Years ago when I first got on the information super-highway, I never thought it would be what it is right now. A resource for finding information - sure, keeping in touch with email - great, making friends with people I’d never met because we had the same kind of dog - umm, no. In fact, until a couple of years ago, I would have thought you a little crazy to suggest it. I had a beautiful husky that passed away in 2003 and I was looking for another dog. I found the Shiba and was in love. After I found Jazz, I heard about a site called meetup.com and found out that there were groups of people with the same type dog that met at local dog parks….so, I tried it out. From there, a couple of friends introduced me to a forum that was just about Japanese dogs. I found hundreds of people willing to share their experiences about their dog and to help out other people just getting involved in the breeds.
This forum has helped me with food choices, training choices, and behavior choices. They’ve consoled me when things didn’t work out and encouraged me to keep trying. They’ve helped a member get a great start on her business. In 10 days, I’m going to be meeting up with several of them after a drive of 6 hours to get there. Last year, I drove to PA for a meetup. Several of my friends drove to WI (some 20 hours for a couple) to meetup with other forum members. I’m thankful for the people God has placed in my life…even if it is through the internet. Jazz has benefitted from it, too - without the internet, I never would have found her breeder and been able to bring her home.
My challenge for dog owners is to look for those forums - they can help out, but be aware, not all forums are created equal. Find those meetup groups, get to know people…after all, we only have a short time on this little planet.
