Tuesday Topics 10 - Bloggin' the Dog
When I first started this blog, my purpose was to keep it as a journal for myself. I didn't expect anyone else to read it, although I did hope to be able to share it with Cabana's future partner someday as a "baby album" of her puppyhood.
As a mom, I know how easy it is to say, I'm always going to remember when my baby started crawling or first walked up steps or had her first haircut, etc. But 14 and 15 years later, I can't remember worth a darn! Thankfully, I have it documented in scrapbooks and baby record books.
Along those lines, this blog was a place to keep a record of when Cabana's baby teeth started falling out and when she stopped eating every piece of tanbark (not to imply that these are related phenomena). And of course, I wanted to witness Cabana's physical growth by taking pictures often.
But along the blogging way, I became acquainted with the fabulous resource of fellow dog bloggers and puppy raisers! A supportive network of people who love their dogs and take the time to give advice (and sometimes correction, which as a first time puppy raiser, I gratefully receive), and ALWAYS share encouragement and camaraderie.
For today's Tuesday Topic, I'd love to hear about why you blog. (And if you don't, then why NOT?!) If you are a puppy raiser, do you ever tell people you meet who take an interest in your puppy about your blog? Has anything out of the ordinary (good or bad) happened as a result of your blog? Do you sometimes feel like you are slightly addicted to blogging? (Who me? No way!)
Thank you for visiting my blog. It was lovely to hear your comment and I think you're right on with how to make the ruffle. I'll do that in my spare time (ha ha).
I named my blog Different Dog because I was going to be a pet photographer a few years ago. Then had two little girls and became a kid photographer.
If you go back to my first few posts you can view some pics of my dogs.
We only have one now as two became too many to handle. Joey went to a great home with kids.
When my girls are grown a bit more I would love to become a guide dog grower. Keep up the good work. Your pup is awesome!
Well, I blog because I like to do everything I can do be involved in the guide dog community. All puppy raisers are like family to me, because we all share the same golas; to raise a great dog, for a great blind person. Although I don't update really frequently, I still enjoy reading of other's experiences!
I didn't start off with a guide dog puppy raising blog - I started with a knitting blog so I could participate in yarn swaps. However, once I started raising Ardella, I write mostly about her. I've found a lot of other guide dog bloggers and their blogs have become as important to me as the puppy club we attend. I like having the perspective of raisers from other organizations, too. I still write about knitting, and it's a source of wonder to me how often the 2 topics interconnect! I've met visually impaired knitters with guide dogs and have found a guide dog sock pattern with a phrase beaded in Braille.
I blog to keep the memories. My memory is lacking and has been detoriorating in the past couple years along with my concentration (due to health issues, I used to notice and remember Everything) and have found my memories of Iverson are fleeting. I wasn't blogging when we raised Iverson and feel terrible to not remember the good times along with the bad /grin/ Feeling I Have to keep the blog up to date forces me to pay more attention to Eclipse (and the next pup) and capture moments, write them down and have them in writing when I can no longer remember them /grin/ Taking pictures and not blogging does some good (I take a Ton of photos of everything to remember it) but I like having the stories and feelings along with them that blogging provides /grin/ Good question! I am definitely addicted to blogging!
I blog as a scrapbook of my puppy growing up. So many things happen that don't get conveyed to their future owners/partners! I don't want them to miss all this stuff! Hand writing a journal has never worked for me. I had a great website for one puppy, which his partner loves! Then I slacked off for a couple years. I tried a blog with Accord, but when I moved and changed email addresses, somehow I got locked out of my blogger account. And, since I am generally a slacker, I did not pursue getting it fixed.
I am trying again with Poppy. You are helping me keep up with it! Knowing that at least one person checks for updates keeps me writing! So, thanks!
I blog for Poppy's perspective because my first graduate used to write all letters and such to me were written from the dog. The first time Bob called snd didn't say that Harvard asked him to call me was when he called to tell me Harvard had been put down. (yikes! Who knew writing that would make me teary!) I always enjoyed reading what he thought the dog was thinking about the things they did together. Plus, Poppy is way more interesting than I am!
I always look forward to Tuesdays! (even when we don't have puppy class! Enjoy your night off!)
As a mom of a CC dog, how I wish my puppy raiser had a blog of my Kibby! I only have a few photos, and a few notes. I would have loved to see more of her growing up.
I was reading some of your older posts and you asked about CC dogs. Know that even if your dog does not make it as a guide dog, they may still change someones life in amazing ways. I know my Kibby has made me a better, happier person. I don't know what I would do without her! She is my heart. So... even if your baby is not a guide, she may still guide someone to a better life in a different way! Keep up the good work. No matter how it turns out someones life will be better because of what you are doing.
I started blogging as a journal for myself and thought I could share it with my puppies partners. I had no idea how many people I was going to meet through blogging. I love all the support that is shared through the "blogging community" I find myself attached to all these blog puppies that I have never met. I am sad when one is cc'd and I am so excited when one is graduating, and I celebrate thier accomplishmens. I love learning about the pups in diferent orginizations too. It is fun to learn about all the different schools out there. I am definetly a blogging addict. :D
There is one thing extraordinary that has happened through my blogging. My second puppies partner teaches at a collenge and one of his students found my blog one day after googleing Tahomas name and he left a comment on a post. We now e-mail every once in a while and he gives me mini updates whenever he sees Tahoma. I love hearing about her. :D
I started blogging just to keep a record, and continue because of all the wonderful people I've come in contact with. It's an amazing web of support, and it's just so nice to know that someone outside of our own puppy raising club CARES! Only puppy raisers understand what it's like to raise a puppy, so sharing experiences with others online just makes the experience so worthwhile! My family and friends would get awfully tired of hearing about my puppies if I wasn't able to converse on the blogging network. ;)
Great topic! I started blogging because I knew a lot of other raisers who did it and it looked fun. I've been very grateful to have met such amazing people. I usually don't tell too many about my blog.
I am super addicted to it and I get very nervous when I don't post for a day or two!
My friends and I blog to keep in touch about what is going on in our lives. I get to see photos of their kids I would never see otherwise. My life is very different than theirs, and I think sometimes they live vicariously through me.
I started my blog to keep track of Chelsie's visits to the hospital and all the good work she does. There have been certain patients that have stuck with me, and when I go back and read my blog, I remember them like I saw them tonight.
I also love reading all the guide dog blogs, you guys have such good training tips and I have learned a lot from all of you. Having a well trained dog is very important to me, and all the things I read are very helpful! I do hope to raise a service dog one day, and reading all your tales will definitely help me prepare to do that!
Why I blogg? Well I actually started so that my sister who lives in another state could keep up with what the pup was doing. I started with my 2nd pup, and began to see the value not only to me but others as well. I keep hoping that oneday I'll have a graduate who will want to look back at how their pup grew up.
It is also so neat to keep up with everyone else, my club kind of sucks - not a lot of support so it is nice to have the blogger community I can turn to.
I do feel bad if I can't post something interesting, which is hard, bc 90% of a pup's life is pretty boaring. I go through stages, if I blogg everyday, I wouldn't have time to do anything else. I just try to keep things interesting
I started blogging, because other people were,and at first my blog was about me, than i started puppy raising, and posted about my dogs, on my blogs...well several pR's found it, and then more...and, now I just do it, cause I like too...:D And its a cool way to store my memories...!
And like all else have mentioned...GREAT SUPPORT SYSTEM!!?! WHAT WOULD I DO WITHOUT YOU ALL!! :D
An interesting topic! I have some amazing scrapbooks of my first guide, Pantera and realized as Cricket reached year two I was not keeping track of her amazing life as a guide dog. My daughter encouraged me to try blogging. I started blogging as a way to record some of Cricket's adventures - to celebrate her and also to educate others that someone with a guide dog has so much in common with others and so I wanted to have some education on life as a person who is blind. In the meantime as many others have mentioned, I am meeting some wonderful people.
I started blogging as a record to myself. I didn't expect, like you, to find this huge web of support and all these people who know what I feel like. Puppy raising is unusual, and unless you've done it yourself, you don't know what to expect, so it's great to have all these people who can help out and give advice and stuff. It's also a great record for me, because now on my 3rd and 4th, I don't remember all the little things about all of them, so it helps me to keep it straight :)
K&K, thanks for your words about career change dogs. It's great to know how much these dogs can help people, regardless of career.
Thanks for everyone's comments about why you blog. One thing I did want to mention is for everyone to be cautionary when blogging. Especially you younger bloggers! I might just be paranoid, but there are a lot of weirdos out there, and you don't want to give too much info about yourselves. This is why I don't publish my name, hometown, or even specific names of places/parks. When you visit a website, you leave a trail of information. The blog account holder can tell exactly what city you live in. It never hurts to be too safe!!
Thanks again for your comments and for your own blogs. I get antsy when I can't keep up with everyone's new posts. (Yes, I confess, I AM addicted....)
I started like you - just to keep a record of all the silly things. As it turns out - I found some of the most amazing friends through blogging! I LOVE IT!