge utility towers and probably 1/4 of a mile up (north) from the fire station/pool.

Nancy Lopez Country Club is within sight to the west.

Paradise Dog Park is the one that still has a lot of dirt but it is a vast improvement from what it looked like about 18 months ago. They redid the parking lot and moved the dog park and repositioned it so you do not have to look out for large vehicles when taking your dog to the dog park. Still have to look out for golf carts though.

My dog loves the area under the trees near the Paradise Dog Park. He does not like the park much.

I have been to Mulberry Dog Park. It is very north in The Villages. It is very nice. It has some shade, the trees are getting bigger. It is a walk though, if you don't have a golf cart. We park at the postal boxes and walk the 1/8th mile to the park. It's a long walk especially if you have dogs that are very anxious to get there.