Summer Wine Club for Dog Lovers

Several years ago I went from being a single dog owner to a 3 dog family in the span of a few weeks. Needless to say I spent more time at the dog park. The same group of dogs and owners were on our schedule. Several of them I knew from the neighborhood and a few had just moved here. We quickly bonded over our dogs and neighborhood politics.

One evening as we were chatting and our dogs were wrestling the idea of getting some wine and ordering pizza together was broached. 5 years and LOTS of wine later, we are still meeting up for a glass of wine and time together. We dubbed these evenings, "Soirees" and they have become very important to all of us. We may not know all about wine but we have fun and so do our dogs.

Here is how to organize your own:

1) Set a regular time/date: For those of us who are busy as bees, once a week or once a month may be a good time. Make sure the time is good for everyone and try to make it a regular thing.

2) Leave the invitations open: This has been the best part of our "Soirees". Anyone and everyone is invited, so if you have a friend in town or someone you want to introduce to your friends they are always welcome. The more the merrier! We always invite anyone else at the dog run to join us as well. Sharing a bottle of wine with 3 friends is just as fun as sharing a case of wine with 25 friends.

3) BYOW (and milk bones): Bring your own wine or take turns bringing it. Wine can get fairly pricey so everyone needs to chip in or bring something to share. Don't forget your furry friends, make sure to have treats and lots of clean water on hand.

4) Location: Remember not to have wine club too far from home. Safety first! We have a little dog run where we meet. We drink wine from plastic cups so we don't end up with glass in the dog run. You may have a few neighbors who would be willing to take turns hosting in their yards. You could even do this in out-door cafes that host "yappy" hours.

5) Dogs: Bringing your dogs and letting them socialize too is so important. Dogs are pack animals and need each other. The more exercise and playtime your dog gets, the happier and healthier it will be.

6) Bring a camera: These evenings will become a wonderful memory and you don't want to forget them! We take pictures of what we are drinking before we open it and enjoy it. One of our friends has a dog who likes to wear a backpack so she makes him carry the cups and we all have his picture happily helping us on our refrigerators. I have always meant to turn these pictures into an album...

7) DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE: The most important part of organizing and enjoying a wine club is doing so safely. The people you want to share this with are probably the most important to you. Take care of them. Luckily we are all walking distance from our little park but my sister's wine group has a designated driver.

It doesn't take much planning to start a wine and canine "soiree" that can turn into a lifelong tradition with friends and family and dogs.