Ack! A Challenge?
I’m freaking out already! Am I up for it? Will I be good enough?
Who knows but I’m up for it and I’m ready so HERE GOES!!
First of all, for those who are newbies to Pibbles & Me, please check out my About P&M page. If you don’t feel like doing that, you know, clicking that linky there, I’ll give you a brief intro before I go into the multiple questions I’m suppose to answer for the Challenge!
Meet Titan (aka Pibbles)
– Titan is an American Bulldog/Mastiff mix (per his papers) however, I believe his Mastiff is really American Staffordshire Terrier. I haven’t done a DNA test yet, but seriously considering it. Anyone do one before?
and ME (well this is ONE of my looks)
And WE are Pibbles & Me!
………………………and onto my first, but their 3rd Annual Pet Blogger Challenge!
1. When did you begin your blog?
I began my blog (a different one than this) back in August 2010 when I rescued Titan from the shelter. Being my first “bully” breed and him being twice previously homed and named, I thought it might be interested to write about my challenge and Titan’s rehabilitation. Several blog tries later and three blog platform changes, and here we are!
Titan at the rescue. Love at first sight!
2. What was your original purpose for starting a blog?
I originally wanted to write about our story. Like I stated previously, this was my first “bully”. Titan was quite dysfunctional. At 1 1/2 years old he already had two names and two homes. What could be wrong with this boy? The challenge presented itself not only from Titan’s standpoint, but from my own as well. I never trained a dysfunctional dog. I never had one that was so misjudged and feared either. I wanted to be a Responsible Pit Bull owner, share our story, and be a Voice for all Pit Bulls.
3. Is your current purpose the same?
Oh absolutely!! I love sharing our story! I also love changing the perception of Pit Bulls in people’s eyes. I feel if I can change just one person’s perception of pit bulls, that I’m doing something good.
If so, how do you feel you’ve met your goals? I believe I have done a fairly good job considering the time I have to invest in blogging. Could I do better? Absolutely! That’s one of the reasons I wanted to try the Challenge! To meet on pet bloggers, especially pit bull, and see how I can better myself and spread more awareness.
First kiss on the ride home
4. How often do you post?
I post several times a week, usually. I try not to pressure myself too much (learned that the hard way) to post daily. I post when something exciting has happened or I simply feel like rambling about my lil boy.
5. Do you blog on a schedule or as the spirit moves you?
If you don’t publish on a schedule, why? How do you think your decision affects your audience? How do you know when a topic is “post-worthy?”
As the spirit moves me. I tried doing a schedule, even tried themes, I found it hard to keep up with my full-time job, wife duties, and keeping up with a very need pibbles. 
I think my current audience is happy with my non-schedule as the majority of them also follow me on Facebook or Twitter and can always get their Titan fix when needed.
As for “post-worthy”, I believe any post is worthy. Why? Because WE, as individuals, are Authors of our blogs. WE make the rules. If WE have something we want to share, why wouldn’t it be “post-worthy”. However, I have noticed that sometimes a post I think is good, won’t get many comments. But I don’t let that get me down. I keep track of my page views and am pretty happy. You can win with every post, imo.
More kisses with Momma
6. How much time do you spend writing your blog per week? How much time visiting other blogs? Share your tips for staying on top of it all.
Geeze, I honestly don’t know how much time I spend writing between my two blogs. Never timed it. I write and maintain them when I have the opportunity. I have many blogs that I subscribed to in my reader and probably spend too much time reading others and not posting enough on my own but I’m a firm believer in sharing bloggy love. If it’s a good post, I’ll be sharing across my networks.
7. How do you measure the success of a post and of your blog in general (comments, shares, traffic)? Do you look strictly at the numbers, or do you have a way of assessing the quality of those interactions?
Ahhh, nice, I think I touched on this one briefly in #5. Comments are awesome, who doesn’t love them, however, not everyone is willing to share their opinion online (where it’s permanent you know). So I rely on my page views and checking out where my traffic is coming from (Facebook, Twitter, G+, other blogs, search engines). I used to get disappointed by watching my Comments. I’d beat myself up about it, however, those views and people clicking links for other networks to visit Pibbles & Me, are awesome! Plus, I get those who will reply to a post a shared on FB, Twitter, or G+. Comments can come from anywhere, just not on my lil bloggy here.
8. If you could ask the pet blogging community for help with one issue you’re having with your blog, what would it be?
I would love for more people to share the love! We have these “share buttons” below our posts, sometimes besides the post, where you can spread a bloggers post to other networks? Yes, I’m all over spreading the love. Will you be willing to share mine?
My favorite pic of lil man and me xoxox
9. What goals do you have for your blog in 2013?
Ugh! Goals are almost like Resolutions! EEK! In this ever-changing world, do we still set goals? Yes, most of us still do. I haven’t made any set goals for 2013. I’ve been tossing around a few ideas of giveaways. I’ve started doing some reviews. But I’m really not sure other than to continue to spread our story to the world-wide web and to fabulous readers like yourself. I know your blog is only as good as the effort you put into it. My goal will be to put my best effort out there, continue to share Titan’s story, and continue to spread pit bull awareness and education.
Ok, now that I feel like I just took a test, what do you think? Love to hear from you!
Don’t forget to join up!
About Bren
Hey Brenda,
Woohoo…. You took the challenge and first off I thought it’s “about me” page I’m reading
lol… Wonderful indeed to read the story again and I’m sure you have been enjoying writing all here.
No goals?! You have been maintaining the purpose or mission of your blog and added more value with reviews which will help pet bloggers. Now a step ahead
It was mostly true for me that though we think a post gonna benefit many out there, they get low comments. But from my personal view, I’ve stopped thinking about it at all after few occurences and started making connections with like-minded people dear. Believe me, after the challenge when you hang out with more pet bloggers and when they start coming here, you will see every post get more than enough you imagined
You just need the right audience as my believe.
Have a SUPER DUPER week Brenda
Cheers…
Mayura recently posted…How to Schedule Your Social Media Updates with Buffer
Twitter: MayuraDeSilva
Thanks Mayura! You know, I enjoy watching my page views because not everyone is comfortable with posting comments online. Don’t get me wrong though, Comments are awesome because it develops that relationship between blogger and reader and I LOVE that! But as long as someone is reading, I know I am reaching people and they are hearing our story.
I’m very excited about the challenge and looks like, from the links shown, I got a LOT of reading ahead of me!
Thanks as always for your support Mayura!
I wanted to let you know I love that you are blogging about Pit Bulls. They are a misunderstood and maligned breed. Although I’ve never personally owned a pibble, I’ve become involved with a local Pit Bull rescue group that is also works to spread awareness and educate the general public. Good luck with your blog in 2013!
Vicki Cook recently posted…Third Annual Pet Blogger Challenge
Thank you so much Vicki! I do enjoy talking about my own pibbles and spreading as much info around the web as I can. I don’t claim to be an expert, I simply share my own experiences and what works. My dream one day is to have the world not fear pit bulls and embrace them for the loving and loyal animals they are. Thank you for stopping by.
You will do great, challenge is nothing for the mom of Titan. Have fun with it.
Thanks Chris! I always appreciate your support! xoxox
Loved the write up what I will do for the new year is start to share all posts I read. I normally rt when I see it on twitter but I need to do better.
Kita recently posted…Pinterest Wednesday
Thank you Kita! You know how passionate I am about pit bulls and especially my Titan. Sharing the bloggy love is very important imo. It gets a broader range of viewers via other tweets and facebook shares that someone may have never seen. I’m a firm believer in it! If I enjoy the post, I’m definitely sharing!
I think its great that you are blogging about pitbulls and your website look beautiful. I think the more people know about these wonderful dogs the better. Excellent luck and growth for the New Year.
Maggie recently posted…Maggie’s Travel Journal…83 days to go!
Twitter: wagthedoguk
Thank you so much Maggie! I’m with you, the more pit bull love, education, and awareness that is shared… in GOOD light, the better the world will be!
Much love and happiness to you and yours in the New Year!
It is so important that people do hear the real stories about pitbull-type dogs and realize that we’re just people and they’re just dogs. And Titan is gorgeous!
You know this as much as I do. BTW, I LOVE reading your blog and especially seeing your pics of your babes! I know you get the same as me when out in public. The comments, the run and hides, the looks…. if they would only open their eyes and hearts to experiencing the true pibbles affections. Thank you so much for the comment and compliment! Happy New Year!
Loved reading this Bren!
You have a great, breezy style and are a master at engaging people; something I could improve on. Am enjoying getting to know you and Titan better and this Challenge post was a great read. Kudos to you!
Cheers,
Debbie
Debbie recently posted…THE PET BLOGGER CHALLENGE
Hi Debbie! Do you know what just happened? You just put a HUGE smile on my face with your kind comments! That only is an inspiration to continue my quest of spreading awareness to the blog-osphere as well as in my RT world! I’m glad you joined the challenge and am anxious to start reading all the posts! Shew! I’ll be reading all week!
My first experience with Pit Bulls was a dog abandoned in front of my parent’s home after I had moved on. They didn’t know what he was, this was just at the beginning of the national hysteria. He turned out to be a Staffie, a sweet friendly boy with excellent manners and became part of their family. The neighborhood kids would ring the doorbell and ask if he could come out to play every day. Finally my parents who wanted to travel gave the dog to the kids where they lived together for many happy years.
Keep writing about these sweet creatures. They need all the good words they can get.
jan recently posted…Pet Blogger Challenge
Thank you Jan! That’s a fabulous story there. Pit bulls and bullies are definitely misjudged. People can make them mean, they aren’t born that way and I’ll state that forever. Every dog deserves an opportunity, again as in your story, to live out a happy life and not be judged. I would like to make a difference in the perception, if only by touching one person’s heart with my story.
Great to find out more about you, Titan and your blog! I like your idea of tossing around ideas rather than setting goals…too much pressure and blogging is supposed to be FUN!
Thanks Liz! Yes, I tried schedules and I just felt too pressured to publish and when I did, it wasn’t that good imo. All we wanna do is spread out story, ya know. When the moment hits? Blog it! Thanks for stopping by!
Hello there! I think sharing Pibbles’ story and the plight of pitties is a terribly good reason to have a blog. I also like your view on what makes a post worthy. Too often, we worry too much about how a post will perform, rather than if we had fun and passion writing it. Not everything needs to be worthy! Hooroo!
Georgia Little Pea recently posted…The Repeat Offenders Q&A.
Thank you so much for the encouragement! I too think blogging about, at least my experience with my pit bull, is a good one to share. It shows have a twice rejected dysfunction, no socialization or training pit bull mix can be rehabilitated and be a wonderful and loving baby. Someone once told me “Blog for yourself.” And that’s what I do, with a little added spice to keep my readers/friends interest. If I’m sharing our life, that’s story in itself. Thanks for stopping by!
Hi nice to meet you. Thanks for stopping by. I enjoyed reading your answers. Titan has beautiful eyes!
2 brown dawgs recently posted…The Pet Blogger Challenge
Aww thank you kindly. I’ve been told they are EVIL looking. haha I just have to laugh cause I know they are seriously just afraid of his big head!
Thanks for stopping by!
We have three dogs with yellow/amber eyes. Have heard “evil” before…lol.
2 brown dawgs recently posted…Monday Mischief–Keyhole Blind
“Evil” that just cracks me up! Titan does have a slightly lazy eye, but it’s still by far, “Evil”. hehe
I think you hit on the most important thing: If you’re doing your best, you’re doing great! I’m new to your blog, but I look forward to following your and Titan’s story! I’m a huge pit bull lover with two mixes of my own, so I love the focus on changing stereotypes. Keep up the good work!
Maggie recently posted…Third Annual Pet Blogger Challenge
Thank you soooo much Maggie! As you know, it can be very trying as a pet blogger. There is so much competition out there. I tried to compete at first, then grew my “nads” per say and decided to do my own thing and spread “our” story “our” way. Glad to always meet more pibbles advocates and owners! I too look forward to reading more on yours! Thank you for sharing!
Titan looks a lot like my friends dog who is an American Staffordshire Terrier. I like your answer to number #7. We can sometimes write a good blog post that is not good for discussion. Maybe we answered all of the questions in our post. I agree that it’s really a combination of things.
As to your question I followed your Facebook page that’s where I do most of my social media sharing.
Good luck with your goals in 2013!
Colby recently posted…Pet Blogger Challenge III
Hi Colby! Yes, I agree, Titan has a lot of Amstaff in his, thus I think the rescue misjudging the “Mastiff” part in him. He’s a big boy that’s for sure! I agree. I used to write some posts that really were “engageable”. Meaning, I didn’t ask the readers anything. I just blab blab blab about me me me and didn’t even think of them. I’ve learned to engage my readers now, ask questions, opinions and what have you.
Have you found a lot of dog bloggers use FB a lot?
Thanks for stopping by, sharing with us, and Good luck to you as well!
Hi Brenda,
I think some dog bloggers use FB a lot and others do not. I always think about it as another way to reach people. Everyone out there likes to consume content in a different way so it’s important to try and offer it in different ways. I use my Google Reader the most for content consumption, but I know many others would rather just look at their FB timeline, check there twitter feed, or receive an email. One other thing I noticed about FB is images by far receive the most engagement.
I hope that helps!
Colby
Colby recently posted…Pet Blogger Challenge III
I can see that! I’m trying to amp up my fb page a bit with more pics and general convo. Since they updated the android fb app, I can use my actual page more than my personal page. Woohoo! Thanks so much for getting back to me on that. I see a lot of dog blogs on there! Love it!
Hi Brenda,
I have no experienced about pit bulls, but I really appreciate your blog and your love for Titan.
And I think, sharing about someone you really care, is the best way to show your love towards them. Wish you an adventurous day with Titan. 
Chathu recently posted…A Perfect Leisure!
Thank you Chathu. See, it’s a learning experience for you!
I know people that follow my blog because they are afraid of big dogs and want helping getting past that fear. I guess I’m touching some people, right? Thank you so much for sharing and as always for your support! 
Just want to say that Titan is gorgeous, and welcome to the PBC:)
Julie recently posted…My second, their third – The Pet Blogger Challenge
Hi Julie! Yes, I finding from more and more people that Titan is actually the star of this blog. Him and his handsomeness that is.
Thank you so much. I’ll be sure to pass along the compliment to him. He’s such a flirt with girls (at least the ones at the vet office). hehe
Beautiful story! So lucky Titan found you!
Glad to see a high quality pit bull blog, and admire your mission.
Happy blog hop!
Coralee recently posted…All in a Day’s Work
Well thank you Coralee! Can you see me blushing?
It’s great to hear good things about my lil bloggy here. I take pride in my boy and really like to convey that message to everyone. Thank you so much for stopping by!
Enjoyed your pet challenger post. Also enjoy reading your other entries from time to time. But shoot, drat, son of a biscuit! Wish I’d known about the pet blogger challenge. I was all fired up to enter and then I saw the date – January 10 – yesterday!
Gonna put it on my challenger to start looking for it next Dec 31 – seriously
Virginia! It’s not too late! Go ahead and get your PBC posted today and link up! Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing. Your gravatar reminds me of a cat I had one. Aww so pretty! Thank you again for sharing with us and don’t forget to link up!
So glad to meet another pibble lover and rescue supporter. I not currently owned by a pibble, but the one I adopted a few years back, who passed away from cancer 8 months later, was the light of my life and I’ve been a huge advocate of the breed ever since. Unfortunately, other breeds seem to find me (through my volunteer work with rescues) before I ever find the right senior pibble to share my home again …..but one day. Meanwhile, I live with them vicariously through my blogger friends with pibbles.
Awww glad to meet you as well Jean and thank you for being a fabulous advocate and supporter! So sorry to hear about your pibbles. Cancer seems to be predominate in their “breeds”. I just don’t understand it. I hope someday that you’ll find another one to OWN you. hehe I joke about me rescuing Titan but to be honest, he rescued me!
Thanks for sharing!
Great post! Thank you for letting me know about the challenge. I do have to know though, where do you get all of your energy & can you send some our way?! So glad to have gotten to know you ♥
Heather recently posted…Friday Funny
Thanks Heather and I’m glad you were able to link up for the Challenge! Energy? What energy? My life is wake up early, fuss with Titan, go to work, come home, cook dinner, fuss with Titan, go to bed, and I try to squeeze in blogging (at work) during that period and on my phone. Ugh, it is tiresome for sure. I have to be in bed by 9 pm cause I’m up by 5 am, sometimes earlier. Truly not enough hours in the day. BTW, you have more energy than me! I only have 1 pibbles, you have many babies! Where do you find yours?
Glad to have met you and your family sweetie! Much love and success in 2013! Muwah! xoxox
OMG. That is the cutest dog ever. If I weren’t so lazy, I get one. Aww….
Thank you so much! Yeah, relaxing is not a norm until the pibbles goes to bed.
Oh yeah, I am not really good at setting goals either. But I like the idea of giving your “best effort.” Good luck!
Teeny Bikini recently posted…Proper Pervert
Thank you so much! That is exactly what we are trying to do. I hate goals as well. Too hard to stick to and I don’t like letting myself or my pibbles down.
Thank you for sharing!
Hi Bren! Thanks so much for joining in the Challenge – it’s great to get to meet you and Titan. I really appreciate your cause – too often as we travel around we see places that ban pit bulls and it makes me crazy! These people have no logical reason to be afraid of the breed, they’re just mis or uninformed. Keep up the good work, and I’ll be looking forward to your and Titan’s adventures in 2013!
Amy recently posted…Friday Photo Challenge – Now Your Pet Can Be The Star!
Thank you for your kind comments Amy! Great to meet you as well and Thank you for hosting such a fabulous challenge as this! I’ve met so many wonderful bloggers and furbabies, my head is still spinning from reading! Looking forward to reading more on your blog as well! Have a fabulous weekend!
Titan. Is. GORGEOUS. So glad I found your site in the PBC hop!
AJ of PupLove recently posted…Fetch Friday: Etsy Edition
Oh thank you so much AJ! I’m really enjoying the PBC! I’ve found so many interesting people, furbabies, and blogs! Thanks for stopping by and sharing!
Love the pictures. OMG, my heart is melting. I have a soft spot for bully breeds. I saw a man on the bus the other day – he looked sort of scruffy, suspicious. He had his dog with him, a pit bull. His dog looked at him and the guy transformed into this handsome guy who was petting, hugging, kissing, and coo’ing to his dog. It was an amazing site and made me smile for hours.
Still smiling.
Dogs are great. Have a great year!
Kimberly, The Fur Mom recently posted…Start the New Year Off with a Pet Care Savings Account @WomensDay
Twitter: TheFurMom
Thanks Kimberly! I too have a soft spot for them. I’ve always been for the “underdog” and boy do these guys get a bad rap, as you know! Awww, thanks for sharing that with me. That poor guy. His dog was probably all he had. How very special!
Thank you for stopping by and sharing with us! Wishing you much success in 2013!
Yeah yeah… I’m one of the last ones to comment on this for ‘some’ reasons…
… Awesome, Bren. I have learned to know you and Mr. T as a good team over the last year or so. Great to read things are going really well for you!.
JanBierens recently posted…Adventures of a wannabe Traveler.
Twitter: janbierens
Hey Jan! Mr. Married Man! hehe I’m so glad we’ve connected through our blogs and onto other networks. It fabulous to watch your blog grow and have join Titan and me on ours. Wishing you much love and happiness and happy honeymooning!
Yay! Another pit bull blogger! I love meeting other bully breed lovers. <3
Hi Amanda! Oh yes, I am very partial to bully’s and their blogs! You’re lil babe in your pic is soooo adorable! Hoping on over to your blog now! Thanks for stopping by and sharing!
Hi! Nice to meet you. I’ve never been here before so I look forward to having a look around. Sounds like Titan’s very much a “third time lucky” kinda chap. Happy blogging for 2013.
Tegan recently posted…DO SOMETHING! Make a submission!
Hi Tegan and welcome to our humble abode! hehe I hope you find our home easy to navigate and decide to come back. Yes, Mr. T is definitely a lucky guy. Not only was he a bully that got a 3rd chance, he got his furever home and furparents that would do anything for him. He’s definitely spoiled and pampered! Thanks for sharing with us!
Hi – trying to work my way through some of the PBC posts (I’ll never get through all of them, sadly). Great blog. Your boy looks so sweet! Also read your next post and was inspired to kill my Captcha thingy. I hate the spam I get when it’s off, but guess I can deal with it. I wish blogger had the simple “confirm you are human” button. (I’m pretty sure it doesn’t have that optiion, although I might be wrong…)
Good luck with the blog (and everything!) in 2013!
Jackie Bouchard recently posted…Pet-Blogger-Challenge Virgin No More
Hi Jackie! Good luck working your way through. I’ve skimmed through the list once. Had to take a break but I’ll be hitting it up and checking in on those I missed. Wow, such a huge list of awesome bloggers!
I’m so glad you hacked your Captcha. I know spam can be horrid but do you get a lot of it? Have you thought about maybe adding Disqus for your comments? There’s a superb write up on my friend Mayura’s blog if you’d like to check it out. http://www.mayura4ever.com/2012/05/how-to-install-disqus-comment-platform.html . Just a thought, if you get an abundance of spam comments.
Getting ready to hop on over to your and check it out! Thank you for stopping by and sharing with us, oh and may you have a fabulous 2013!
I don’t get TONS, but I get a good bit. It almost always manages to be routed to the spam folder, so I guess it’s not that big of a deal. I’ll probably just live with it, but will check out the link. I seem to recall the first time I came across a blog w/ disqus on it, I was a little confused by it – but then, I’m easily confoosed. I know a lot of my blog readers are older friends and family members who are not super tech savvy, so I wouldn’t want them to be flummoxed by it. (Some of them couldn’t even handle Rafflecopter…) So I’ll probably just go w/out a spam filter. Live dangerously.
Jackie Bouchard recently posted…Pet-Blogger-Challenge Virgin No More
hahaha OMG! Rafflecopter is crazy imo! That is one widget/plugin/whatever you wanna call it, that is truly not my friend!
Nice to meet you (and match your name to your blog!) Love that you blog about pitties
And I’m big on sharing…
Sue at Talking Dogs recently posted…Dog Song Saturday: The Puppy Song
Twitter: forloveofadog
Thank you Sue, I think? hehe Have you seen us floating around the world wide web?
My first pittie and hopefully won’t be my last. I love these lil guys and am very passionate about them, as you may have seen! Thanks so much for sharing with us!
Pibbles is the CUTEST! I am in love. I grew up with a pitbull as my “nanny”, so I’m a huge fan of the breed. Can’t wait to learn more about you and him together!
Kolchak, Felix & Jodi recently posted…Fetch Friday: WOOF! There It Is Edition
Thank you! And WOW! That’s truly awesome! Glad to hear a “love” story there. I hear they were awesome Nanny dogs in the past. I’m sure they could still do it!
Thank you for sharing and stopping by!
Titan is an awfully good looking pup! I am so glad he found you and that he is part of your family! Mom and I are looking forward to reading more about him
Hi Remy! You’re quite a looker yourself there! I hear you have a wonderful family yourself. Guess you and Titan are the lucky ones, huh
Thanks for commenting and look forward to seeing you more!
Titan is precious! So glad I stopped by and am looking forward to following your blog in 2013:) Pit Bulls are getting a bad rap and I think it is great that you are using your blog to educate humans about the breed. Keep up the good work!
Thank you! I’m quite find of the lil booger myself
Blogging about him and other pit bulls comes very easy for me. My life revolves around Titan because he is that special to me. He and other pit bulls deserve a good name and I look forward to help spread that word. Thanks for sharing with us!
Hi there! So, this is my first time visiting your blog, and I want to say right away that I just love your design. It looks great! Nice and simple but still has lots of elements and widgets. I envy you!
I also really love the purpose for this blog. Desmond is a pittie mix, and I see firsthand what the discrimination and ignorance entails. It’s quite sad. But it’s great that there are folks like you helping to spread the word!
Lauren recently posted…Desmond’s Homecoming After Hurricane Sandy
Hi Lauren and thank you for stopping by AND for the compliment! This is a new theme for 2013 for us and I am truly digging it too! So, thank you again!
Desmond is such a lover! I fell in love when I started reading your blog and saw your pics! I love reading about all animals but I am passionate about pittie blogs so rest assured, you have another subscriber! Keep being a VOICE! Muwah!
I am totally agreed with your points that you have mentioned in your blog. Blogging about PIT BULLS is really interesting .I’m inspired that you’re been blogging in such a wonderful way. I loved your post completely. Keep blogging.,,,,
Thank you so much! I am very passionate about pit bulls and, especially my boy. My purpose is to try and change the misperception of these loving babies. I’ll continue to be their voice as long as I can. Thank you for sharing with us!