Kansas City Dog Club - How to socialize your dog in Kansas City

Kansas City Dog Club Membership Guidelines

Kansas City Dog Club is an active and fun-loving group of pups and humans. We get together to socialize and share the love for our dogs.

That said, we are a real club, and we have a few guidelines for membership.

MEMBERSHIP GUIDELINES AND REQUIREMENTS

KC Dog Club guidelines break down into four basic rules:

  • Own a dog
  • Be active
  • Be respectful
  • Don’t hide your identity

Own a dog

We’re a club for humans AND their dogs. If you don’t own a dog, we’re not the right club for you. Consider volunteering at a great Kansas City area dog-related non-profit to get some time with the pooches or spend a day at Bar K, where you can meet and play with dozens of dogs all at the same time.

Be Active

We’re a real-life, in-the-flesh social club, so members are expected to be active online and in the real world.

  • Answer all of your profile questions 100% completely
    Club activity starts with your member profile. Your profile is your application to join our club, so the more fun stuff you can add to it, the better.
  • Members must attend at least one scheduled club get-together every three months
    Once a member is inactive for three months, they are likely to never return. KC Dog Club is for members who want to be active on a regular to semi-regular basis.
    NOTE – Become a Sponsoring Member if you cannot commit to attending one get-together every three months. Your Sponsoring Membership fee helps support the club.
  • Stay up to date with messages from the organizers
    We’re an active group, so we have a lot of discussions and notes about club get-togethers. Install the Meetup app (available for iPhone & Android) and turn on the push and email notifications to get all the messages from club organizers.

Be Respectful

We’re a social club, so be kind to other members, and be friendly to other people who are not in the club while attending club get-togethers. As well, if you RSVP to a get-together, show up – on time.

  • Each member is responsible for their own dog
    You know your dog better than anyone. If you have any special requests (need to walk at the back or front, don’t pet her, etc), just let us know. As well, on hikes – we are off-leash friendly, but every city has leash laws – if you get a ticket, you pay it – not the club 🙂
  • Keep your RSVP up-to-date
    If you RSVP YES for an club get-together, but your plans change, update your RSVP to NO. We wait for all members who RSVP YES to show up before we start walks, hikes, walking around the dog park, etc. If you’re not coming, don’t make us wait. New members who “no-show” for their first RSVPed get-together will be removed from the club. Established members who “no-show” two times within a year will be removed. If you RSVP to attend a get-together with the club, you need to meet up with club members, or you will be counted as a “no-show.” The club calendar is not simply a list of dog-related events around Kansas City.

Don’t Hide Your Identity

We’re a social club, for real humans and real dogs – to get-together in real life. Be yourself, your real self.

  • Use your real first name in your profile
    You can leave off your last name, if you like
  • Use a real photo of you on your profile – Your profile photo must be: a clear shot, not “filtered,” from the front, face in center, photo of entire face, looking at camera & no sunglasses
    We’re a social club that gets together in-person. It can get pretty difficult to meet up when members don’t know who they’re looking for. Bonus points – use a photo of you with your pooch!
  • You are the only person on your profile photo
    If you and your significant other want to join the club together, you each need your own profile, rather than a “couples” account. If you don’t want to create an additional account, no problem You can bring them along as a +1 when you RSVP for a get-together, but you will be the club member, not them.

Miscellaneous Guidelines

In addition to our big 4 categories, we have a few additional membership guidelines

  • You may be photographed at KC Dog Club get-togethers
    We love to take photos and videos at club get-togethers to share with the world.
  • KC Dog Club photographs and videos may be used on the KC Dog Club website, social media, and marketing materials
    No, we’re not selling these photos, but we may use them to help promote the club throughout the community and online.
  • Do not sell or pitch your business’s products or services to club members at get-togethers or through online club properties
    If you’re interested in a KC Dog Club sponsorship for your business, please send us an email. When members ask for recommendations, you are welcome to recommend your own service – simply, do not sell & pitch services and/or products to club members.
  • Members who do not follow Kansas City Dog Club guidelines will be removed from the club
    Nobody gets “kicked out” of the club. Simply, members who do not abide by club guidelines default on their membership. We believe in second chances. When a member is removed, they are welcome to request to re-join the club. Organizers may ask to speak with re-joining members before re-approving their membership
  • By joining KC Dog Club, you agree to all club requirements and guidelines at all times

Not the right fit for you?

We understand that Kansas City Dog Club is not right for everyone. If you don’t think our club is the right fit for you, please check out these great options for making dog-lovin’ friends in the Kansas City area.

KANSAS CITY DOG CLUB EVENTS

Kansas City Dog Club’s goal is to host 8+ events each month throughout the Kansas City metro area – a walk during a week night, and a dog-park get-together or hike during a weekend day.

In addition to a weekly walk and weekend events, we regularly schedule these types of events

  • Dog walks all throughout the city
  • Hikes on Kansas City’s great paved and wooded trails
  • Dog Park Get-togethers at great off-leash parks all over the city (FYI – We will always meet in the big dog area when a park has big & small dog sections)
  • Potlucks at members’ homes, with fenced-in yards for the pooches to play
  • We attend dog-related organization charity events as a group
  • Brunches, lunches, and dinners with the dogs
  • We attend pretty much every dog-related festival around Kansas City

KC Dog Club events will have a event host(s). The event host(s) is designated on the event page. Look to the event host for leadership, and to address all questions during the event – on walks and hikes, the event host sets the route.

HOSTING A KANSAS CITY DOG CLUB EVENT

All members are welcome to share dog-related activities and host KC Dog Club events – if you don’t see an event that fits your schedule… We will help you create one!

Any member who has attended at least three KC Dog Club events is encouraged to host an official KC Dog Club event. Contact Travis Pflanz, Lauren Caldwell or Judy Gabriel to host an event.

When you host an event, please follow these guidelines:

When suggesting an event for the KC Dog Club calendar

  • Provide as many details as possible: location, date, time, hike/walk route, etc. Organizers will be happy to help flush out any details you need help with
  • Suggest an event that is at least 1 week away. We’ve tested this many times over the past year – events that are scheduled less than 1 week out are very poorly attended

For all events

  • Arrive on time (or early)
  • If you have a KC Dog Club shirt, wear it
  • Be friendly and welcome each attendee to your event – especially 1st time attendees. It’s a good idea to check out the profiles of new members before events
  • Introduce new members to at least two current members. Help them feel like part of the group
  • Take attendance at the event and mark it on the app, or send an organizer a message listing the people who attended
  • Remember that you are representing KC Dog Club. Be polite to everyone in the club, and everyone who is not in the club
  • If you have an emergency and cannot make it, connect with another member who RSVPed YES and ask them to take over as host
  • Events must be open to all KC Dog Club members

For walks/hikes

  • Stick to the route that is outlined on the event page, if there is one. It’s important that attendees know what length to expect
  • If you’ve set a time-range for the length of the hike/walk on the event page, make sure to finish within that time-frame

For dog park get-togethers

  • Post in the comments section of the event page what you are wearing
  • Post in the comments section of the event page exactly where you are located
  • Stay at this location for at least 15 minutes
  • Overall, stay at the park for at least 45 minutes

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