The Point Was Never The Package
If you've been around for a while, you've probably heard me talk about a certain monkey study at least once... or ten times.
The short version is that the monkeys who consistently spent time with the same social group developed stronger relationships and healthier social skills than the monkeys who were constantly shuffled between new groups. The takeaway has always been that quality matters more than quantity. A handful of meaningful connections will almost always outperform a hundred surface-level ones.
That's one of the reasons I've been hesitant to break apart Social Club.
And yes, I know. Some people might call it overthinking. I prefer to call it being intentional.
One thing you'll learn about me is that I put a tremendous amount of thought into the things I offer. Programs aren't thrown together because they sound fun, trendy, or like something people might buy. They're built with a purpose. I spend a lot of time thinking about what experience I'm trying to create, what values it supports, and whether it's actually helping people and dogs move toward something meaningful. Maybe it's not overthinking. Maybe it's discernment. Either way, there is a reason behind almost everything I do.
Social Club was intentionally structured as a package because community was always the goal. Not networking. Not collecting acquaintances. Community.
I wanted people and dogs to see the same faces, build familiarity, develop trust, and create the kind of relationships that are supportive, sustainable, and lasting. To me, community isn't about knowing a lot of people. It's about having a few people you can count on. The same is true for our dogs. Repeated positive experiences with familiar dogs often create far more growth than constantly meeting new ones.
That said, I also understand that life happens. Summer schedules get busy. Kids get sick. Vacations pop up. Work gets chaotic. Sometimes people want to participate but hesitate to commit because they're worried they won't get the full value out of something they paid for. I never want the structure of a program to become the reason someone doesn't participate at all.
So after a lot of consideration, I've decided to open many of these offerings up individually.
This wasn't a decision I made lightly. My hope is that this creates more flexibility while still maintaining the integrity of what Social Club was built to accomplish. Because while I'm willing to adjust the structure, I'm not willing to lose sight of the purpose.
My core values have never been novelty, entertainment, or simply trying new things for the sake of trying them. I'm much more interested in creating something meaningful, supportive, sustainable, and lasting.
So my hope is that people don't just dabble. I hope you come back. I hope you get to know people. I hope you find training partners, hiking buddies, people to celebrate wins with, and people who understand the challenges you're working through with your dog. I hope you use these opportunities to become part of the community we've begun building together.