The Best Facebook Groups for Dog Parents to Join

Melissa Bigknife
Aug 13, 2024
3 min read

1. Dog Moms of [your local city or state]

These groups are hands down awesome. They are great for recommendations on local dog parks, vets, groomers, trainers, and more! I’ve found some of our favorite dog-friendly hiking spots and even some pet photographers from our local dog mom group. It’s also nice to find like-minded (and by that I mean other people who are equally as obsessed with their pups as you are) to talk to, vent to, get advice from, or make new friends for yourself and your pups.

Here are a few of the larger, more active groups I’ve found for different cities & states:

2. Pet Vet Corner

If you’re not in this group, join it NOW. This group is so informative, educational, and helpful, but there are strict rules for how posts & replies must be formatted. Dog parents ask questions, and vets answer them to the best of their ability. Now, can this replace a physical visit to a vet? Absolutely not. But it can be a great resource while you’re waiting to get your pet an appointment, determine if your issue warrants a trip to the emergency vet, or if you just want a second opinion. The most important (and probably best) thing about this group is that ONLY vets approved by the admins can comment on posts. It’s a great way to sort out the bullsh*t and get straight to the valuable, science-backed, education information.

3. Dog Food Nerds of Facebook

If you’re the dog mom I know you are, then you’ve probably gone down the “what’s the best type of food should I be feeding my dog” path many, many, MANY times. Diet is SO important and there are SO many diet options out there to choose from, each having their pros and cons (or at least most). Bottom line is that it’s hard to sift through what’s fact and what’s trending. This group discusses the ins and outs of everything going on in the world of dog food.

It has been a great resource for me over the past 2 years while the FDA was looking into the link between grain-free diets and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Dobermans are predisposed to DCM so, as a Dobie mom, this topic was super important to me.

4. Veterinarian > Google

Like Pet Vet Corner, this page is run by vets, for free. They discuss a lot of general questions and topics that dog parents commonly ask their vets. They are also there to help with any health and behavior questions (again, keep in mind it should not be used in place of a vet visit).

5. Dog Training Groups

Everyone has their own views and opinions on the correct way to train a dog. I personally believe in balanced dog training (combining reward-based techniques with aversive consequences) so I am a part of a few different types of groups. Here are a few of the ones I like:

Disclaimer: No Nonsense Dog Training is not for the easily offended. It also happens to be my favorite group on this list.

6. Various Breed-Specific Groups

These groups are great to help you learn more about your dog’s breed or mix of breeds. There are usually a lot of helpful people who can give you insight behind the breed history, health problems, tendencies, and more. Even if your dog is just a small percentage of a specific breed, it can have an effect on their health or personality. I am personally a part of a few general Doberman groups that discuss general topics and post a lot of fun Dobie photos (can’t get enough of that), a group specifically focused on Doberman health, and a few groups focused on DCM (dilated cardiomyopathy) because I want to stay in the know on the latest conversation and have or offer support to others.

6a. Doberman Ear Taping Methods “The Original”

Not just for Dobermans! This group will likely not apply to many of you but if you are planning to crop or have recently cropped, I highly recommend joining this group. The knowledge they offer is so helpful to so many owners working through the ear crop & posting process. They are there to help all owners with breeds who are commonly cropped, not just Dobermans owners.