Hello everyone, my name is Layla and I have extreme social anxiety so I'm sorry if I come off as weird.

I'm turning 18 in less than a month and I have been in the dog community for a little over 2 years yet I have 0 friends who share this interest.
I have no idea where to start, I have no connections and generally I'm quite overwhelmed with trying to find a starting point.

If anyone would like to chat or be friends, feel free to send me a PM!
I also have Discord and my user is Yanz#3301
my Instagram is Jamiebriar7
and you can find me on facebook under Layla Yanz, my profile picture being of my adorable little mutt :)

Thank you <3

I know u have social anxiety but would u be alert to start a conversation with anyone when u walk your dog?
Or could u think about joining a training class? Speak to the trainer first and explain your ussues ?
Fb is often a good place to make online friends but be careful ..
There are number of groups on fb who are dog orientated

Most cities/counties will have a local Facebook dog/walking group.

Real friends take time (years) to become real friends, I think in todays instant gratification culture people think you can pick friends up instantly, it doesn't work like that (or not very often). You can't post for friends online and hope they will be real friends, and by real friends I mean those people that will always be there for you, that you can call in an emergency, or at 3 in the morning if you have exciting news to share.

Friends take time and work, my friends fall in different categories. I have work friends, some that I've worked with for 20 years, they're good pals, we share a lot, we laugh and we commiserate. We'll help each other out when possible and we'll sometimes go on nights out together, but even they are not real friends. If I left work I doubt we'd keep in touch, maybe for a while but we have very different lives/interests.

My real lifelong friends I've met through my dogs, some that I've been friends with for over 40 years, we met at obedience classes, chatted for a few years at class, shared transport to competitions and gradually became very good friends. Then I have friends that I met when I started showing 34 years ago, again a long slow process, chatting to people at ringcraft or shows, starting off just by complimenting their dogs or asking questions. Not with the intention of making friends, that just happens.

If you don't compete or go to classes with your dog then try to walk at the same time and the same route every day, when you meet fellow dog walkers think of something nice to say about their dog, she's so sweet, I love her ears, what a pretty colour, where did you get that collar from? Build on that every day. you're not looking for friends but chatting to strangers means you're not alone or lonely. I know it's hard, but if you make it all about the dogs you can do it, and the more you do it the better you'll get.

Agree with this.

Most of my friendships are dog activity related.

I moved 3 years ago, and locally have made one friend, due to the dogs.

All my dog friends came from taking part in dog activities lik shows and flyball.

Hi Layla, do you take your own dog to any canine activities? Obedience Training, agility, or scentwork would probably be the most accessible. Why not have a look online for those in your area?  Both you and your dog could have fun learning new things with other owners and their dogs.

Or is there a dog rescue kennels near where you live, or that you can get to? If so, I would suggest you contact them and see if they need a volunteer to help care for the dogs. You would find that everyone else there shares your interest in dogs, and  the focus would be mainly on the dogs and their needs. Hopefully you would be able to make friends there with like-minded people, and find out about the various activities you can do with your own dog. Best wishes.