When we first moved here in 2022 we had 3 dogs. We have since lost 2 of them but we did choose a courtyard villa because our dogs are used to going outside for exercise but not necessarily on a leash. As our dogs aged and sometimes had to go outside in the middle of the night I was very grateful not to have to put them on a leash at 2am! Luckily our dogs are not barkers nor do we leave them outside unattended to bother the neighbors.

A CYV on a corner with a bigger yard is your best bet. I have one in Bonnybrook where you do not see predators roaming around. That's not to say it could not happen but unlikely. So the area you buy one is very important. In my area a corner CYV has 2 Dalmatians.

Either a courtyard villa or a veranda home would be your best bet. I am in a veranda, home and the backyard is completely enclosed, and quite a few of my neighbors have dogs. But please keep in mind that in Florida, I would never leave the dog or dogs outside unattended because of the wildlife around.

In addition to villas, there are homes south of SR44 called Verandas that are designer homes with fenced back yards. Also, north of 44, in the village of Pine Hills, there is a street Wise Way where the designer homes have fenced yards. Also the Village of either Hadley or Hemingway, Nash Loop, has homes with fenced yards. Preferable not to walk them, especially during summer months (May to Oct) when their paws can get burned on the pavement.

We are not fans of dog parks. A nice amenity for some but how do you know that the participants there have had their anti-parvovirus & other medical needs met? Not to mention the aggressive dogs that their owners think are cute, or are “just being dogs” when they misbehave

That certainly happens at every dog park we have been at here in the Villages.

Dog walking in the Villages
 

Dog walking as you get older.

We have a 7 lb schnoodle who doesn't like leash walking that much. We live in a patio villa at the end of the street that dead-ends into a privacy fence, so we have privacy fence along the patio side of the house and along the back of the house. We put our own decorative, movable fencing with gates at the front of our patio and between the house and fence in the back yard. It stands about 3 ft tall and works to give her plenty of room to run. HOWEVER, it doesn't keep predators out!! A large hawk tried to take off with her right in front of me one day. Fortunately, the wing span got hung up between the house and privacy fence, so it corrected and flew away. Our dog is NEVER outside by herself anymore. Coyotes and bobcats can walk on the tops of the privacy fences, owls and hawks fly in, snakes come in under the fences. It requires constant vigilance!!

All Veranda homes are fenced. Some very large yards. They are much larger than the Courtyard Villas.

We have many owls and Eagles in the area. I see them daily. They have been known to pick up dogs right out of your backyard. Never leave them out unattended.

The only places that are walled in are the Villas, all others are "no fences allowed".

Small dogs, court yard villa or not
 

We had a house with no fences but were able to put up a wrought iron fence outside our lanai, the full length of the lania, about 20-30 feet wide and 3 feet high. Our little mini schnauzer loved it.

Dogs can be trained to wear booties that protect their paws. Some dogs take longer than others to figure it out, but they can ALL adapt with proper training.

Walking a dog is much more than merely exercising it. It's also reinforcing who is the pack leader. It is also reinforced socialization with other people and other pets. How would you like it if you were forcibly homebound, not allowed outside your own property except maybe once a month to be forced into a densely crowded area where people are dancing and music is piercing your ears? and then forced back into relative silence and isolation for the next month?

Invisible fences don’t keep gators out. The courtyard villa option is far better, plus smaller home they won’t have as much to take care of.

If you take suggestions on a "specific neighborhood" that have backyard fences, as some suggest, Buyer Beware!

Our Realtor alerted us to avoid "an area" as the highest tax rates in the Villages. So glad to have had that Realtor! Who wants to pay MORE taxes?

However, your doggies probably come first, so it may not matter at all to you. Fences are no real deterrent to preditors. Ask any rancher in Ocala!