Liebster Award!

I'm am so excited to have been given the Leibster Award by our friend Shannon from Walks With Rama! This is our first time winning this award!

Pet Blogger Challenge 2015

Hi everyone!! Happy Saturday! I hope you're all having an awesome day! Today I'm taking part in the 5th Annual Pet Blogger Challenge! This is my first time participating.

You can find more information about it at the Go Pet Friendly Blog.

The Pet Blogger Challenge is a list of questions we are supposed to answer so we can see where we are at with our blogs, celebrate success and talk about our goals.

1. How long have you been blogging? And, for anyone stopping by for the first time, please give us a quick description of what your blog is about.

I've been blogging since July 4, 2014, so six months now! My blog is centered around the adventures of my two dogs: Zoe and Phoenix with guest appearances from my cats: Pandora, Lilly and Hurley. My blog features pictures and stories from our daily lives, training and grooming tips, videos, product reviews and more. I also really like taking part in themed posts so we do a lot of the blog hops as well.

2. Tell us one thing that you accomplished on your blog during 2014 that made you proud.

I'm really proud of the readership I've gained and all of the friends I've made. When I started my blog I never thought anyone would actually read it. So I'm really excited that everyone is here and continues to come back and support me. 

3. What lessons have you learned this year – from other blogs, or through your own experience – that could help us all with our own blogs?

The most important lesson I learned this year is to not be shy and to ask for help when I need it. I really appreciate all of my other blogging friends who have been so kind and patient with me and there for me as I learn the ropes! 

4. What have you found to be the most successful way to bring traffic to your blog, other than by writing great content? 

Taking great pictures. No one wants to look at boring pictures. I feel like I've improved in my photography skills this year and I'm pretty excited about it. I also think sharing on social media is important, too. 

 5. What was your most popular blog post this year? Did it surprise you that it was your most popular?

My most popular post was my review on the Ruffwear Front Range Harness it had 319 views. It doesn't really surprise me as that is a really popular harness right now. It was also really fun to write.

6. What was your favorite blog post to write this year?

My favorite blog post this year was Look Who We Found in Portland! It was a really amazing experience to meet other bloggers and a great trip that led to our most important event this year! Our family moving back to the Pacific Northwest area.

I also really enjoyed writing my Wobble Board DIY Tutorial. I did that with my husband and we had a blast putting it together. It's also another one of my more popular posts.

7. Has your policy on product reviews and/or giveaways changed this year?

I am actually still working on developing them. I do reviews but the only policies I have in place is that the items reflect our "aversive-free" training style and that the food/treats be somewhat healthy.

7a. If you do reviews, what do you find works best, and what doesn’t work at all?

I think it's really important to review items that I know I will love. I really like learning about new products but it is easier if I already know something about the product. What doesn't work is reviewing products I don't like or products that just don't work for my dogs and I won't take reviews on those because I would rather my blog not be negative.

8. What’s your best piece of advice for other bloggers?

Staying true to yourself! Write about the things you are most passionate about. Write about things that are important to you. If you're bored or dislike what you're writing about your readers will know. I also think it's important to connect with your readers. I try to visit other people's blogs and reply to comments as much as possible. 

9. What goals do you have for your blog in 2015?

I would really like to write more training articles. I'm really passionate about dog training but I don't write about it enough. I want to improve my writing skills and content. I would also like to continue to improve my photography and I would really like to grow my blog more and expand my readership.

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

I would really love help with growing my blog. If anyone has any tips to do that I'd love to read them!