Pet Blogger Challenge

We're joining the Pet Blogger Challenge.  This is our first time doing it.  I wasn't that interested doing it before as sometimes I just go anti-social, but I felt like this year I'd like to join in.

I've been blogging for three and half years.  My husband Mark kept talking about blogging and making money.  I didn't see how it could happen, nor was I interested after all the criticizing I got on the dog forums I used to go on.  The last thing I wanted to do was write about my two packs of hardly socialized  dogs, a litter of puppies we had two years prior, a male and female who weren't neutered or spayed (and still aren't) and an aggressive dog with every bad dog behavior possible.  And being a rather private person, I wasn't comfortable just throwing that out for the world to see.  But eventually curiosity got the better of me and after starting my own personal blog, I finally created the 24 Paws of Love blog and was hooked.  And now I write about everything that I feared and have never gotten any negative comments or criticism, always just the opposite, support, encouragement, or no comment.

We started with the intentions of making money as well.  We signed up for Google Adsense and Amazon, but the ads took over the blog and eventually I only left one ad for Google Adsense up.  I did everything to customize the ads towards dog related issues and when an ad for "Boob Cream" showed up I got rid of Google Ads as well.  After three years and making $50 on Google that I can't get, (you have to make $100 to receive a check) we'd given up on the money issue long before and making money became a last priority.  It was all about the dogs!

I've done some reviews for treats and toys for the dogs.  It nice getting the free stuff, but I felt like the reviews just took up my valuable space.  And this year I decided I'm not doing reviews either.  Again I just want this to be about the dogs, our lives together and sharing our experience that dogs are more than just dogs.  Which has been our only goal since we wrote our first post back on June 30, 2010.

I think the thing I've gained is confidence in myself while blogging.  It can be stressful for me at times, especially when I have writer's block and I can't get myself out.  That's when I recently turned to vlogging.  Which has opened up a whole other avenue.  Considering I don't like being on camera, talking out loud or the fact that anyone will see me, it has been quite liberating.  And since my fear of being on camera, I don't have any video or very few pictures with the dogs and I together, so these will be great keepers for when the dogs are gone.

Don't do much with social media except we do have a FB page.  I would like to do more, but really this is my husband's area.  We are hoping for him to come on board real soon.  He has so many ideas and crazy things he's like to do with the dogs.  I keep telling him FB is his place!

So anyways, that's how we started and got to where we are now.  I think the idea of making money threw me off in another direction, it stopped being fun and that's what I want is to enjoy what I'm doing and without selling my soul to do it.  It isn't worth it.  Now I'm doing things they way I want to and in a way the dogs would love it if they were online too.  At least I think and hope they would be proud too.        

One Person

I used to think the value of my blog was by the number of comments I received.  I rated my success by how many people may or may not of commented.  And I remember in the beginning how I was happy just to reach one person.  A good friend of mine named, Mart the Fart.  Who stuck through that quiet time when we were just starting to roll along.  Oh, how time changes many things.  Mart seldom comments now but I know he's still out there listening to the tales.  

I remember how I couldn't wait to get followers and counted them as the numbers slowing grew.  We lost some then gained more.  Yet I found myself still counting comments to know where my blog stood.  Some days were astronomical and others it was like everyone left town.  But I continued to plod through trying to find our purpose.  I knew what the 24 Paws of Love stood for and the message I was trying to convey, but I was obsessed with the numbers, not fully grasping the meaning of those that did comment.  I was stuck by the ones that didn't.  

Then it just struck me tonight that all that obsessing was for nothing.  We may not be the biggest dog blog on the web, we don't stand for any one cause, and we're just a couple of kids out here on our own with our six dogs that we love more than anything in the world.  (besides each other)  Whom we share our relationship with everyday and with you, our dear readers.  And if you asked me today what the goal of our success is measured by, I would say, to reach one person.  Just one person.  To say I invite you into our world and if you feel the need to share back, then please do so.  To make a difference in one life, that is our goal and if we can do that, we have all that we need.  It's when I stop fighting for that one person that I am letting everyone down.

I've tried it both ways, blogging for everyone, blogging for myself, and now I find myself here.  Because one person can make the difference between so many things in life.  Like you do for me.  When I need a lift, I find it from one of you.  When I need a laugh or a good dose of sarcasm, I look for one of you.  When I just need to hang out and have some girl talk, I look for my dog blogging friends and when I need a dose of reality or a shoulder to cry I, I don't have to look too far.  Someone out there has just want I need for that day and I hope to aspire to that.  To be what someone else needs for that day.  Just by being me, just by being you, we come together through cyberspace and connect.  What an awesome gift.  A gift that keeps giving and a gift I hope to be to at least one person out there.  

Thank you to all of the "one persons" out there that have made a difference everyday in my life.  For changing my mind when needing it and for helping me feel a part of something bigger.  I hope all my friends in the US have a safe and happy Memorial Day and the friends across the way also have a safe and happy day.  

Life is just too short.  Be kind in your thoughts, for everyone is going through something today.