Some dog Meetups focus on a particular interest or breed, while some of the larger ones offer quite a range, from rescue to picnics to elegant evenings out. Some are extremely specific. Female Small Dog Owners 18 to 30ish in the East Bay, for example, is a social group for young women who own small dogs, while Bay Area Startup & Dog Enthusiasts organizes monthly get togethers for overtaxed techie types who don’t get much time out of the office.
Off-leash hiking in East Bay Regional Parks has inspired many a Meetup group, among them Tri-Valley Active Dogs, Oakland Dog Hikers and Wag N Trails, a friendly, responsible crew that also welcomes dog-less hikers. Outlaw Dogwalkers, based in Marin, even organizes dog-friendly weekend camping trips to national forest destinations.
If Pepper needs a job to keep her focused, check out the training-oriented Cali K9 Meetups, where she can work on everything from basic obedience to advanced tracking. SF Dog Agility invites beginners as well as experienced competitors to train and practice the sport.
If you like socializing with dog owners who share enthusiasm for a particular gene pool, you’ll find lots of company. Beagles by the Bay and Bay Area Beagles are all about meeting other beagles lovers and letting the little hounds play together. In the South Bay, some pit bull folks found their dogs unwelcome in other groups and formed their own, HikeABull , so everyone could hike and socialize happily.
And that’s just the tip of the tail so far as Bay Area dog meetups are concerned. Go to Meetup.com, type “dog” and “San Francisco Bay Area” in the search fields and find a group that matches your interests.
