Interview with a pet blogger: Raise a Green Dog

Today we kick off our series of interviews with pet bloggers. Our first guinea pig (pun intended) is Johann the dog over at Raise a Green Dog. Johann (and we suspect his owner as well) has been kind enough to answer some of our questions. Read on for a great interview as well as some helpful tips!

1) When did you start your blog, and what inspired your to get into green pets blogging?

Raise A Green Dog blog began in November of 2007. I had been blogging with my personal blog since I was just a wee pup in 2004; and started my Rescue Me blog in June of 2007. Blogging is a natural for me.

I’m 3rd generation green. My GrandMum was green all her life and raised my Mum in a green environment. Our family has always said that GrandMum was green before green was cool!

Over the life of my personal blog I wrote about green practices all the time because it was a part of my life. I wrote about our organic lawn and garden, cleaning with all natural cleaners, eating natural and organic foods, and more. Many of my blogging buds began to ask my thoughts and ideas about green practices. So I woke up one day and said hey, why not start a blog for current and aspiring green dogs?

2) What's your favorite thing about blogging?

I think my absolute favorite thing about blogging is meeting all the really cool pups I’ve met all over the World. I’ve made friends in South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and throughout the US and North America. I really enjoy the sharing of information among dogs throughout the World that a blog platform can provide. If the information we share together helps just one pup live a healthier, happier life through green practices, then I’ll feel it all worth it.

3) Have you noticed a shift in attitudes towards the environment and its connection to pets?

When I started my blog in the Fall of 2007, I found that overall very few were talking about how the environment affects pets. A few of us were working hard to get the word out, after the big pet food recall.

When the recall hit, dogs and dog lovers all over the World were looking for help, advice and information about their food – what was safe, and what wasn’t? It was a very scary time, and the loss and illnesses of the pups and other pets is just devastating.

After the big recall subsided somewhat, dogs and dog lovers (rightfully so) began questioning all aspects of pups' lives and their safety. They began to ask whether their toys were safe, was their environment safe, where the products used in their home safe and more. Now in 2008, I’ve seen a tremendous and wonderful progression of interest and pro-activity in green practices for pups and other pets. I think it will only continue to grow; and am happy that it will.

4) What are some of your favorite blogs out there?

I check in with over 200 amazing blogs every week. Some are blogs written by my dog friends, some are blogs written by dog lovers, and some are green blogs. Being the agility dog that I am I can’t go a day without reading my friends' agility dog blogs. I just have to see how their trials went over the weekend, or how their training is coming along.

I also love to check in with my green blog friends – one being Eddie over at Pets for the Environment. I frequent many of the major green blogs – like TreeHugger, and Eco Geek (‘cause I’m kind of geeky). And I like to visit my friend Ashley’s blog, Good Being Green, from the Raleigh-Durham area. Her blog gives a great local community perspective of green practices that can be emulated in any community.

5) If there was one green tip that you would recommend that everyone follow, what would it be and why?

That’s a toughie to recommend just one, because everything us pups come in contact with can affect our health and our lives. But I believe one of the most important is to eat the best food you can. All dog foods are not created equal. Do your homework, find out about the company that’s providing the foods, find out how they make it, get advice and recommendations from trusted sources, eat organic if you can, eat raw or home cooked if you can, or eat the highest quality kibble you can - because what goes in is very important to a dog’s health and happiness.

6) You have many types of content on your site – products, tips, news, etc. What articles usually receive the warmest reception?

I knew I wanted to provide well-rounded information on the blog, but I also wanted to know the biggest concerns of dogs and dog lovers. So, when I first started the blog I put a survey on the sidebar to help me better understand what my readers needed and wanted to know.

The survey shows that my reader’s top interest is related to what foods are safe for us dogs. Tied for 2nd are what toys are safe, and where can they buy safer products. Thirdly they want to know more general information about the environment and the affect on their pups, and how they can keep their pup’s environment safer.

So I’ve geared the blog content over the year to provide answers to those big questions (and others in the survey) in the hopes that I can best serve my readership.

Secretly I think they also love it when I talk about how to get rid of the doo. :)