I want to start by saying I hope you're staying healthy and safe out there! It's hard to believe how things have changed in the past few months. I'm Debbie Bates, and aside from being a Realtor in South Florida since 1998, I am a huge dog lover.

If you're anything like me and have a member of your family who just happens to be a dog, I'll bet he/she is almost like having another child! I'm sure you want to find the perfect home not only for yourself, but for your furry friend. Whether that means finding a home with acreage in Davie, Southwest Ranches or Plantation Acres, a house with a nice sized yard, or a condo that's dog friendly, I will work hard to make both you and your doggie happy!

Here on my SouthFLHomes.com site, you can create your own search or reach out to me and I'll customize it for you. My site will save the first search you run, which I often find needs some tweaking. So have some fun looking, but don't be afraid to reach out to me to fine tune your search. 

A Fort Lauderdale resident since the age of 5, I've watched Fort Lauderdale grow from a small town to one of the largest cities in America. With COVID-19 now a fact of life, I'm finding more people who want to move out of the big cities and into suburban areas. So if you're relocating to the Fort Lauderdale area and don't want big city life, you might want to consider some of the surrounding areas.

Davie, Southwest Ranches & Plantation Acres tend to have the largest lot sizes, including acreage. Cooper City has some acreage, and if you want to be closer to Miami, there are a few sections of Miramar & Pembroke Pines with acreage. On the northern side of Broward County, Parkland has some beautiful lots and acreage. 

Cities surrounding Fort Lauderdale that have good size yards - but typically not acreage, include Plantation & Coral Springs. You can also find some larger lots in Fort Lauderdale and Weston, though you'll probably pay a premium for that large lot. 

If you're looking for dog training or fun things to do with your dog, I'd love to help with some suggestions: 

If you're looking for dog training, check out Command Dog Training. This has been my family's business since the 1970's. Group classes on Wednesday nights include basic obedience, advanced obedience and conformation (show) classes.

The hobby I've fallen in love with, is agility. If you'd like to get into agility, I can tell you that you'll create a great bond with your dog, and you will probably love it as much as your dog does! It's so much fun and is great exercise too. I can suggest agility instructors to you, depending where you're located.

If you're looking for a great dog beach, the best dog beach is in Jupiter. They have 2 miles of beautiful beaches that are dog friendly. There's nothing else like it in South Florida. 

There's also Fort Lauderdale Dog Beach & Hollywood Dog Beach. Fort Lauderdale dog beach is open on Friday, Saturdays & Sundays from 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM during September thru April and 7:00 AM - 8:00 PM during May thru August. You do have to purchase a permit. The dog beach is located just north of Sunrise Blvd, across from Hugh Taylor Birch State Park. 

Hollywood Dog Beach is open Friday, Saturday & Sunday's from 3:00 - 7:00 PM (4:00 - 8:00 PM during daylight savings time). Hollywood Dog Beach is located between Pershing and Custer Streets and you also have to get a permit in order to take your dog here. 

There's a nice clean lake dogs can swim at, operated by Performance Pups in Dania Beach. The lake is crystal clear and there are no alligators, as the north end of the lake is used by Broward College students for Scuba Diving, Windsurfing and Sailing lessons. The south end of the park is run by Performance Pups and you have to check their calendar for the times they are open. COVID-19 caused the lake to be shut down, but they are opening back up with private sessions. 

There are many other fun things you can do with your dog in South Florida. I'm always happy to talk about dogs and Real Estate, so if you're thinking of making a move in the South Florida area, please reach out to me. I'd love to help you and your four legged friend find the home of your dreams!