The Pet Blogger Challange 2012

Today (well, a day late but still eligible to particiapte!) I am taking The Pet Blogger Challenge hosted by Amy Burket of Go Pet Friendly and  Edie of Will My Dog Hate Me.  This is the second year they are hosting it and I was so excited to stumble upon it.  This is the perfect opportunity to motivate me to blog and set my goals as I indicated in my previous post.  I am eager to see how my blogging will improve throughout the year!  It's also a great way for me to learn from other pet bloggers who have been doing this for some time and to be inspired reading about how their blogs have changed.  Since this is my first year participating in this, here are my list of questions:

1.  When did you begin your blog?
I started my blog, Puppy Kisses, on February 21, 2011 (WOW! Almost time for a Blogiversary!)

2. What was your original purpose for starting a blog?
I saw so many cool blogs out there of all different topics, I just knew I wanted to have my own blog.  But I had no idea what to blog about.  I needed something that I was knowledgeable about and that had an audience, or at least one person who was interested in what I had to say.  The only thing I couldn't really ignore was the fact that I love my dog, Jada, so why not blog about her? I also wanted to incorporate my love for dogs and anything dog-related, like quotes, stoires, books and movies.  While I could really just blog about Jada all day, I figured some people might get tired of reading about her.  So basically the dog-theme was a no-brainer at that point and here we are!

3. Is your current purpose the same?  If not, what's different?  If so, how do you feel you've met your goals?
Yes.  I'm big on themes and sticking to dog-related posts is what I have done and want to continue to do.  If I have regular readers, mostly other pet bloggers/animal lovers, I don't want to just up and change my purpose.  I think the way I've met my goals is by mixing it up with Jada posts and general dog posts.  Now I have so many more goals and aspirations for my blog.  I will still maintain the same purpose but try to make it better and more interesting!

4. Do you blog on a schedule or as the spirit moves you?  If the former, how often -- and what techniques do you use to stick to it?  If the latter, do you worry about... well, whatever you might worry about (e.g. losing traffic, losing momentum)?
While I would love to blog on a schedule, it's more so when I have the time. I am a full-time working mom/wife and I have a household to take care of, so I don't get much time to myself and when I do, I have so many things I want to do, including blogging.  I am worried about losing followers if I don't post often as well as keeping up with the pet blogging world.  Sometimes I wish I  knew more of what was going on and just being in touch with other people who like dogs as much as I do.  If I feel there is too much of a gap in my posts, I try to re-motivate myself to blog.

5.  Are you generating income from  your blog?  If so, how (e.g. sponsor ads, affiliate relationships, spokesperson opportunities)?  If not currently, do you hope to in the future -- and how?
No ... BUT I would love to start doing so in the future!  I need to do more research to understand how it works.  From the small research I did do, I think I will need more steady traffic which is why I need to step up my blogging and overall blogging skills.

6.  What do you like most about blogging in general and your blog in particular (bragging is good!)?
What I really love about blogging is getting my thoughts and experiences out there about dogs.  None of my friends I personally know are dog/animal people, so I love the fact that I can meet people from all over the world that understand and "get" my dog obsession.  Networking is definitely the future of things and I'm happy to be involved in it on a positive side.  I also sure do love blogging about Jada too :)  I love how I can go into detail about Jada, specifically with her recent allergy issues and get feedback from people.  I actually met some folks who gave advice and also someone who had a dog going through the same things.  Blogging is a great way to meet and connect with people.  One of the things I love most about my blog, physically, is my header, which I designed myself!  I think that it's really catchy and true to the title of my blog.  Also, I think a good appearance of a blog can make it or break it for someone to be interested to stop and read your blog.  Since I've been blogging, blog/web design has become a huge interest for me and it's another thing I hope to learn more about this year.

7. What do you like least?
I don't like two things: writer's block and not having enough time to do it.  Sometimes I feel like to I want to write in my blog but I don't have anything interesting or worthy to say.  Does someone really care if Jada and I took a walk?  Plus sometimes, I'm just at a loss for words as I'm sure lots of people suffer from writer's block.  Also, while I wouldn't be able to do it every day, I would love to at least blog once or twice a week.  I don't want to turn blogging into a chore to do everyday, but just more often.

8. How do you see your blog changing/growing in 2012?
I have lots of changes and goals for my blog this year.  Of course number one on my list is to be more regular.  Maybe start out once or twice a week and go from there.  If I can do more, fine; if not, that's okay too.  I might try to do something like a weekly post, like the "Wordless Wednesdays" but something that could get participation or others to respond and be active on my blog, it's just a thought right now.  I may be interested in product reviews and giveaways but again I need to look into things.  I'd also like to look more into generating income.  Maybe it's something that isn't right for my type of blog, but I need to read more about it and maybe find out from others how it works.