Meetup.com: A great way to find other dog lovers

Have you ever gone to the local dog park and found yourself surrounded by a dozen or more dogs that are all the same breed and wondered what is going on? You probably went on a day when there was a breed-specific meet up happening.

More and more people and their dogs schedule play dates. It helps the owners make new friends and the dogs feel comfortable and balanced playing with the same pack.

^{Snickers at the NYC Shiba Inu Meet Up}

So your dog could use some friends… and hey, why not you too? There’s nothing wrong with more friends, right? And maybe you’ll meet someone who also dances to Katy Perry in their living room with their dog too!

Anywho…

You can find a like-minded person on any social network but one that is no frills and straight to the point is Meetup.com. It’s very simple to join and easy to search for groups that may interest you. If you can’t find a group, you can create one.

How does it work?

Create your profile; enter your zip code and being searching for groups that are relevant to your interests. Some of the dog groups are breed specific and others are size oriented. Once you join a group, you’ll get emails of when there is a meet up scheduled and can leave messages on the discussion board.

It’s simple, easy, and takes no time at all to find like-minded people. Chances are there is a dog group in your town, city, or nearby that meets regularly. You can make a few new friends and find a pack for your dog that will become a second family for him/her.

There are a lot of dog groups on meetup.com. There are a lot of dog lovers in the world. It’s a great way to connect. Here are a few of the dog groups we found:

The P-Town Pee-wees Small Breed (under 20lbs) Play Group is located in Portland, Oregon this group has 423 members and has had 74 meet ups to date and typically meets on Sundays. Their next meet up will be the 14th of February at 11am at the Woodstock Ball Field located in SE Portland.

NYC Yappy Hour™: This is a wine and canine group in New York City. Their meet ups are held in indoor areas where dogs are allowed to play and people bring wine and socialize. It’s for dog owners who have dogs under 25lbs and sponsored by Happy Dog NYC, a boarding, daycare company located in New York.

Atlanta Unleashed is a group located in Atlanta, Ga has play dates and on-leash hikes in Georgia’s beautiful State and National Parks. Their meet ups are casual with the next meet up scheduled at Pickneyville Dog Park on February 20th at 2pm.

If you’re in Seattle, you may want to check out the Seattle Rhodesian Ridgeback Group. Everyone in the group owns a Rhodesian Ridgeback and adores the breed. If you have a Ridgeback, this is a great group to join. The other owners share advice about exercise, activities, and breed behavior. Their next meet up is scheduled for Feb 6 at Red Town Trailhead (Cougar Mountain) at 8am.

San Diego has a deaf dog meet up group that has play dates and raises awareness about how to care for a deaf dog and what a great pet a deaf dog can be with some alternative training tips.

NYC and Portland, Or have Shiba Inu meet up groups for those of us who love the tough, cat-like breed and their “shiba scream.”

In Chicago, there are several dog meet up groups. A small dog group is meeting on February 7 at the Stay Dog Hotel for an indoor play date, to attend you must join the meet up group and have a smaller dog that weighs 35lbs or less. Have you ever seen a Great Dane and a Shih Tzu try to play? It’s silly. This is why small dog play groups are great, the energy levels are usually the same, body language is in tune, and it’s very funny to watch a pack of small dogs run around.

Joining meetup.com to find dog groups is a great way for your dog to get exercise and make new friends. You may make a few new friends too!

Whatever group you find, your dog will thank you for it.