… plus one semi-gratuitous guilty pleasure video

Put out a challenge, take up a challenge. Yesterday, when Amy at GoPetFriendly.com and I were throwing down the gauntlet to pet bloggers to think and write about their blogs on January 10, Dr V. of Pawcurious was asking bloggers to choose their top 10 favorite posts of the year; she would link all of them on her blog. Those challenges dovetailed nicely. After all, to write about my blog, I had to look back at it.

In case you’re wondering, I chose the words of this post title carefully. I had lots of stellar guest posts, but I didn’t pick any of them to highlight here.  I can play favorites with myself but not with other people. I might want to have them guest post for me again.

****

I wrote a lot about pit bulls and how they had been unfairly maligned this year, but in the end this picture was worth more than 1,000 words: Another Very, Very Scary Pit Bull

I’d had no idea what a little polluter Frankie — ok, I — was, but I’ve seen the (green) light. Look out for a dog poop contest early next year: The Dog Poop Chronicles: A Tale of Personal Growth and Waste Disposal

Part of the Pet ‘Net Family Event, I took the guilt-free zone into the grief arena, letting pet owners know that there’s nothing abnormal about feeling the loss of a pet very deeply: Pet Loss & Grief: Some Coping Tips

Old dogs really are the best dogs. Here’s why: Eight Reasons to Adopt a Senior Dog

I loved the whole BAT training series, based on interviews with Irith Bloom, but this installment was extra special because of its whimsical and wonderful illustrations by Karl Edwards, which also started our friendship (the guilty pleasure video was also part of the BAT series, which is why it’s only semi-gratuitous here):  Training Tuesday: Batboy Forever

I woke up one morning and wished for More Tail Wagging, Less Barking (as a great bumper sticker I got at BlogPaws put it) when it comes to animal rights causes. The result was An Open Letter to Nathan Winograd

Another one about pet loss, this one focusing on the end of life moment. It’s an important topic, and I was very moved by a reader’s letter: Your Dog Won’t Hate You. This I Know.

Can dog grooming really be dangerous? Hell yes! Consider this a public service announcement: Dog Grooming Gone Bad

Sheer silliness, but it’s not often that I create photo essays — and it’s not often that Frankie acts macho: Charles (Not) in Charge

Another public service announcement: Why Cheap, Anesthesia Free Teeth Cleaning is Really Costly

19 thoughts on “Ten Favorite Posts I Wrote in 2010…”

  1. I cannot remember a single one of your posts I did not enjoy a lot. If I could be so rude to make a pick out of your top 10, it would be the BAT series. Mostly because of the huge impact they had on my relationship and understanding of Viva. That series of posts was the start of Viva’s transformation to a less fearfuldog.

    Have a Happy New Year!

    1. What wonderful things to say. Thank you. I’m so glad to learn that something on my blog helped a dog get over her fears.

      One of the highlights of blogging this year was having you come and comment. You always have smart things to say and make me feel better about my neuroses!

      A very happy new year to you, too!

  2. Great choices. You hit many of my favorites too. I missed this challenge from Dr.V. and was very glad to read about it on your blog. I guess my last post wasn’t my last. My top ten will be. Maybe. I never know ’cause there’s always something.

    Happy New Year!

    1. I saw the challenge very fleetingly on Facebook yesterday and so started putting together this post last night, figuring I would check this morning to see if I got it right. I hope you do put together a top ten. I would enjoy seeing them.

      Happy New Year to you, too!

  3. I fully admit this was not a fully fleshed out idea. I was looking at a, um, fashion website’s Top 10 yesterday and thoroughly enjoying her boot retrospective when I realized, hey, we should do that.

    And I’m glad I did, and especially glad I asked others to do the same, because I missed half these posts and they are all exceptional. The Winograd post- so well done.

    1. I too would be inspired by a boot retrospective, and I’m glad it spurred you — and therefore the rest of us — to action! It’s been great to catch up on so many high-quality posts, including yours (which give me serious illustration envy).

      Thanks for your nice words about my posts. The Winograd one was a total surprise to me; I didn’t know that I felt that way until the words started pouring out one morning.

  4. I was waffling between the letter to Winograd post and “Your Dog Won’t Hate You” but went with the former because the latter made me cry too much. Just thinking about it makes me cry a little. But you handled it all so beautifully. I really respect how you are able to voice your thoughts so articulately.

    Anyway, enough gushing, thanks for your kind comments.

    1. Don’t feel bad; Your Dog Won’t Hate You still makes me cry — it’s that letter and its raw pain.

      Just for future reference, I have no problem with gushing 😉

  5. Charles is so proud to have made the top 10 — even as a victim of macho Frankie! But you might say he is used to it — for Christmas I got him a little Eco-Napper — a cozy pad for him to sleep on in a favorite corner. Miriam (my pointer) keeps absconding with it to use as a pillow. What’s a gentle soul to do?

    1. It wouldn’t have been a retrospective without Charles! I’m glad he got a nice cuddly gift, sorry that Miriam isn’t letting him enjoy it in peace.

  6. i remember these! that letter from the lady whose dog died 🙁 was so very sad.

    but my personal fave has to be dog poop chronicles! what a riveting subject!

    thanks so much for a year of Mighty Interesting Stuff, ms jarolim. and HAPPY NEW YEAR! 🙂 xox

  7. I really think all listed are excellent posts, but the Poop Chronicles – and while I wrote that I thought “how weird to outsiders!” – Charles Not in Charge and the Bat Series(thanks for the gratuitous inclusion of the video:), oh, and the “Your Dog Won’t Hate You, This I Know” which nearly brought me to tears again just reading the title, were some of my personal favs too. And the “Grooming Gone Bad” made me wince – poor Frankie! I remember all your stuff from the title – amazing for me, since I’ve forgotten at least half the books I’ve ever read! I’ve had a lot of enjoyment out of your blog and thank you

    It was really hard choosing just one of your posts for my post, and I wanted to say, “oh, and…” not an easy exercise, either of these exercises!

    1. Thank you, Mary! You’ll be happy to hear that there will be more poop posts in 2011, including a poop bag contest (which will explain the dog on the toilet picture, in case you were wondering). I can’t even re-read Your Dog Won’t Hate You (unless I’m having dry eye syndrome and need to produce tears).

  8. Absolutely wonderful selection of posts… I still remember the first time I read “Your Dog Won’t Hate You. This I Know” and how much it moved me. I get teary-eyed just thinking about it.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *