Summer's here, let's meet fellow dog parents!

Hi all, as we approach the second week of July, and head into the middle of the summer – the season of beautiful weather and enjoying the outdoors, I wanted to share some great ways to meet other fellow dog parents. The following tips have worked for not only me, but for friends of mine who have found their close friends through these methods:

• Dog parks – these places are great as they provide the environment to take off the leash and let your dog run around, allowing them to build socialization skills.  Secondly, this brings the opportunity to meet new fellow dog parents. You can ask a neighbor or simply do a google search to find the closest dog parks near you.

• Group training classes – whether you’re signing up as brand-new puppy parents for puppy kindergarten or introducing your adult doggo to new concepts of training, these group classes are a great environment to chat and share some laughs with other dog parents as you all watch your dog’s try out new tricks with the trainer. Although my dogs haven’t participated at Petco, I’ve shopped while these training classes were taking place and from what I observed, it was a great time all around.

• Facebook groups – for those of you who are on Facebook, you can do a search for dog groups, there are tons of them! Some groups include: dog rescue groups, pet advice/support groups, veterinary advice groups, local park meetups, and so on. These groups can become a great source of information, advice and connect you with people that may live within minutes from you and you never knew!

• Walks in your neighborhood – ok I know you’re probably thinking ‘this is so obvious’. But the truth is, some people work long hours and may need to hire dog walkers, or maybe they’re new to the neighborhood and just haven’t ventured out yet. Whatever the situation is, give yourself and your dog a chance to get out in the neighborhood – this not only forms a nice bond between you and your dog, but it allows you to meet new faces and strike up a conversation. Eventually you’ll settle into a nice routine and probably bump into the same folks - as you most likely share similar walking time schedules. Over time, you’d be surprised at what great friendships can develop just by the doggos bringing people together.

• Restaurants that welcome dogs – there’s nothing more I love seeing while out on a nice night, than outdoor dining with folks enjoying everything around them and their pups relaxing on the ground next to them. With the beautiful summer weather comes lovely outdoor dining with our doggos, which not only means you can strike up a friendly conversation with the folks next to you, but you can even be walking by with your dog, and if both dogs hit it off – well then there’s definitely smiles and laughs coming right after.

So there you have it, just sharing my insights onto some great ways to meet fellow dog parents while we have these beautiful warm weather months. Now go on, grab your pup’s leash, and get them ready for some fun times ahead. Cheers to you, and cheers to new friends :)