[sheltiemom]

Are any of you involved with a breed club? I am just curious about what they do primarily. My husband and I are interested in meeting other people in our area with shelties and possibly doing obedience and agility with our boys in the future. I looked into my local breed club, and it seemed like much more serious sheltie people than us though. The application asked questions about titles our dogs have and when we bred our first litter. We don't breed and have only pet quality shelties. Are we looking in the wrong place? We just want to socialize and maybe meet people who can help us get started with agility.

[cshellenberger]

What about a Meetup group? They tend to be a bit more relaxed. Try www.meetups.com That's where I found my Bulldog and Pug meetup groups.

[Snowshoe]

Eventually I will be a member of the Buckeye Keeshond Club.

[tirluc]

i do not belong to a breed club where i can actually go to meetings here...there are no BC breed clubs in WI that i have been able to find and i am quite finnicky in that i won't join one that is into conformation showing of the Border Collie.....i am joining the ABCA soon and will be a part of that and i am involved w/ the dog club (all breed) here in town....

[Shalva]

I think that you might find that the meetups are a better option than the breed club. I do belong to my breed club and am on the conformation committee for the club.... most of the active members of the breed club are show and performance people and breeders, very very few pet people and the meetings are usually business meetings to get things done and not necessarily a time to hang out and play with dogs.... I agree that with teh person who suggested meet ups as a better option.
s

[sheltiemom]

I found an all breed club in my area that I am going to try out. They have agility equipment and do beginning agility and obedience classes. I think I may have to wait a few months though, as my pups are still pretty young.

[Snowshoe]

Well, Keeshonden (the breed I have) and shelties compete in the same size class for agility (16-18 inches).

Your dogs will have to be at least 16 months old to compete, and really that is too young.

Until they are a year, your dogs should not jump. After a year and until they are about two years, they can jump no higher then their elbows.

This is because their growth plates don't fully come together until that time. Jumping could warp the bones and joints, causing damage or deformity.

You CAN enroll in puppy agility at your local breed club. They should offer classes that are very low impact, but still train your puppy for agility.

[OC_Spirit]

I belong to the Siberian Husky Club of Canada. They host all kinds fo things from conformation shows to agility/obedience/rally-o trials, to info booths at different events, to dogsled races and then they have fun gatherings like picnics and ""beach day""