Leading from another post (lea and paula you naughty ladies :) ) I thought it might be interesting to hear if anyone found their true love through owning their dogs be it on walks or clubs and shows.

My story started when I bought my Newfie 3 years ago. I use to take him out across the local field which he loved but he loved them to much and started to refuse to walk home just laying down with cotton wool in his ears. I tried everything to get him to walk out of the fields from treats of every type to even thinking about the use of a wheel barrow :)
I would have to wait till someone came along with a dog and only then would he get up and then I would have to ask them to help me home with them.
This is when I met the lady of my dreams who at that time had a yellow and black lab. Every morning I would met up with her and she walk walk along side me and help me home with my boy. Nine months I walked with her getting to know her untill Christmas when she asked me round for an evenings drink and chat. Yes I'm a shy chap so she made the first move. Well 2 years on and I'm still deeply in love with her and if it were not for my dog and this lazy behaviour I would never have met her. I wonder if my boy knew what he was doing?
Well thats my story on how true love was found thanks to my boy.

Oh isn't that a lovely story :-)

No romance story but the first time I went to stay with Mike my now husband I took my two Labs with me and as he opened the door they barged through and made themselves at home , I think he took the hint we were there to stay :-p !

I met my husband really through my dogs over 10 years ago or they were a big part of it.   My husband was a freind of my friend's husband  ( hope that makes sense) . So I occasionally saw him at my freinds house or evenings out etc.

First time I met him (as in spoke to him one to one without my freinds there)  was when my old boxer sneaked out the front door of my new house.  A silly man got down on his knees and try to catch her. Very silly thing to do to a boxer as they just run you over as he soon found out. Lying flat out and the boxer jumping all over him. 

2nd time (which was weeks after the 1st time I met him)  I was out walking the dogs and I bumped into him leaving my freinds house as I was passing by.  ( I would walk passed my freinds house and she would come out and join me with her dog almost daily for a couple of years).    Anyway we got chatting (I was probably still being apologetic after my dog running him over.) He asked if he could tag along on the walk and so he did.

I think a week or so after that my freind and I had arranged to go out for a drink and I was to pick her up in my car , when I arrived at the door and gave a toot out came my freind's husband's freind.  My freind was up to no good of course, she told me later that  her and her husband decided for me, that we were actually well suited in so many ways.  

I think the weeks that followed were filled with dog walking :-)  nothing else,  being honest I was really really not looking for someone so was a little resistant to it all.

We were married about 3 years later and been together nearly 10 years.

I met my husband through the dogs.
He worked at a kennels for a greyhound trainer and I worked there a few years later at the boading kennels. I knew of him through the people with the kennels. In 1991 he had 5 Bullmastiffs at crufts and could only transport 4 of them & so myself and the owner of the kennels took the 5th dog. (The one we took with us got BOB too) ....I became good friends with him & bought a pup off him, we started going out, then shortly after got married. we've been married 14 years now.

I met my OH through dog shows.  I show poodles and my friend shows bernese and poodles, unfortunately my friend had to have a big operation for cancer, shortly after her operation she got an invite to show her bernese at the Southern Bernese Clubs 'Bernese of the year' comp down near London.  She was really disappointed she couldn't go as although it wasnt for another month or so she still wouldnt have been fit to drive that far (we are in ayrshire) so I offered to drive her down to the competition if she really wanted to go.  Now although we travel to shows together I would never have gone down to something like that with her.  So off we went to the competition, booked into a nice hotel as there was a dinner dance after the bernese of the year comp which was where I met the chairman of the bernese club, who is now my other half.  We had such a lovely evening that we exchanged phone numbers but purely as friends and thought I would prob never hear from him.  The following week I was involved in a bad car crash and ended up in hospital, he happened to phone and invited me down to Bournemouth for a few days to recover.  For the next year I flew down to Bournemouth every 2nd wknd then after a year he got a job transfer up to Scotland where he has been for the past 4 years :)  Now I would never wish an illness like that on my friend but if she hadnt had cancer I would never have met him :) :)

Such wonderful stories, and very inspiring :-) I've often heard that dogs are a great way to meet people - but I often wonder how many men out there could put up with me and my four hooligans! :-P

These tales do give a girl hope though :-)

i met my OH through dog shows too almost two years ago now, i moved in (quite a distance West somerset to cardiff ) quite quickly.Im still here!!!!

I was judging, he made a remark, i blushed, then he got my friend (his Ex from WHEEEEEYYYYY back) to match make!

Cos his older,there was some concern on here that it wouldnt work, but two years (in may) isnt bad going & im sure it will continue longer than that ;)

Ahh minipeace that is such a sweet story.

Unfortunately I'm still single so the dogs aren't working!!!  Used ot have a toy breed and thought that was why I wasn't finding true love at any shows, went into gundogs and still haven't, maybe this will change now that my breeds with the big boys and we'll be noticed more, he, he!

Started Cani-Crossing also so who knows maybe one day this way.  Even thinking of getting one of my dogs pet passported so that I can maybe do a holiday next year in Spain or France and do some Cani-Crossing there!

Sob!! Stuart, man of my dreams, how could you???!!!
:)

Even though I knew my now fiance (our sons were best friends), we only got to know each other when he got his dog, from a pet shop, I might add - obviously I had to show him the error of his ways!!  Anyway, because he'd never had a dog before and knew I had 2, he rang me for advice about 12 times in the first two days after he'd got Jack.

Anyway, we started walking the dogs together and eventually I asked him out (he had made it known that he liked me quite a lot,but was too shy to ask me out, otherwise I wouldn't have dared!). Three years later we've just moved in together and now have a household of 6 kids, 4 dogs and a cat!! (and we're planning to run away and get married next month!)

Slightly off track............. well opposite end of the scale really. :-)

But, I unfortunately through my dog found a stalker.

I'm one of those people who is friendly with anyone and will happily pass the time of day with other dog walkers and one day I bumped into this man with a lab, of course I had to stop and pet the dog and make a fuss of it, had a little chat with the bloke, before I knew it he would always be waiting for me in the field for us to walk together.

I know alarm bells should have been ringing and to be honest they were, but I convinced myself I was being sexist and if it were a female would I be worried? He knew I was happily married as I'd slipped it into conversations just to make things clear, but I have many male and female dog walking buddies and I'd never had a bad experience.

Anyhow, to cut a very long story short, he became a real problem invading my personal life and in the end I needed an injunction, an angry husband, brothers and mother, (that was the final nail in the coffin :-D) to get him to leave me alone.

It did leave me very wary of ever speaking to another man on dog walks, but over the years, I have come to realise he was just a nut job and most people are just normal and enjoy a little company on a walk and nothing more. :-)

For those of you who find love through your dogs, that is wonderful, but just watch out for the weird too. :-)

aww to everyone and their lovely stories (except carrington, ohh your poor thing, its a horrible thing to have happen, a family member of  mine had a stalker and its scary stuff). yet another reason for people to get lovely doggies lol

What lovely stories these all are!! I didn't meet my OH through dogs, but when we were getting to know each other we had a long conversation about dogs. He was very up on his breeds and as soon as I knew he had a passion for dogs I knew he was the one for me :-) Davina McCall met her now husband when they were walking their dogs in a park in London, I remember her telling the story on the radio! When I was much younger, I used to meet a lovely bloke out with his dogs when I was doing my dog walking - at the time I always thought it was a very romantic situation, but nothing ever came of it!

Wow thank you all for sharing your stories. For those who are still looking I am sure your knight in shinning armour will sweep you off your feet one day.
Sorry to hear about your story Carrington. Big hug X X

> For those who are still looking I am sure your knight in shinning armour will sweep you off your feet one day.

Or more likely, with my lot, he'll come round the corner as my dogs sweep me off my feet and he'll have to pick me up out the mud! :-D

I certainly didnt meet my OH through my dogs - he is allergic to them

> Or more likely, with my lot, he'll come round the corner as my dogs sweep me off my feet and he'll have to pick me up out the mud!

now see thats a potentially wonderful story...

I et my boyfriend through flyball. I  knew him for about 2 years before he broke up with his girlfriend. One thing led to another and we ended up going out together. Its nearly been a year and we are both very happy and very suited. Only time will tell if it will last though!

Well I didn't meet my OH through my dog, as we were together long before we bought Stitch, but dogs definitely help me to make friends.

Although I'm quite a confident person, I find it hard to make friends, as I don't really like going out pubbing and clubbing very much, and most people my age (late 20's) seem to want to do this a lot. I sometimes feel like I don't have much in common with people either.

Since I've been going to a training club with Stitch I've made a few friends there, no-one really close, but people I could call up for a natter, or go out for an occasional drink with or just go out dog walking with. I also find it helps that I've got some common ground with people at the club - we've all got dogs!! :-)

It's been great reading the romantic stories though - I think maybe dogs are quite good at matchmaking.

>Although I'm quite a confident person, I find it hard to make friends, as I don't really like going out pubbing and clubbing very much, and most people my age (late 20's) seem to want to do this a lot. I sometimes feel like I don't have much in common with people either.

This is exactly how I feel except early 20's at Uni so I feel like a right loner :(

I wish I was able to go to training classes but my dog won't get out of the house (at the moment - behaviourist appointment tomorrow).

There is hope for me yet reading this thread as I have never had a boyfriend and feeling really low about it at the moment when everyone is discussing Thursday.

Anna

Anna - i can sympathise that was me last year. Don't worry it does happen eventually. I was 24 before i started going out with anyone. I got my first dog at 18 so luckily met a few friends through dog training but they were all much older than me. Trouble i found was that most metn that were involved in dog training were usually attached.

Thanks Lucyandmeg,

I find that everyone in dogs I meet is older than me unfortunately.

It is nice to hear that I am not the only one who is taking much longer than anyone else to find someone.

Thanks
Anna

Guys dont worry. be happy with yourself and someone will soon come along.
Im 21 (nearly 22) and have had several serious relationships and a few not so serious. They are all learning curves, but unfortunately learning through your mistakes isn't the nicest thing to go through. It is unlikely when you are younger that you are going to meet someone and it be serious and you stay together. you have lots more things going for you in your favour when your older. For example you are more settled, earn your own money, know where you want to go in life, are independant (a big big bonus!).
On the topic of finding love:ive never found love through my dog, but got talking to some very handsome men because of Fred. I've also turned a few men from poodle haters to poodle lovers!!A couple of my exes said they hated poodles then met him and absolutely fell in love. One chap used to beg me to let him take Fred for a walk!!
Enjoy your life and more importantly-your dogs, and very soon mr/mrs right will come your way :-)

Hey, there's plenty of time to meet someone, I met and married my OH at 38 and we will have been happily married for 9 years next month.  I don't think that if we had met in our twenties/early thirties we would have been interested in each other, but I think as you get older your interests and views on life etc change, eg in my twenties I was the good time party girl, out every night etc, my OH doesn't drink, hates beer and wine and really cannot be bothered with it.  Parties scare him to death - lol.  Now I'm older I've become at real 'stay-at-home', the odd glass of wine occasionally is enough now.  I never thought I would own dogs either!  Life can change very quickly.  Love can and does sneak up on you and catch you out, probably when you least expect it.  :D

anna don't feel down! listen i'm not mad on the clubbing/pubbing thing either (the occasional girls night with my flatmate etc is all), you;ll find folk who like to do the things you like to do, no point in trying to connect with folk you;ve nothing in common with! besides pubs/clubcs...not the best for actual boyfriend prospects...

boys come when least expected... i had been pretty much single since i was 16 with a few daliances but no one special. i was convinced i'd never meet someone and would be miserable forever.  i had a really good friend that everone though i was secretly seeing, i wasn't and it really hadn't crossed my mind. then one day we were having breakfast after i had handed in a morning essay (he got up to come and keep me company) and i it just struck me that i was being an idiot... he was always there for me, was sweet, funny, very smart- duh! now lovely sweet liam and i are heading towards our first anniversary and moving in in June. just when your considering the nunnery they turn up, honestly.

and thursday! gah!! i hate it! its so tacky! (sorry to those who like it but i'm having a rant-single people please enjoy)

why oh why do we celebrate a guy getting stoned to death (i think?) by sending people cheesy cards? it makes no sense and has no foundation other than capitalism desperately seeking more ways to make money. besides, i feel that if i really need a special day to be nice to someone that i'm in a relationship with there must be something seriously wrong with that relationship. i will be celebrating valentines day by going to class then doing overtime (granted with my bf) then i am making homemade fishcakes for him when i get home- why? because its the day i have the time, no other reason. liam is taking time off, missing the football (his first love and the other woman in our relationship lol) and spending a fortune to take me to crufts next month, could a tacky card show he loves me more? i doubt it.

who will join me in my valentines boycott?

sorry rant done.

As a confirmed single I will :D

hurrah! going to start a thread rather than hijack this one

right, new thread up!

Not quite found boyfriend tough the dogs as such but it's one thing we have in common is our love for them!  Although he loves the rescue crossbreed and I'm much more of a pedigree person :)  Could see future house being full of my show dogs and his cross breeds mixed together all over the sofa's! :D