What food do I give my dog? How did you get potty training to work? Where should I get my dog groomed? One way to get the answers to your questions is to read articles and blog posts like this one. Blogs allow you to comment and interact with other people. This is a great way to form a community. While developing an online community is great, finding a local one where you can chat and get together with fellow dog lovers takes it up a notch. You can even take it a step further and look for groups that have the same breed of dog as you.
So why join a local community? Joining a local community is not just for your dog, but for you! Joining a local community of people that have the same dog breed as you can be beneficial in many ways. It allows your dog to play with others that look and act like them. Each dog breed has its unique characteristics. I have an Australian Shepherd. Meeting with other Aussie’s is awesome because they like to herd and have high energy, so they interact well when they are together. And let’s be honest, it’s just fun watching fifty Aussie’s all running around in groups picking who to herd next! For the owner, having a community gives the opportunity to socialize, share stories, and ask for advice from fellow dog lovers. There is nothing wrong with communicating with others on Facebook or Blogs, but there is just something about being face to face with someone and having a conversation, seeing facial expressions, and emotions.
So, now you ask how can I join a local community? I found the easiest way was to search on Facebook. The Youtube video below shows you how to do the search. In the search bar I typed South Florida Australian Shepherd pages and two popped up. I clicked join and it asked a few questions and provided the guidelines to the group. It was as easy as that! I am able to post questions and interact with others on their posts. This is also where I see 1-2 events a month for get togethers in my area. You can also create an event and invite everyone in the group! Since I live in South Florida I can create a beach event, or invite the group to meet up at a local dog park. As you attend events you will start to see some of the same people and you can make play dates for your dogs. Now if you search your area and can’t find a group you can create a page and start your own! You know what they say…... If you build it they will come! You can also do the same search on Instagram. I follow another group on Instagram.
This last weekend we attended an event featured in the Youtube video above. It was so fun watching my dog run around with other Aussies. It was fascinating seeing all the different sizes and colors of the breed. I met a lot of nice people and was able to answer a question someone had about grooming. I even had another Aussie mom tell me our dogs needed a play date. It was just fun trading stories about our fur babies and fully understanding because we all have the same breeds. As I was leaving the event a lady, who I had been speaking with earlier, told me about another event happening in the city for dogs. I would never have known about it if I had not attended this event. So, get out there, find your community or start your own. There are so many reasons why it’s a great idea, but one of the biggest is it’s FUN and makes for a great support network!