Pet Blogger Challenge

Christine Hibbard, CTC, CPDT

1. When did you begin your blog?

We began our blog in September 2007.

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

Like many businesses that start a blog, we wanted to drive traffic to our web site but it was more than that. We’re passionate about educating pet owners and professionals working with pets about scientific, safe and effective methods for training dogs and modifying their pets’ behavior. The past five years or so have thrust us into a “whispering” world where dog training methods that entail the use of force, fear and pain are being recommended on television shows and web sites. We have reams of scientific evidence that these harsh methods can cause behavioral fallout with dogs such as increased anxiety, fear and aggression but science is often drowned out by the media. These methods aren’t  just bad for the dogs but they put family members in danger of being injured. We hope that we can reach pet owners and pet professionals of all stripes with the message that scientific and humane methods for working with pets are the safest and best methods available.

3. Is your current purpose the same?

Basically, our goals are the same and I think we’ve done a good job of staying true to our mission. Of course we’ve learned a lot on our blogging journal and we try to put that knowledge to use with each article and as we learn from our readers.

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

We publish once a week but we’ll publish more if there’s an event, something in the news or something one of us just has to say. I want fresh content on the blog weekly to keep our readers engaged.

5. Are you generating income from your blog?

No.

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

We’re not just another dog training blog. Because our articles are written by Certified Professional Dog Trainers, a PhD Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist and a Veterinarian, our topics are varied and interesting. We write about cat behavior, parrot behavior and the latest scientific research in animal behavior. We all love writing and Behind the Behavior gives us an opportunity to write about topics we enjoy and are passionate about that we might not get to talk about in our daily work with companion animals.

7. What do you like least?

Spam and people who believe that it’s appropriate to abuse an animal and call it dog training or animal behavior modification.

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

We’ll be reorganizing our content to make the information we write about more accessible to our readers. We have great content but we need a better information architecture. We’ll be monetizing our blog, not to get rich but to promote products and services in which we believe.