Fun Update from the Dunlap Gang!

On Memorial day, I received this wonderful "Joey's Journal" entry from my friend Charlene Dunlap of Canine Horizons.  Honestly, I think every day is a holiday for the dogs who live with Charlene and Glenn! Since I haven't featured her crew in a while, I thought my readers might enjoy this update with some fun photos.  Thank you Charlene, for allowing me to share them with Poodle Blogger readers!

We hope you are all having a very pleasant Memorial Day.

Since we've been rather confined the previous three days due to our fortnightly groomathon, we decided we'd spend the cooler part of today in activities.  After our morning yard walk, the boys and I went to the training building for more activities.  Sydney wanted to work on her tan and did not accompany us indoors.

         First thing Scotty always does is run to the mail box and open and shut the lid.  Funny boy! 

  Then up the ladder ~~

  ~~ moving so fast he was just a blur! 

             So fast that you can see through him in places!!  Interesting, huh?

 The camera was moving this time trying to keep up. 

   : But, I finally got them to be still enough for a good picture. 

(Note from Melanie, aren't they just the cutest boys EVER?)

After breakfast, we went to the college. 

 There's a walking path around the campus and a side path with a bridge over a stream.

 Glenn didn't know I took this - teehee  Usually, he's with Sydney and Scotty and I'm with Joey

 unless I have all three!

 At home, Joey saw Glenn outside fixing a faucet leak -  the boys tore outside and tracked him to the barn-

 Scotty greeting his dad - see Joey biting Scotty's leg!

This one of the doggy doors out of the house-

And, coming back in (to the reading room)

                                Hope we didn't overload your computer with pictures today! 

                                                              Charlene with Joey, Scotty, and Sydney

Charlene, I can NEVER get enough, as far as photos of your three lovely Parti crew. Readers, if you enjoyed these photos, you will REALLY love the short movies and videos of these dogs doing all the amazing tricks and behaviors she has taught them for her Poodle movies. Some of the shorter movies can now be viewed on her website for free!  Check out these videos and more at Joey and Scotty's website:

                                                                The Parti Boys

As always Charlene, many, many thanks for sharing your dogs and their adventures with us!  Melanie

Happy Spring!

Nothing says Spring like a happy young Poodle bouncing through the wildflowers!  This one belongs to Susan Wilson, of Five Star Poodles.  For more photos and information on her lovely Poodles, see her website, www.fivestarpoodles.com.

Thanks so much Susan, for sharing this photo!

Melanie
Poodle Blogger
www.knowingdogs.com

Is Poodle Blogging for YOU?

Blogging Anyone?

            Want to be the next Poodle Blogger?

I have truly enjoyed developing this website by adding training and other articles, and then blogging articles, short posts and interviews of Poodle people over the past few years. However, to be totally honest, I am working on a couple of other major projects this year, and Poodle blogging has taken a back seat. I have run out of things to talk about, whew, that was hard to admit!

This blog is easy to use and maintain, becaue it is on Google’s free “Blogger” program.

Costs for me are keeping the domain sites, which I have registered as www.poodleblogger.com and www.poodleblog.com on GoDaddy.  So this truly is the least expensive website that I own (in comparison to my dog training sites, which are on Joomla and hosted by a website provider.  I did invest several hundred dollars up front to have someone design the logo (of the Poodle typing his blog) and setting things up in an easy-to-use template and of course I have thousands of hours invested.   Website work is NOT my forte.  I am a dog trainer and a writer, not a Poodle breeder or blogger at heart.

I am looking for someone who might be interested in purchasing this website or partnering with me.   I am open to an outright sale, a trade of some sort if you have products or even someone who knows how to monetize a blog, who sells products giving me a small percentage of sales.

If you are a breeder, or you sell products that appeal to Poodle owners, then you are the type person who could most benefit from this blog.  Even a dog groomer, trainer or boarding kennel owner who wants to increase the business they receive from Poodle owners would benefit. If you want lots of traffic, you could have questions and answers, or perhaps even add a Forum where Poodle folks congregate.  Definitely a Poodle Rescue organization could easily re-do this website and have a unique site, where you do more than just highlight available dogs.  Articles could educate Poodle owners,  teaching people about proper care of Poodles and educating them about Poodle health issues, etc

.

I am not a breeder, have no products to sell (other than my small Amazon store and 4 simple e-booklets which I have listed on my KnowingDogs site).  I am retired from grooming and training.  I still am a Poodle fancier and dog show exhibitor, but with only one show quality Poodle and no breeding plans, there is really no reason for me to have a Poodle related website.

 

BUT….Poodles and Poodle folk are quite fun!  Do you have any interest in this blog?  I am open to an outright sale, $1,500 or best offer. That would include transfer of ownership of both domain names, the lay-out with logo, and use of training articles. As far as keeping past blog posts, those that are written that include other people’s dogs would require their permission, but if I trust you enough to let you take over the blog, then you could retain the right to use my own articles and photos of my dogs.

If you have something to sell or trade, perhaps we could do that instead,if you don't want to invest cash up front, or if you are sure your products will sell, then a percentage of sales might work.

So in other words, I am just putting the word out and am open for offers, suggestions, etc.  The ideal owner of the Poodle Blog website would be someone who likes to write, but if you don’t, but have other reasons for wanting this website,  I can write for you once a month for a small fee as what I am trying to eliminate is writing that products no income. If you can pay $50 per article, I can research issues and send you content, if you want the blog to sell products but are concerned about the writing aspect. 

Some people might enjoy just putting together a website that highlights different breeders from the past and present, and use the blog simply as a hobby (as I have).  Of course people who have something to sell can benefit from this site.   I have comitted to a rather large writing project and will be training a therapy dog this year, so I simply don’t have time to figure out Amazon stores or write to retailers and look for people who do affiliate sales, etc.  Writing comes easy to me, but the “ins and outs” of website work do not. But you might be the person who DOES have that kind of time and energy, and if so, this blog is ready for you!  You may even have a child who is a college student who is website savvy, that could monetize this blog to make extra money.  There are unlimited possibilities.

So what does it need?  It needs someone who knows how to bring in more readers, and get those readers to purchase something!  I don’t mind continuing to write for the blog OCCASIONALLY,  I just don’t have what it takes to make the blog make money and I am trying to prioritize in life to things that either directy involve my dogs and my enjoyment of them, or writing projects that have an opportunity of bringing in some income.  I would even consider donating the site to a rescue group, if they were able to pay me to write a couple of articles for them each month, as that would at least bring in a little bit of income.

So…if you are either:

A Poodle Rescue Organization who wants a website that will appeal to all types of Poodle people so you bring in more donors and can sell products;

An Ethical Poodle Breeder who doesn’t yet have a blog;

A Poodle Club looking for a place to showcase educational articles and breeder and rescue referrals;

A Person who makes something that Poodle fanciers want to purchase; or who simply enjoys writing and publishing Poodle news;

A website savvy person who knows how to make money through internet sales, Ebay, Amazon and other affiliate sales,

then this website is valuable to you!!!  If you have any interest, please email me .

If you would like to know more about me, including the accomplishments I have had in over 35 years of being in dogs, numerous publications in which my articles have been published, etc, see the About Melanie link on www.knowingdogs.com.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Melanie

Wow...Charlene and her Grooming!

Guys, I wish I had photos of my own grooming to show you that looks like this, but I don't have this kind of talent!

Here are some recent photos of my friend Charlene Dunlap's dogs Scotty and Joey, after a recent haircut (courtesy of their Mom and Dad, Charlene and Glenn of Canine Horizons).

"Joey" looking  down as his older sis "Sydney", who is lounging around in the grooming room while the young boys have their Spa Day. Don't you just love Joey's markings?

Joey all dolled up, a completed work of art!  Charlene says she still wants a little more angle on his rear legs, but looks pretty near perfect to me!

"Scotty" after his haircut, what can I say but "WOW"!  These two handsome boys have made me change my opinion on natural tails  (they do not have docked tails, but they are still just as lovely as any parti-colored Poodle I have seen with a docked tail, aren't they?  Kind of adds a bit more "character" to their look!)

As always, thank you Charlene, for sharing these photos with my readers.

You can see more photos of these boys, and read about their most recent movie projects on Charlene's websites:  www.caninehorizons.com and the second website, which features "The Parti Boys" exclusively:   www2.caninehorizons.com

Memories....and wishes for a Happy New Year, without Regrets

Happy New Year!

I was actually looking for a funny photo of Kate, my old girl, to wish you a wonderful New Year. But while going through photos, I found this one of her half-sister, Lizzie, that I had entitled "Mom, I am sooo tired of this photo shoot!"  Because I think that was exactly what was in her mind when we took this photo.

We owned a boarding kennel then, and Lizzie had put up with over an hour of photos before this, out in the training field, then we had taken her over by the pond, trying to get a "relationship photo" of the two of us. I am not so sure what this photo says about our relationship, but it has always made me laugh.  I believe this photo was taken in 2004 or 2005.  Sadly, we lost Lizzie in 2008, just before she turned 7 years old, from lymphoma. Kate, her younger half sister, is now 11 and not doing well.  We sure miss the days when both were well and happy--they brought us so much happiness through the years.

No, this is going to be a sad post.  Just a reminder.  A reminder to love your dogs, your friends, your family, while they are here with you this year.  Because we never know what the future may bring. Hopefully this will be a year of health and happiness.

But part of life is loss, no one lives forever.  So TODAY, do something fun with your dogs. Call or email a friend.  Better yet, drop a note in the mail!  Did you know that there is still such a thing as a mailbox, and many people would love to open that box and find a note from you next week?

Wishing you and yours the very best New Year ever. Lots of everything good, but God's true comfort should you experience a loss.  And most of all, no regrets.

Melanie, and her Poodle friends Kate and Hudson