Thursday, January 10, 2013

Pet Blogger Challenge


Well, this is a big leap of faith for me! I am entering the 3rd Annual Pet Blogger Challenge. It's is being organized by one of my favorite blogs: Go Pet Friendly.

Welcome any new readers (please leave a comment!) and welcome back returning readers. (Hi Mom!) This is Kelley's Dog Blog, a strange glimpse into the life of a crazy dog lady and her dogs  -- enjoy! For those who don't know me, I'm an animal control officer, an avid reader, a wife, a mother, a dog lover and an active member of the community. I try (poorly) to juggle it all.

(LOOK! My first interview!)




1. When did you begin your blog?
I began blogging last summer after losing my heart dog, Logan. As I was working through the grief with my rescued dog, Roxy, I was presented with the opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream -- showing an AKC German shepherd. One problem, I'm clueless!


2. What was your original purpose for starting a blog?
I wanted to share my feelings about dogs -– mine and others. I wanted to document my efforts and share tons of adorable puppy pictures. Who doesn't like puppy pictures?!


3. Is your current purpose the same?
Yes. I don’t know who reads it -– if anybody. However, I find it very cathartic. Who knew I was such an exhibitionist!


4. How often do you post?
I post every 3 or 4 days, averaging 7-10 posts a month. It's amazing how fast they add up!


5. Do you blog on a schedule or as the spirit moves you?
I post when I have the time and something to say. I’m never positive that something is “post-worthy.” But then again, when you don’t really have an actual following, it doesn’t matter much.


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.
It takes a lot longer to craft a post than one would think! I can spend hours on a simple 4 paragraph post. There’s a lot of tweaking. Since this is my first blog, I chose a free, user friendly site. However, there are a lot of limitations to the layout and number of photos I can post. I can spend as much time formatting as writing.


I LOVE visiting other blogs, though don’t have the time I’d like to visit them all regularly. I enjoy adding links to the gems I find in my blog. I'm always amazed at what other people write.


7. How do you measure the success of a post and of your blog in general (comments, shares, traffic)? Do you look strictly at the numbers, or do you have a way of assessing the quality of those interactions?
I link my blog to Facebook. I get tickled every time a friend calls and says “Hey, I saw your blog . . .” Most of the comments I get are on FB as well. I don't look at numbers.


8. If you could ask the pet blogging community for help with one issue you’re having with your blog, what would it be?
I’d like people other than immediate friends and family to view the blog. I’d also like to know some of the more “technical” aspects of blog layout. I'm so impressed by the look and organization of some of the more established blogs.  


9. What goals do you have for your blog in 2013?
I’m entering the world of Dog Showing. I’d like to be able to share it from a Newbie's point of view. I’d also like to discuss some of the issues that face dog owners – ordinance changes, pet-friendly venues, medical issues, etc. – here in Florida and elsewhere. As an animal control officer I often get info that others don't, and I LOVE to share what I know. I’d like to be able to start dialogs with my readers.



This is a blog hop. Please take a look at some of the other brave souls below who were also willing to bare all. Thanks. Hope to see you again soon! -- K
 
 







8 comments:

  1. Have fun blogging, and keep posting those puppy pictures!

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  2. I didn't realize you had gotten Jedi as a show dog. (Sorry to read about Logan :'-( ) I love reading your blog and seeing the pics. Good luck with this blog and I look forward to reading about your dog show journey! :-)

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  3. Kelley, I LOVED your post about being an Animal Control Officer for Blog the Change. It made me dig back a little and I found this too. I'm so glad you took part. With the way you skillfully write from the heart, your blog has every shot at growing traffic and garnering so many comments that you can't keep up. I wish you all the best in your growth and discovery here!

    I'll share a little secret on getting more comments. Adjust your Blogger settings to include the name/website option. I don't personally fall under any of Google's standard options that allow me to ID myself directly, so I'm borrowing the BTC login. (I'd use my own Google ID but, because I left Blogger and they don't let you delete your profile without deleting your entire Google account, it just leads to an empty space rather than Google Plus.) Ah, the joys of Google hosting...

    I love the things we have in common. I too started my blog to process pets lost and capture the joy of new pets gained. Oh, and this: one of my cats is named Jed and we often call him Jedi because the Force is clearly with him. Looking forward to learning more.

    Best wishes for finding your own hosting, sharing about dogs and dog showing!

    Kim Clune
    ThisOneWildLife.com

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    1. Thank you so much for your advice. I'm not as computer literate as I'd like, but am slowly making changes -- hopefully for the better. BTW, I LOVED your "Doggone Dirt on Pet Blogging" post and am seriously taking it to heart.

      Thanks for your kind words, and thank you for co-sponsoring Be the Change for Animals. I am new to blogging and was absolutely floored by all the incredible blogs I've read and generous bloggers I've met because of it.

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  4. Hi Kelley! Thanks so much for taking part in the Challenge, and welcome to the wonderful pet blogging community. I'm so sorry to hear about your Logan - losing them is so hard.

    So, you have one new subsriber! I love your writing style and I'm so glad I found your blog. I'll look forward to watching your adventures with your GSD. Happy 2013!

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    1. I SOOO want to be you!! I've been telling Hubby for YEARS that I want to travel the country with an RV and a couple of dogs and check out every cheesy tourist trap I can find. Until I can do it myself, I live vicariously through GoPetFriendly. You've brightened my day countless times. Thanks.

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  5. I love the story for creating your blog (though I'm sorry to hear about the passing of your dog), and talking about dog showing from a newbie point of view is really interesting to me. I look forward to following your blog into 2013.

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  6. I'm with you in sharing the adorable puppy pictures! I usually post most of my puppy pics to Facebook and get pretty good response there.

    If you start participating in the blog hops and pet blogging community you'll definitely start seeing a lot more than your friends and immediate family commenting on your posts.

    I'm on WordPress and I don't know too much about Blogger, but if you switch over to WordPress someday they have some very flexible themes that are easy to configure...some are drag and drop!

    Best of luck with your goals in 2013!

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