some info about Florida please!!!

[NIKITA & LILO]

Well it's going on 4 weeks to our big move...to FL .
My question is, if you know any info about having dogs down there... like, are dogs allowed in restaurants, stores, and any other public places? are there any doggy beaches in south FL ( boca raton/ Ft. lauderdale area).
Any info You can give me, will be great...

[Yorkie24U]

I know that the beginning of this year there was a pilot program set up by their Governor that allowed well mannered dogs to be with their owners in an 'outside patio' resturant type setting.

You have to watch out for those 'Fire Ants' and fleas down there, they give a nasty bite.Thunder lightning storms, and the heat of the summer to name a few. Maybe you can check out online more information.

Good luck with your move. They have beautiful sunsets there too !

[keri1973]

and don't forget all the hurricane stuff....

[jacky]

I live in Miami. and rule # 1 is, any beach is a dog beach lol especially for the lil guys. DOGS RUN THIS! lol Dont bring a phanny pack, dont take pictures of random objects and dont take tours, because then evrey miami native will automatically hate you. Do not diss A) the miami huricanes, B) Cubans or C)gay people, because you'll most likely get the crap beaten out of you. South beach is all about cars, alcohol,partying and shopping, and at night, its all CLUBING so id recomend, especially to the MIA newbies, to visit southbeach during the day. There are a couple of main parts of miami:
1) Coral gables: where i live. its a great neighborhood, upper class, Shopping,safe, and great for people with dogs
2) Hialeah: just stay out of this place at night, and if possible, stay out of it all the time lol. Not a great place to be
3) Kendall: the suburbs, nice neighborhoods, old people, good for dogs, calm part of miami.
When buying anything whether its food,drink, clothes, ANYTHING, expect to pay twice as much as you would pay wherever you live now.. welcome to miami lol but dont worry, you get used to it and eventually learn shortcuts

WHEN GOING TO THE BEACH,BRING YOUR OWN COOLER WITH WATER,DRINK ECT.. Cuz if you dont, they will charge you 5$ a bottle, and when ur dying of thirst, they'll take advantage.

You dont need a backpack and or/phanny pack to come by south beach. come in a bathingsuit with a tank/shorts. some flipflops, and a beach bag. in the beach bag you put ur camera, some water bottles, towels, wallet, car keys ect..

if your gonna get there during peak tanning hours, expect to pay 20$ for valet or a parking garage and expect to walk to the beach.

there are alot of good schools in miami, i only kno the high school but the top list includes : La Salle High School, Carrolton, Ransom, Belen, Lourdes, Columbus and St.Brendan. those are the best private high schools just incase you have kids

Metro Zoo/Miami Seaquarium: fun places, great for kids, kinda pricey so bring your own water. the zoo is more calm,less crowded and the seaquarium is more fun and exciting and expect to get wet lol

Best places to shop: sunset place and merrick park

Find some one you know who lives in Miami, because thats the best way to get to know the greatest place on earth lol. completly ignore the tour books, because they will lead you to overpriced, boring tourist stops.

[NIKITA & LILO]

thank You guys for all the info... I'll research some more... and off we go..

[ellie81]

Dogs are not allowed in the beaches at Broward County. There is only a section of the beach in Fort Lauderdale where they are allowed; you have to pay a permit fee per day for this.
In general, Fort Lauderdale is dog friendly, especially for small dog owners. If you carry your little ones in carriers, you may be able to go to a lot of stores and malls.

[Believer]

NIKITA & LILO , when will you be here and where abouts will you be living?

You can get an annual pass for the ft. lauderdale beach. And if you live in ft. lauderdale, you get a discount. Most resturants along Las Olas are very pet friendly (not the Cheesecake Factory though). There are lots of great dog parks in the south florida area. So depending on where you will be, will determine which one is right for you.

[YorkieRose]

I live 30 mins north of Ft L...and you can take your dog everywhere in a doggie stroller...toy dogs are everywhere in pocketbooks also...

[vanessa19]

i live in ft myers and my dog goes everywhere with me and there are ALWAYS dogs on the beach! I love florida i was born and raised here!

[furby2000]

Hi there and WELCOME TO FLORIDA!! I live in Miami and love to take my dog with me whenever I can. We often shop at Merrick Place (Coral Gables) where they allow pups of all sizes as long as they are leashed, or Aventura Mall (North Miami) where they allow our little ones as long as they are in carriers. Sometimes when going out at night we take her to Lincoln Road Mall where you can find dogs everywhere!!! They have alot of stores, dog boutiques and outside restaurants that all allow well behaved pups... some even have doggie plates and serve them water and treats..