Today I am participating in the Third Annual Pet Blogger Challenge sponsored by Go Pet Friendly!


Pet Blogger Challenge Jan. 10

This is an event for pet bloggers to share information and tips by answering a series of questions.

Since this is my first time participating, I am answering the set of questions assigned to first timers.

Here goes…

1. When did you begin your blog?

February 2009

2. What was your original purpose for starting a blog?

I started the blog as a hobby and to update family and friends about things we were doing with our dogs and their extended dog family.  I posted maybe twice a month and some months I did not post at all.  I limited myself to “newsworthy” items.

3. Is your current purpose the same?

Yes and no.

If not, what’s different?

I found that my readers are very receptive to learning about the field training we are doing with our dogs.  Many of my readers had never heard of this type of training.  I try to inform and educate, (in a fun way), about the value of training a dog for the purpose for which it has been bred.  I include the ups and the downs of our training/testing.  This type of training is a learning process for us and I try to share it all with my readers.

More broadly, I try to encourage people to do find something they enjoy doing with their dogs and get out and do that activity.  I have found that a lot of people have something in mind that they would like to do with their dogs, but are intimidated and don’t know how to get started.  I hope that by following our journey, they will feel like they can find that agility class, or an obedience class, or a dock diving venue and have fun with their dogs.

If so, how do you feel you’ve met your goals?

My blog is still my hobby. 🙂

4. How often do you post?

I try to post Monday through Friday.

5. Do you blog on a schedule or as the spirit moves you?

On schedule.

If you publish on a schedule, why? How strict are you about your publishing deadlines? What do you do for inspiration when it feels like you’ve covered every topic?

I try to post each morning because the timing works for me.  I participate in a few blog hops which help to inspire me and keep me on schedule.  I have many ideas for blog topics, but often run out of time to write them.

If you don’t publish on a schedule, why? How do you think your decision affects your audience? How do you know when a topic is “post-worthy?”

As far as a post being “post-worthy”, I tried that the first year or so of this blog and found that I got too bogged down in deciding what was “post-worthy” to actually post.  I gave that idea up because it did not work for me.

6. How much time do you spend writing your blog per week? How much time visiting other blogs? Share your tips for staying on top of it all.

I average about an hour per post or 5 hours per week.  Some posts take longer to write and proof than others but an hour a post is average.  I usually spend about 2 hours per day reading (Monday through Friday), so maybe 10 hours per week.  I have no tips to stay on top of it because I am always behind in my reading.  I have limited time and I try to get around to read and comment as time allows.

7. How do you measure the success of a post and of your blog in general (comments, shares, traffic)?

If someone learns something new or sees something in a different light, then I consider the post a success.

Do you look strictly at the numbers, or do you have a way of assessing the quality of those interactions?

See above.

8. If you could ask the pet blogging community for help with one issue you’re having with your blog, what would it be?

How do you make your blog’s Facebook page and twitter feed work together with your blog rather than just repeating blog posts?

9. What goals do you have for your blog in 2013?

Along with my regular posts, I would like to add some posts more specific to owning a purebred dog, (since that is what we have).  For example, posts related to health and health screening, or posts about what we looked for when deciding to get our dogs, or co-owning a dog and what that entails, or what information you can find on the pedigree.  These would be once a month or so.  I have a lot of ideas for posts floating around in my head, and a goal is to actually write some of them this year.

I also got a new camera recently.  I hope to learn how to use it and improve the quality of the pictures I share on this blog.

Thanks to Amy from Go Pet Friendly for sponsoring the Third Annual Pet Blogger Challenge.  To see the other blogs participating or to enter your blog, go here.

And just because I feel like I should include a picture…

Thunder Is Wondering Why Storm Feels The Need To Eat Ice Off The Railing
Thunder Is Wondering Why Storm Feels The Need To Eat Ice Off Of The Railing

53 thoughts on “The Pet Blogger Challenge”

  2. Very interesting and informative. And I have to say I think this is one of MOM’s favorite photos.
    Blessings,
    Goose

  3. That is an excellent question: about Facebook and twitter and repeating blog posts..I thought about this a lot. However I have different followers who get updated about my blog via Facebook or twitter and then choose to click to read the post or to share it with their Facebook friends or twitter followers that way. I also try to share other blogs, news articles and fun stuff too through my FB and Twitter accounts. I get different people from different social media sites.
    I like your blog and you did teach me all about field training, which I did not know much about. Looking forward to connecting in 2013

    1. Thanks for the tips. You are right, I do have different followers on my FB and Twitter sites, so maybe I can just add a bit to those to use them more. 🙂

  4. This was so interesting. I too am always behind in my blog reading and comments and I don’t know if there is a way to ever catch up! LOL! That’s a great pic of Storm eating that ice. 🙂

  5. Right on the button. We have enjoyed your posts which are interesting, informative and enjoyable. You opened up a new world for us. We look forward to more and wish you success in 2013. Take care.Have a terrific Thursday.
    Best wishes Molly

  6. You sure have opened a new world for me! I never knew anything about this kind of training before! Besides, your dogs are all so beautiful!

  7. Enjoyed reading this post and learning why you blog. What a terrific picture of Thunder and Storm. Enjoy your new camera! Hugs and Chancy sends nose kisses to all!

  8. That is true! I never even heard of feild training till I started reading your blog. I think it is a great activity for retriever breeds or working class breeds to get into! And you are a great guide!

  9. Hello Gang,

    been catching up with your past posts… Freighter has changed so much again, a very handsome lad.
    we loved reading all this about your bloggy, your human is very disciplined writing each day..not like our Mum!

    Slobbers

  11. Mom and I have learned a lot about field training and showing while we read about the brown dawgs! And we love the picture you added at the end 🙂

  12. I really enjoyed this post and learning more about YOU! I admire you for posting daily–It’s a goal that I wish I could achieve, but for now, it appears a bit unreachable, but maybe that’ll change! 🙂

  13. Staying caught up is impossible, isn’t it? I read and comment on every blog on my blogroll once a week. Twice if I’m able. And that’s it. But I really should be finding at least two new dog blogs a week to try on for size. *sigh*

    I hope you don’t mind that I linked to you today. You’re the only blogger I thought for sure had Labs. I love your blog, the fact that you are specific about the highs and lows of your experiences. Thank you!

    1. No problem linking to me, but our dogs are Chesapeake Bay Retrievers…lol. The idea of commenting on every blog on your blog roll once a week sounds like a good one. That is where I get bogged down. I read a lot, but sometimes the commenting slows me down, (hate to type ;)).

  14. Very interesting post! My first time with the challenge too! Your babies are absolutely beautiful! Look forward to reading more about your beauties!

  15. What a fun and interesting post! I doubt that I’ll have time to take the challenge, but if I have a spare half hour or so, I’ll jump in too. I love that photo of Thunder and Storm!

    1. I admit, I did not take a lot of time on my answers. Sometimes I tend to “over think” so I just wrote them quick. 🙂 Thanks for all of your support. 🙂

  16. I’m SO glad you participated in this challenge, it’s great to learn new things about blogs I follow.

    I love your question about how to make facebook and twitter work in conjunction with your blog, that would be something I’d love to know too, as my facebook page seems to just be posts of the blog and my twitter account is mostly retweets of other blogs.

    I’m along for the 2013 ride. I look forward to watching you meet your blogging goals. 🙂

    1. Thanks Jodi. I am determined to try to do something with those accounts this year. 🙂 I got some good tips in these comments. 🙂

  17. I had no idea that you have been blogging for that long! Where the heck was I?
    You do a great job at blogging and sharing your knowledge. I always enjoy reading and seeing your pictures and watching Freighter growing this year has been amazing!

    Good luck this year:) We’ll be with you the whole year!

    1. LOL the first year, or so, I did not do much with the blog. It wasn’t until sometime in 2011 that I started to really post regularly. Thank you for supporting. 🙂

  18. What a great concept for a blog! I love it, and am totally in agreement with you on dogs doing what they’re bred to do. And I have always loved Chessies – alas, I am too lazy for such sport! Glad to have found your blog!

  19. Two of my dogs would love field training (Poodles were originally hunting dogs) and two of them would sulk the whole time (not all Poodles got the hunting instinct). I agree that dogs are happiest doing what they were bred to do and I’m wondering if I should just leave the two wimpy dogs home and get into this activity.

    1. We train with a Standard Poodle that is working on his Master Hunter title. You really should get out and try it. We have a lot of fun!

  20. The dogs are GORGEOUS! I use Hootsuite to manage both my Twitter and Facebook. I do have my Facebook and Twitter connected via the Resources. That way all my posts on my Facebook page flow over to my Twitter. I just need to remember to keep them under 140 characters.

    We have 3 black dogs. Do you see yourself bringing home a third brown dog?

    1. Thanks for the tip. I do have my blog linked to twitter and FB but I am going to look into the things you suggested. Actually we have 3 brown dawgs. We got a puppy last January. I decided not to change the name of my blog because I already had followers and traffic. 🙂

  21. Thanks so much for joining in the Challenge. My suggestion for engaging people on Facebook it to get out that new camera of yours and start posting pictures. People on Facebook love photos and if you come up with a funny or heart-felt caption, that’s even better. As for Twitter, my suggestion is to form a group of bloggers that you trust on Triberr. It helps you all get more exposure and gives you more of a presence on Twitter without taking up a lot more time.

    I’m looking forward to following your adventures in 2013 – may the new year bring you much success!

    1. Thanks for these suggestions. I am working on putting these suggestions into practice. I made a Triberr account and will figure out how to use it. I am also working on the pictures. 🙂

  22. I love your blog. You and 2 others introduced me to Chessies a breed I didn’t know. I enjoy learning about all dog breeds. I learn about hunting which I have never seen, but mostly I love watching your Chessies focus so hard to do their job which is one they truly love doing:)

  23. Oh, someone posted a question that I can almost answer! On Facebook and Twitter: I post on Twitter every hour when I’m awake/at the computer. I keep a list of good stuff to share on my Twitter, and so I very rarely run out of stuff, despite this dense schedule. This ‘good stuff’ does include my content, but it is more other people’s content.

    Then, on my Facebook, I try not to post more than once a day. Facebook people are more precious about their newsfeeds and don’t like to be bombarded. Because I post almost every second day, I normally alternate between one of my posts and some other content. Facebook normally includes ‘the best’ of my Twitter feeds.

    Whether this is actually a good method or not, I don’t know. I still don’t have a huge readership or much engagement with my blog posts. But, this system does work for me, and I just hope that it may be fruitful, eventually.

    1. Thanks for your suggestions. I am definitely going to do something like you suggested. It sounds like an effective way to approach it. I just need to organize. 🙂

  25. Love hearing about your dogs and the field training. I just got a new camera too and I’m trying to figure it out too. I’m hoping to have some better pictures for the blog this year.

    I haven’t really figured out Twitter, but I’ve tried different things with Facebook for blog posts. One thing that works pretty well is to post a picture from or relating to your blog post then include a description along with a link to the post. I’ve also been including links from my archives along with a question or statement in the status update. I make use of the Facebook scheduler to post my archive updates in advance.

    I have connected my Facebook account to Twitter for updates, but it’s really not a great way of doing things. When I make updates to Twitter I usually use Hootsuite.

    Good luck with your goals in 2013!

    1. Thanks for the suggestions. I am definitely going to use your suggestion and compile pictures to use on my Facebook.

  27. Pingback: 3rd Annual Pet Blogger Challenge by www.GoPetFriendlyblog.com | Tails from the Ruff Side

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