As a blogger, I blog so that I don’t bore my non-pet-owning friends with my stories. It’s an outlet to a welcoming audience. I mean, they’ll still get some stories because I can’t help myself, but I try to keep it to the best ones that will be universally enjoyable.

From the Husband:
Good word, Kristine. I hope it becomes quite poplular.

I have never been able to read a dog training book all the way through, but blogs give me a real life aspect that I can’t get from a book. Every day moving and shifting with life together makes me feel like part of something real and alive with other dog lovers. Something I’ve only had once in my life. Never have I met so many people who really, truly love their dogs and love talking about them. Most of the time it is my only connection to the real world and what a better world to be in.

Skip the wine, but the bread and cheese and friendship sounds fabulous!! 🙂

This is a great post (thanks for the shout-out but that’s not why the post is great.) Every reason you mention here is also a reason why I write and why I read. Anyone who has met me knows that I am more comfortable with dogs than people. Still, the fellowship aspect of reading blogs had been something I was missing for many years until I found again the ‘house of dog’. As an introvert, socializing through blogs allows me to make connections on my own terms, at my own times. And best of all, walk away from it for a while if I get overwhelmed.

But honestly, for me, it really is mostly about the dogs and now I’m only being partially facetious. I love dogs. I love to learn what they’re learning, what new stuff they’re doing, how they’re feeling… I love to look at them, learn about them, laugh at them and ooh and ahhh over them. I cry with every loss. If I could, I’d have a house full of dogs all the time. I would never get tired of them. Since I can’t, I supplement my dog habit with blogs.

Most of the dog blogs I read are in the moment: they haven’t undergone rigorous editing like a published book (though I have more than my share of training manuals, too), yet editing is careful; comments support not only the blogger but we readers, too. I read bloggers who have fearful dogs, loving dogs, hound dogs, and dogs of breeds I rarely work with, affording me information, hilarity, sorrow, and heart felt knowledge I would otherwise miss.

Most dog bloggers publish more consistently than I – sigh – which means I get to read them more and more, like you, Pamela!

Or something. 😛