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Originally Posted by BlueWisteria
Yes I do mean that. I love the teamwork, precision, focus... it's amazing to be able to work with an animal like that.
I used to be part of some clubs when my dog was still alive, but some members had problems with me socially and I was an outcast for the most part in all of them. There was one individual who thought I was suspicious and spent a lot of time scrutinizing me. There were a few times that I was publicly humiliated by this person and I stopped going to meetups. I mostly enjoy training on my own anyway as I am not an extroverted person by any means. I have some pretty severe social anxiety and having a dog is helpful in getting me out and about.
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Did you do obedience, agility, or both (just curious)? Training alone is good, but I've found that it's easier to proof and prepare for competition if I'm also taking classes with my dog.
If you think you may want to join a club again, I suggest that you consider having a friend or family member go to club meetings with you. I've pretty much always had someone go with me to obedience club meetings - having a person there who knows me well helps provide me with a social buffer. I do think it would be a good idea to go to a club other than the one where you had the run-ins with the individual who publicly humiliated you.
You said earlier that there are a lot of social skills involved in finding a dog - have you tried contacting breeders via email initially? I know I find it easier to communicate via email and oftentimes breeders will be willing to do a lot of the initial back-and-forth discussion online. Another option would be to get a rescue dog.