A huge thank you to Colby over at Puppy In Training for hosting this year’s Pet Blogger Journey and encouraging so many people to participate in sharing their pet blogging adventures!

In 2019, I did not participate in the pet blogging tradition of reflecting on the previous year. My Dad fell just after Thanksgiving in 2018 and needed physical therapy at a skilled nursing facility. Bernie, Lizzie, and I drove from Tucson, Arizona, to Memphis, Tennessee, to visit him at the end of December 2018 and a bit of January 2019.

My Dad died in May 2019. When I think about the two weeks we spent visiting him, I’m thankful that my Dad had a chance to finally meet his grandpups and experience their shenanigans.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission if you click through and purchase something. Please see my Affiliate Link Disclosure policy for more details.

When did you begin your blog? And, for anyone stopping by for the first time, please give us a quick description of what your blog is about.

I’m Irene and I started McSquare Doodles in July 2017 with my husband Matthew. I write about training our two Australian Labradoodles to become certified therapy dogs, so I have posts about Canine Good Citizen preparation, dog-friendly places around Southern Arizona, and tips for finding time to train your dog.

Name one thing about your blog, or one blogging goal that you accomplished during 2019, that made you most proud.

I recognized that trying to create quality content while my Dad was in a skilled nursing facility would be frustrating and not a good use of my time. I gave myself permission to temporarily stop blogging. After my Dad died, Matthew and I re-calibrated our goals, and I organized a publishing plan for 2020.

Which of your 2019 blog posts was your favorite and why? (Please include a link.)

Even though I didn’t write a single brand new blog post in 2019, I did add an About Therapy Dogs page to my website.

I’m most proud of the news stories I’ve collected there that highlight scientific research into the effectiveness of therapy dog work. My plan is to continue adding more reports of new studies as they’re published.

What was the biggest blogging challenge you faced in 2019, and how did you tackle it?

Even though I gave myself permission to stop publishing posts, I could not detach 100% from my blog. I made a conscious effort to focus on my own professional development as a blogger and as a dog mom.

• As I listened to many different blogging podcasts, I took copious notes organizing all of them in Evernote creating my publishing plan for 2020.

• I read Pet Blogging for Love & Money by Carol Bryant and Maggie Marton taking notes and integrating those ideas into my publishing plan.

• I purchased the Genius Bloggers Toolkit, and identified the top six courses/resources that could help me achieve my blogging goals in 2020. I did take the time to enroll in almost every course since it’s lifetime access, and I’ll be revisiting the master list in the fall.

• I read other nonfiction books to learn more about training and dog behavior & care.

• I attended two dog training seminars with Lizzie: Resolving Conflict in Human/Canine Relationships presented by Mark McCabe (Training Between the Ears), and The Art of Leash Handling presented by Nelson Hodges (Canine-Human Relationship Institute).

• I signed up for several webinars, online classes, and Pet Professional Program workshops through Fenzi Dog Sports Academy. I’ve completed about half of the programs I’ve paid for, so I need to get cracking before my other links expire.

One goal that we all seem to share is we want to reach more people. What is your #1 tip for bringing more traffic to your blog?

Post consistently.

In Q4 of 2018, I was starting to see some more significant gains in traffic. I lost that progress when I stopped publishing consistently.

Thankfully, Google does know the age of blog posts, so that will help my older posts as I jump back into blogging.

Do you do sponsored posts/reviews? If so, what do you find works best and how do you determine what to charge for a blog post, social media shares, etc.? If not, is this something you’d like to do more of? What hurdle is getting in your way?

I do not.

With a bachelor’s degree in journalism, I’m more research focused, so I view my blogging as a form of journalism. While I will write about personal experiences with training our two Doodles, I do not see myself as an influencer.

Looking forward to 2020, if you accomplish only one thing through your blog, what do you hope it is?

I’d love to inspire more people to train their dogs to pass the Canine Good Citizen Test. Not every dog may be suited for therapy dog work, but I truly believe that with the right training and support many more dogs can achieve a CGC title.

By spending more time with your dog, understanding him, supporting her, training, walking, adventuring, and bonding, your relationship will grow, and your home will be harmonious.

What steps are you planning to take to ensure you reach your goal?The blogging landscape is constantly changing. What changes in blogging do you see coming in 2020 and beyond? What plans do you have to evolve?

I’ve been rocking daily use of my Plum Paper Planner! I set ten different goals over four areas of my life. All of these goals break down nicely into monthly goals, so writing specific action steps has made tracking my goal progress easier.

For 2020, I’m going to publish more YouTube videos. Given the recent COPPA scare on YouTube, I’m seriously not sure if this plan is wise. However, one of my goals is to publish at least one new video on YouTube each month.

Within my original blog goals, I had 2020 as the year I would start a podcast. I’m still debating if I should scrap YouTube ambitions and focus on podcasting. I would need more equipment for podcasting, but I know that’s manageable.

If you could ask the pet blogging community for help with one challenge you’re having with your blog, what would it be?

YouTube or Podcast? Which do you prefer for consuming content? Why?