Too Kool Doggies On The Go Giveaway

This year, Too Kool Doggies is happy to participate in the second annual Christmas in July Giveaway. This year, we are giving away a prize package worth $55 dollars from the Dog Breed Store website. One lucky winner will win the products below with a choice of either assorted breeds or a breed of their choice (only some breeds are available for the products below).

Clockwise from upper left: Travel Mug, Lunch Tote, Leash Hanger, and Dog Umbrella

How to Enter

One winner will be drawn at random. Enter a comment on why you'd like to win this prize package. Want a second chance? Tweet this on Twitter and link back the tweet. Extra tweets are appreciated by only one tweet will count.

You must also have a valid e-mail. Dates of the contest are from July 16th to July 27 at 12am EST. Be sure to check out the other contests below and good luck.



SChristmas in July Giveaway hop is hosted by Matter of Cents, Just Married with Coupons & Sweep Tight. Grand Prize is sponsored by Maggie Bags and is valued at over $600. Maggies Bags takes high-quality recycled material & gives it new life by creating sophisticated handbags that are eco-friendly! Save 25% off the Linear Line with Coupon Code: Christmas-n-July through 9/30. The 2nd Prize is an Ultimate Munchkin Gift Basket, Munchkin offers clever, innovative solutions to help make parenting safer, easier & fun. See more about Munchkin.



ENTER TO WIN THE GRAND PRIZE ****

Let's Discuss!

Share your thoughts and comments below.

Too Kool Doggies Is Two Years Old

On March 31st, 2009, I started this blog as part of my Blogging and Podcasting class taken at school. Since then, I haven't been able to stop. This blog and the people I've met through it have given me such joy that this has become a labor of love. As I write this post, Homer is laying on my lap (the big baby) and groaning if he gets disturbed.

This year we've had some interesting discoveries and statistics:

• Our RSS subscribers have doubled over the last year.
• This blog has been viewed in 106 different countries over the past year.
• Firefox is the most popular browser used to surf this blog.
• Direct traffic to this website increased by 50%.
• Our top ten blog posts were:
1. 20 Dog Breeds That Make Great Running Companions
2. The National Dog Show
3. Diabetes Detection Dogs
4. The Most Popular Dog Breeds
5. The Many Ways To Bike With Your Dog
6. Dog Fonts
7. Prey Of The Dog: Down Under
8. Countries Unite To Help Japan
9. Rusty The Vagabond Dog
10. Cat Adopts Basset Hounds On The Cat's Meow

Let's Discuss!

It's been quite a year. What are some things you would like to see in this blog for the new year?

Cookie Update

I'll be updating you occasionally on Cookie's progress. She is walking but is only using three of her legs. To compensate for not taking her on walks, I've been taking her on car rides with my morning dog walks since she loves the car.

I'm going to take her downstate to a teaching hospital to save on surgery costs. It will take some time. In the meantime, I've had a couple of readers inquire about donations so I've set up a donation page through GiveForward.com/cookiescclsurgery . I am seeking other fundraising options as well.

I thank you all for your encouraging words and support during this time. It's been extremely comforting.

Pet Blogger Challenge

Photo: Maud Talêque

Hi Everyone! Today I’m participating in the Pet Blogger Challenge – conceived by the talented Edie Jarolim, author of Am I Boring My Dog and the fantastic Kim Clune, author of This One Wild Life. I learned about this through Go Pet Friendly and thought I would share my answers here.

And so, without further ado...

1. When did you begin your blog?

I began this blog in late March of 2009. I can't believe it's been almost two years.

2. What was your original purpose for starting a blog?

It started out as part of a blogging and podcasting class I was taking at the community college. We had to write five blog posts a week. Dogs seemed like the most natural topic to me. I was never at a loss of ideas of what to write. I basically kept it about being a dog fan.

3. Is your current purpose the same?

I think it's basically stayed the same. I can write really in-depth articles, report on worthwhile news stories or just share a cute video or picture collection. My goal is to inform, entertain and discuss dogs with fellow dog fans.

If not, what’s different?

The main changes have been adding the photo gallery and new themes. I've also become more comfortable with podcasting and am getting the hang of making videos.

If so, how do you feel you’ve met your goals?

My main goal has been to create a blog that celebrates the wonders of dogs,and keeps things in a positive light. It also has been important to me to write stories of substance even if it's not always a happy ending. Life isn't always wine and roses, and keeping it real has been important to me. I think I'm getting closer to accomplishing this goal but I believe that there's always room for improvement. Yet, at the same time, I think my writing and focus has strengthened since the blog's beginning. Another goal is to become more consistent with the posting frequency.

4. Do you blog on a schedule or as the spirit moves you?

I would say it's a little of both. Sometimes, I put out posts like clockwork and other times because of hectic times going on, I will post less frequently. I aim for
a certain number of posts per month. If I surpass it, great! If it falls lower, I don't sweat it. It's more important to for me to put up posts with strong content.
If the latter, do you worry about… well, whatever you might worry about (e.g. losing traffic, losing momentum)?

I do worry about losing returning readers the most because my rate of posting does fluctuate quite a bit. It can affect the momentum.

5. Are you generating income from your blog?

I've generated some income from my blog. I can't live off of it, but it's nice to know it's there. Any income is really a bonus for me since I did this for enjoyment first and foremost.

If so, how (e.g. sponsor ads, affiliate relationships, spokesperson opportunities)?

Most of my income comes through Google Adsense and Amazon Associates. I try to keep a balance because I am not fond of seeing blogs where all you see are ads.

6. What do you like most about blogging in general and your blog in particular?

I like that blogging has made my writing better and that you don't have to follow strict rules to be an effective blogger. I like the freedom of having my own blog because I get to write what matters to me and not just what is popular.

I like the friendships I've made with other bloggers. I've built some great relationships with some of the dog product companies too. Most of these friendships are with bloggers who write about other topics which has helped me to become a more well-rounded person. Lastly, blogging has helped me become less shy and express myself better.

7. What do you like least?

Promoting my blog is the least favorite part of the blogging process. I'm always fearful of overdoing it so I try to limit how often I tweet my posts to one or two times per post.

8. How do you see your blog changing/growing in 2011?

I will be trying to blog more consistently and am hoping to make this more of an active participation blog. I am going to not be as safe in what I write and stay true to my beliefs. I'm not going to shy away from controversy when it comes up. Most importantly, I just want my blog to stay true to its origins and become stronger and more focused for my readers. I also want to work on improving my design.

Let's Discuss

Are you a blogger? What valuable lessons have you learned this past year?

Related

What I've Learned So Far

1st Year Anniversary Celebration & Woof Hoofs Giveaway!

Photo: Dan Bennett

Last year, I started this blog as part of my class assignment in school. After I finished the class last May, I enjoyed blogging about dogs so much, I decided to keep this blog. Today marks the first anniversary of Too Kool Doggies. If it wasn't for Blogger, this blog wouldn't be here. I've heard so much about Wordpress, but so far, Blogger has worked well for me.

Since we've begun:

• I've written 197 blog posts, 4 of them being podcasts.
• We've increased feed subscribers by almost 600%.
• Too Kool Doggies has been viewed in 76 countries.
• Dog Fonts has had the most views in one year.
• The site had the most visits on July 6th when I wrote my interview with Aimée Hoover, a famous dog portrait painter.

Looking Ahead

During this next year, I will be bringing more fabulous articles, interviews, podcasts and more adventures with Cookie and Gigi for all of you guys. I will be having special giveaways. I will be changing the design to give this blog a new look.

Let's Celebrate!

To celebrate the first successful year, we will be doing some product giveaways. Woof Hoofs is giving away a free pair of dog boots to a lucky reader! These sell for $24.99 retail. Even though winter has come and gone, these boots are great to use for hiking. The contest is limited to those who live in the United States.

How to Win A Set For Your Pooch!

Write a comment below on why you would like a pair of Woof Hoofs and how your dog can use them. All entries must have a valid e-mail as well. Any retweets of this contest on Twitter would be greatly appreciated.

The more creative your entry is, the better. The winning comment will be decided by Woof Hoofs themselves. You can attach pictures, write a great story, etc. Anyone who leaves a comment will get a special discount to be able to purchase the boots through Amazon after the contest is over. The last day to enter is Saturday, April 10th.

Thanks for stopping in. Good luck to everyone! There will be future contests to celebrate our anniversary so keep checking here.

Elena

Blog Posts

Hello Readers!

As you all know, I've been going to school part-time, working and blogging. After attending school for a month, I've found that I need to put more time towards my schoolwork since both classes are require lots of time. As a result, I've decided to cut back on my posting so that you can read articles on Fridays and Mondays.

If anyone has questions, just drop me a comment or e-mail me. Thank you all, and I will be back on Friday. Hope you guys are having a great week.

Elena

What I've learned so far

As you know, I've started this blog as part of my blogging class. I had the option to continue or end this after the class ended this semester. I've chosen to continue.

When I first started writing this blog, I knew I would have a few topics, but until you've been doing it awhile, it's apparent that writing a blog is more than just writing a few good posts. Blogging is much more than what you see on the surface. I have found over the past month and a half, it takes a good amount of planning to come up with worthy topics. It's also good to know who you are writing for. They are the ones who will enjoy reading what you have to say and get something out of it. It's given me a voice and structure to a subject I hold close to my heart.

Blogging is also about reaching out to others. There are times, I may do so by sharing a comment with a blogger whose posts I totally got. I just had to share my feelings. It's a form of expression. If you are doing a blog for family and friends, it's a way to deepen a connection with a common interest. If you are doing a blog for family, friends and strangers, like I did, it's a way to learn about yourself and take a risk by sharing your words in a public manner.

By working on a schedule and having a certain requirements for the class, writing for my blog has givent structure and discipline. Being a creative individual, organization isn't something that comes easy. I've learned that writing an effective blog is a balancing act. I've enhanced my writing skills, pushed my coding skills further and found a way to meet people from all over who share a common interest. The video below echoes my feelings about blogging because they all work together to achieve a common goal:

Rat on a Cat on a Dog from Heidi Petty on Vimeo.

Lastly, I would like to thank all of my readers. I still have much to learn, but you all have made the learning process of blogging all the more worthwhile.