Our blog turned two years old yesterday.
In toddlers, the terrible tows are defined by the testing of limits, frequent mood changes and temper tantrums.There haven’t been any fits (yet) but we are starting to test our limits.
The first step was my commitment to the “30 Days of Imperfection” blog challenge. During the challenge, one of the limits I am testing is “how imperfect can a blog post be before I publish it”. I am not going out of the way to see how crappy of a post I can write and have people still read it (although that might be fun. I have seen a similar credit card signature prank before).
We are being moody too.
For most of the first two years I knew where the blog was going. Notably, we started out sharing our amazing and unexpected (because of Chester and Gretel’s size) adventures. But, honestly, trying to go on amazing adventure after amazing adventure so we would have something to write about go exhausting.
I needed more to write about so I decided that I was going to fill the gap of information out there about hiking with your small dogs. However, I found trying to primarily write “instruction” posts on where and how to hike with your small dog dry and limiting.
Underlying it all was the desire to inspire others to get out and get active with their small dog as part of the process of getting healthy.
That message can show up in a lot of ways. I have learned that merely writing about what we do and how we do it is inspirational and “instructing” enough. I have learned that people relate and respond most to fun and humorous stories. Some people read our blog to learn how to do something but mostly they come to be entertained.
My new goal is to maintain our core message while writing in a more spontaneous rather than calculated way. I don’t know what that is going to look like. I am going to try a lot of things this next year and see what feels right. You may see our mood go from excited, to serious, to silly and even to sad sometimes.
Through blogging, I have grown by leaps and bounds these last couple of years. My pet-community “knowledge world” has grown exponentially. I discovered that I actually DO have a creative bone in my body. I became dissatisfied with my current career direction and, for good or for bad, I wouldn’t have thought outside of that box if I had not started blogging. Finally, I decided to launch a career that will make the world a better place through the use of social media.
I still have nuts and bolts goals and strategy stuff I want to do this year related to our blog. I am saving up those ideas for the 2013 Pet Blogger Challenge though!
What I want most for our birthday is to hear from YOU. I want to know what keeps you coming back or maybe what keeps you from coming back so often. I would love to know what features and subjects make you want to read our whole post or make you close your browser window as soon as you open it. I want to know if you have any “behind the scenes” burning questions that I haven’t talked about yet.
Feel free to let lose – we listen to every comment and take what you have to say to heart.
Spoiled Doxie says
November 30, 2012 at 5:01 AMHappy Birthday and congrats! We love your message, and we love when it is just a photo too! Everything you do is quality! What I would like to know is more about Chester and Gretal’s relationship- do they cuddle, sleep together, fight, etc. As someone with one dog, maybe two one day, I like that sort of thing.
AdventureJess says
November 30, 2012 at 6:58 AMThanks for the compliments and thanks for the idea. That is a great one! I know before I got Gretel I had the same questions. Chester was an only child for 8 years so I was a bit concerned.
Amy@GoPetFriendly says
November 30, 2012 at 6:26 AMCongratulations! Both on the blogiversary and on the re-examination of you blog. Changing things up takes courage, and isn’t easy to do.
IMHO you should do what makes you happy – I read blogs that I feel emotionally connected to and on any given day that could mean they are happy, funny, sad or angry. As long as they’re real – that’s what keeps me coming back.
AdventureJess says
November 30, 2012 at 7:01 AMWell, at least I know my readers will always get “real”. My problem sometimes is not being too real (you can’t say everything you think right?). Ha, ha. It’s funny though. The more I write freely the more I find my sarcastic humor coming out. Being humorous is something I feel I struggle with.
Roxy the traveling dog says
November 30, 2012 at 8:17 AMI have always enjoyed your blog, mostly because I think we are on a paralleled path. My blog will be two soon, we have little adventurous dogs, and we both went into this blind. LOL
Keep up the good work is my only advice.
AdventureJess says
November 30, 2012 at 10:38 AMWe do share a lot of similarities. I feel the same about you guys too….and add in that I get to live vicariously through you because I would quite my job, live in a RV and travel the country if I could 🙂
2 brwon dawgs says
November 30, 2012 at 8:29 AMHappy two years. It will be interesting to see how your blog evolves. I hope we still get to see some of the beautiful hiking pictures. 🙂
AdventureJess says
November 30, 2012 at 10:37 AMOh, of course there will still be those. That is my favorite part!
Molly The Wally says
November 30, 2012 at 8:40 AMHappy two years and we hope you have many more. We say go with the flow and as long as you enjoy it, that is what counts. Have a fabulous Friday.
Best wishes Molly
Jen says
November 30, 2012 at 8:42 AMHappy 2nd Blog Birthday! I know exactly what you are saying! My blog has taken different directions over the years too, I think it’s how it goes as we grow. Staying true to myself and my beliefs has always been the most important thing.
I was just thinking about the pet blogger challenge this morning! Can’t wait!
AdventureJess says
November 30, 2012 at 10:36 AMA little birdie told me that the challenge will be “bigger and better” this year…so I especially can’t wait. I think it is trough meandering that we find our truest path 🙂
caren gittleman says
November 30, 2012 at 9:26 AMCONGRATULATIONS ON TURNING TWO!!! I know how challenging and rewarding it can be!
Cat Chat is now 3 and Dakota’s blog will be 2 in 2013…..I am a new reader of yours so I have no constructive suggestions. Just glad to be along for the ride!
AdventureJess says
November 30, 2012 at 10:34 AMWell, I appreciate you taking the time to read what we have to say 🙂
Emma says
November 30, 2012 at 9:28 AMCongratulations on your 2 yrs! I just had my 1 year. It can be tough sometimes to find topics but something always seems to pop up for me to post about. Keep up the good work 🙂
AdventureJess says
November 30, 2012 at 10:33 AMI have been lucky too that I have never found myself sitting in front of a black page with nothing to say. I have a lot of ideas. If I am behind or can’t post when I usually do it’s mostly due to a lack of time.
Elizabeth says
November 30, 2012 at 10:20 AMHappy birthday! I keep coming back because I consider you to be a friend, and I really do enjoy your “calculated” writing. You have writing skills I feel like I don’t have, so its nice to come back and read everything you put out there.
AdventureJess says
November 30, 2012 at 10:31 AMYay! I feel like you are my friend too 🙂 I admire the ease with which you write on your blog and that your subject is just more than your dogs. I like where we are at but sometimes I think about writing something and then think “no…that really doesn’t have much to do with the dogs”.
Dachshund Nola and Her Mom says
November 30, 2012 at 11:40 AMCongrats and happy birthday!
I come back cause I feel like y’all are my friends, because I love the photography, I like the reviews you do and my favorite thing is how you show that just because we have small dogs doesn’t mean they can’t do the same thing as big dogs. Having a small dog starting agility, I think it’s important to let people know that their small dogs need to get out and get active!
Oh, and because Chester and Gretel are adorable. 🙂
Amanda
AdventureJess says
November 30, 2012 at 11:42 AMWe love you and Nola. You are some of our favorite friends. Part of the reason is that Nola is not afraid to get out there and get a little rough 🙂 I hope you write some posts about your agility experience.
Yes I Know My Dogs Look Funny says
November 30, 2012 at 1:36 PMWhile I’m an avid greyhound fan, who doesn’t like photos of adorable Doxies! We enjoy reading about your adventures.
Jenny DB says
November 30, 2012 at 2:12 PMOne of the first ‘lessons’ we had to learn for 21st century digital narrative is ‘publish then filter’ – it’s so hard for me because i’m a perfectionist. god forbid someone point out mistakes i’ve made in my content… quality is important (content is king) but if we toiled over every word and phrase well, we wouldn’t have a blog. here’s a post from one of my fellow cohorts that i thought put it so eloquently (which is ironic because it was all about not worrying about how well put a post is) http://thisingo.com/2012/10/12/publish-then-filter/
Tiki and Lana says
November 30, 2012 at 3:19 PMMy two Doxies are 7 and 6. In January of this year we moved to Reno, Nevada. We have found it to be much more dog friendly. They started hiking, biking and camping this year. I started them out on short light hikes (like off road walking) and worked up to a 9 mile hike. They love it, and being off leash (even if they are supposed to be on one). There were many times that one or both were put in the backpack. But it was enjoyable all around.
“I found trying to primarily write “instruction” posts on where and how to hike with your small dog dry and limiting.” I found that starting easy and paying attention to your dog is very important. You need to know if it’s too much for your dog. I bought the Hug-A-Harness with the seatbelt handle for both of mine. Those harnesses really come in handy when lifting your Doxie over an obstacle, or over rocks.
I enjoy you sharing. Keep it up!
AdventureJess says
November 30, 2012 at 10:23 PMTha’s always the best way…start them (and you) off easy and build up. Good for you for getting into the outdoors to have some fun. I wish we lived somewhere that was warm most of the ear like you too 🙂
SUGAR: goldenwoofs says
November 30, 2012 at 4:27 PMWoof! Woof! Happy 2 years of blogging. Delighted to be bloggie friends. We do enjoy your blog. Just 2 years we say you’ve done a great PAWSOME job. Lots of Golden Woofs, Sugar
Beth & 4Doxies says
November 30, 2012 at 7:03 PMI like your blog because it is interesting to read, very informative, yet fun. The pictures are awesome and your adventures are inspiring. A lot of blogs are either blah or just a waste of time but yours never disappoint! Above all I love it that you are promoting dachshunds and their amazing lives!
Dalton says
December 3, 2012 at 1:41 AMCongratulations on turning two!!
Tiffany says
December 12, 2012 at 3:02 PMCongrats on the number two! Wait, that sounded wrong. Happy second birthday! Lol. As I mentioned earlier, I’m digging the blog. What drew me in was I had seen on another blog about how much you walk your dog. “Eff yes!”, I thought, “a blog about dauchshund adventures!” Then I was pleasantly surprised arriving here. I don’t know if this was ever addressed, but is there any clear way to determine the difference between shyness and lack of socializing? Pickles is great with people he knows, and he’s been around other people and dogs a lot. But I wonder sometimes, is it enough? He’s never bit anyone, but when we’re anywhere other than home, he acts anywhere from totally disinterested and walks away from people trying to pet him, to really nervous, even sometimes barking at them. I find myself (perhaps needlessly?) embarrassed and I’m afraid people will think I have an unfriendly or unsocialized dog. Surely he’s not the friendly, kissing, goof ball my friends, family, and I know. Did I do something wrong somewhere along the way? Is this a matter of you’d have to meet my dog to access the situation? Or is he just shy? I should also note that he has a very lone wolf attitude toward other dogs. He has no interest in playing with other dogs other than his other doxie friend. The snob! Lol.
AdventureJess says
December 12, 2012 at 3:32 PMHi Tiffany. I don’t specifically address behavioral issues on our blog. However, I do touch on the subject sometimes and have quite a bit of experience. The way you describe Pickles, he sounds like he has some level of fear aggression. Gretel has this problem too. She is very fearful of strange people, dogs and situations. She handles this in two ways – shying away from them, trembling in fear or, more often than not, barking at them aggressively (her signal to back off). In her case, I adopted her and know she lacked socialization as a puppy. That is where this fear aggression stems from in her. I don’t know Pickle’s background so I can say for sure. Like people, dogs are born with different personalities. Some are introverts and shy and some are extroverts and super friendly. Usually though it does boil down to a lack of socialization when they were young. Socialization is more than just “being around” strange people and dogs. For some dogs that is enough but for others they need to be taught the appropriate way to interact. The whole situation is complicated by the fact that your dog’s reaction can be partially based on the behavior of the other person or dog. If the body language of the other dog is threatening to your dog in some way they are more likely to act out. People may trigger such reactions in dogs by moving abruptly or in a rapid, unpredictable manner. Sometimes your dog has triggers such as hats, men or tall people. Don’t ask my why but they do. I am embarrassed by Gretel’s behavior sometimes. I admit that I could work harder with her and her fear aggression issues. I take the easy way out a lot of the time by avoiding the situations that trigger her all together. That takes care of the immediate problem but does not allow her to learn what IS the appropriate way to act in those situations.