What do other dog owners do with their leisure time when not showing/ working/ exercising their dogs etc?
We've got some time on our hands and need inspiring.......
We're not drinkers so wild pub nights are not really our idea of fun...
We're also not teenagers!
Please feel welcome to share what you all get up to.......within reason maybe?!!! :-)

Thanks.

I love crafting and photography, which I can usually mix in with the dogs too! Grooming is also a huge joy of my life. When I'm not grooming, playing, snuggling, walking, or training my dogs, I'm usually photographing them or making doppelgangers out of felt. ;)

Photography is my main one (usually my dogs or dogs doing agility) although I do a fair bit of swimming too and have recently taken up running (sometimes taking a dog)

Learning to play the harmonica.

One of my friends has recently started archery lessons.

Cards, a local league of a game called EUCHRE
It is once a week, there are many teams of eight players, and several divisions in the league.
I suppose along the lines of bridge or whist, but no intellectual snobbery yet a challenge to pick up and master, as there is a lot of luck as well as skill.

My role so far this my first season, is as stand in for emergencies, at least then there is understanding when I make mistakes....

Karen :)

I like to learn something.  Expand my simple mind.  Think of something that might interest you if you knew more about then learn more about it. 

In my case I spent a couple of years learning all I could about WWII.  Learning it from different perspectives, ie, from the German perspective, the Italians, the Americans, etc.  Interesting stuff, to me at least.

In the past couple of years I have taken to learning about taking control of my financial future.  Specifically, learning to trade stocks and options.  If you could see the performance of my trading account over time period you would agree that I have A LOT to learn.  :)

I like to hike (but that's just walking the dogs!!)lol.  I run a bit and I LOVE Zumba!  My aunt does line dancing and loves this too.
I'm another for learning too.  I love to re-train in other fields and have done for the last 8 years.  Still not sure what I want to be when I grow up!!lol.
I help out with a breed rescue and do home-checks, temperment testing and transport runs which is rewarding.

We enjoy geocaching.  Geography was my favourite subject at school and I have always had a love affair with The Ordinance Survey :) so was delighted to discover this little hobby a few years ago.

Although, obviously, the actually caching is done on a walk, probably with your dogs, I find lots of interest at home in planning our routes.  There are puzzles to solve both at home and out in the field and lots and lots to learn about the places you may visit.

There is quite a social element to it as well if you wish it, at least here in the North West, with meet ups for walks, caching events or just a gathering in a pub for a pint and a pie.  As always some groups seem to be more dog friendly than others.

I'm a mad Dr Who fan so watching episodes and meeting up with my fellow obsessive fans and posting on the DW forum takes a certain amount of my time. :-) I'm also into canals and steam trains, and I sing in a classic choir. And I spend way to much time playing stupid games on Facebook, aargh!!

Eta we used to do a bit of geocaching too, must ask hubby why we stopped!

There seems to be a lot of Dr Who fans that also geocache, or it seems that way on the NW caching forum. Or maybe there are just a lot of Dr Who fans! :)

I am still looking for my leisure time lol

That's easy, it's the time you spend having fun instead of bothering with housework! :-D

:) thanks lucydogs

You mean there is a life outside of dogs!!

Have been racking my brains to think of things I do in my leisure time but they all involve a dog,agility,showing,obedience and walking.

Makes me sound like a real sado (daughters keep telling me that i'm a crazy dog lady) and must find an activity to do without a dog.

Would love to learn how to play the piano but as I,'m tone deaf I think that will just remain a fantasy!

Hope you find something

Um.. well..

All bar one of my many 'work things' is dog related. (the one that isn't er, sometimes is too! depends on who hires me to write what really, so far its just been copy writing for the beauty trade though!).

So if I am not making dog collars and leads, and I am not doing dog behaviour stuff, and I am not walking or grooming or training my OWN dogs...

Um. Sleep?

I read books - until I fall asleep with my face in them. I currently am addicted to DrawSomething on my iPod...

Ooh ooh.. I watch Coronation street... *wanders off in disgust, I am only 32, life was meant to be massively  more exciting than this? Can I get a refund?*

Life is what you enjoy sounds pretty good to me

Interesting thread. :)

I garden love it. Also swim once a week or so - not social though either of them. Adore reading now have a kindle and find myself addicted and reading things I would never really pick up as a book. I have also discovered I like travelling.
Looking to explore the UK a little more myself just posted a thread about it too.

> What do other dog owners do with their leisure time

Leisure time??? Can someone please explain.
*Walks off scratching head*
Oh yes, i remember now, what i used to do when i had that thing called 'spare time' lol
Reading, gardening, home improvements, swimming, fitness classes-legs,bums,tums, body combat etc.

Other hobbies i know friends/family indulge in:
Cross stitch, knitting, card making, quilt making, going to craft fairs - for the arty crafy people
Cooking &/or experimenting with recipes
Making homemade gifts - think Kirsty Allsopp did a programme about it. Making bath bombs etc
Learning about ICT
Walking club

Mine are reading, making leather stuff - part leisure, part job - playing silly games on PC, general knowledge crosswords and Amateur Radio (major hobby for about 15 years then dropped but now just getting back into), and just started getting back into (should that be ONto ) horse riding. Thats apart from anything to do with Dog.