OH BOY! Our site has been nominated for the prestigious Liebster Award. The nomination comes from our good friend Noodle the schnoodle. Go ahead and check his blog out here.
Being nominated comes with the assignment to answer several interview questions posed to us by the nominator, provide some little-known facts about this blog, and to nominate some other great blogs that we follow by asking 11 questions of them (see exact rules breakdown at the conclusion of this post), so be prepared to learn a whole lot about Gilligan and to be introduced to some other great voices out there!
11 Questions that Noodle Asked Us
Since the questions are addressed to the pet star of the blog, today we're going to depart from the third person human author's perspective that is the typical voice of this blog and give you the rare treat of hearing answers from our very own Gilligan the miniature dachshund!
1) What would you do if your parents brought home a new puppy?
Well, ironically this has been a topic of discussion with my parents. I think I have convinced them that it would need to be another dachshund. Thing is, I am bad with introductions to new pups, so I’d probably be a little aggressive and possibly a little jealous at first. My Mimi (Papa’s Mama) may get the puppy at her house instead, which would be better for me since I prefer to be the star of the show around this house.
2) If you could go anywhere, where would you go?
Mars. After Papa read Mars by Ben Bova to me, we’ve been fantasizing about colonizing the red planet. Since it is probably a better climate beneath the surface than above, it would be perfect for a population of burrowing superweenies, with our natural tunneling and digging abilities. We’d need lots of technology and help from NASA, though.
3) What do you hope to accomplish with your blog?
We hope to endear our readers to their pet parenting experiences, and give them some helpful information both about pet parenthood in general and about the dachshund breed. And of course, we want to build a little fame as we make people laugh, smile and wag by sharing my adventures and my larger-than-life personality.
4) If you went to the pet store, what is one thing you couldn’t leave without buying?
Well, in terms of must-haves from the pet store, it really comes down to a good bag of grain-free food, and at my pet store, when I go with Mama and Papa it always means I am getting my regular pedicure. I might try to finagle a bone, toy, or accessory here and there, but a lot of the fun stuff we buy online, so these are really the things we would absolutely be picking up.
5) What do you want to be when you grow up? If you are already a grown up, did you do what you wanted to do?
My main goal has always been to be with a loving home. While I have been fortunate enough to have this throughout my life, I’ve had some ruff times. At this stage I am a full-grown 28 dog-year-old adult, and I have found my furever home. That said, I still have a lot of goals for reaching more folks with my blog, starring in more videos, and just continuing to have a great time. See this year’s goals in our New Year’s Resolution post.
6) What is your favorite animal?
My human Papa is my favorite animal. Err, wait… is this a menu order? If it’s a menu order squirrel is my favorite animal. At least I think so… I guess I’ve never tried squirrel before, so I wouldn’t know… yet I’ve licked Papa many times and keep coming back because he’s so delicious. Maybe he’s my favorite either way… look, just don’t cook my Papa, please! As a food order he is perfectly prepared as is.
7) How would you describe your personality?
Persistent: When I want something, I will get it. This includes all cuddles, most treats, and privileges to be where my humans are most of the time. On the other side of things, I tend to be pretty protective of my pack unit and have been described as “over-protective” and “loyal to a fault.” I don’t take well to strangers, but once I see you as part of the pack my next objective is to be as cuddly as possible with you.
8) If you could change one thing about your parents, what would you change?
They would let me eat what they eat. I get 2 meals, they can have 3… I eat the same thing every meal, they get to mix things up and have all these wild and delicious-smelling things… it’s just not fair!
9) Do you sleep in the bed with your parents, a crate, couch, or a doggy bed?
I have a doggy bed near my parents’ bed, but have about a 50% success rate of persuading them to let me snuggle with them in their bed. It’s on account of my #TeddyWeen anatomy, you see.
10) Do you play fetch?
Yes, but I’m selective.
11) If you answered ‘yes’ to #10: Why would you play that silly game?! I just don’t understand it! If you answered ‘no’, is it because it makes no sense to you, too???
Ok, so this is why I’m selective. It is kind of a dumb game. “Go get the thing! Bring the thing back. Drop it.” Then you just throw it and repeat the whole thing again? It’s pointless. BUT, when I hear a fresh toy squeak, it awakes an animal nature in me, like a little mouse is running around, and if I haven’t had a walk that day especially, I have all this extra pent-up energy and this really helps me to release it.
11 Random Facts About Gilligan
- I was born in Alabama.
- The word for the type of marbled patterning of my coat is “dapple,” which is distinct from “brindle” which is more of a speckled pattern.
- I have starred in a full-length rap music video.
- I have my own resume.
- My original name was “Cowboy Gunner.”
- My father’s name was “Chips Ahoy.”
- My furever parents renamed me “Gilligan” before they knew my father’s name, so it is a happy accident that my full name is now “Gilligan Ahoy.”
- I was kicked by a small boy (about 7 years old) when I was a young pup, and am occasionally frightened by small children even to this day.
- The only thing I hate more than being wet is being wet and cold! I will refuse to go out for walks and to use the outdoor doggy bathroom in the rain, and tend to resist in the snow as well.
- My favorite treats both begin with the letter “b:” Broccoli and bacon!
- My favorite place on the human body to curl up for a cuddle also happens to begin with the letter “b:” the bum! It is so wonderfully warm to be curled up in a ball in the space under the bum and behind the thighs; plus, that’s where there’s the maximum smell factor! Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.
11 Nominations
The following blogs are all fantastic, and we’ve nominated the majority of them for various categories of the Nose-to-Nose Awards, the winners for which will be announced at the upcoming BlogPaws 2015 Conference.
- Sand Spring Chesapeakes – This unique Chesapeake kennel’s blog has great information for pet parents from a well-run family breeder in Wisconsin. They are very active in the pet blogger community.
- Tales from the Back Road – Follow photographer and writer Mary Hone as she brings you breathtaking photos and outstanding stories from her travels across the great American countryside with her husband and two beautiful pups.
- Wag ‘N Woof Pets – Tales and tails from pet parents, most strikingly about the ongoing process of training their dog Luke. There are great tips there.
- Kol’s Notes – Most notable as cohost of the weekly blog hop, “Tasty Tuesday,” they feature scrumptious dog treat recipes that you can try at home!
- My Rotten Dogs – Tales from a dog mom who believes in feeding her dogs real food (which we stand behind here as well), and also raises chickens!
- Come Wag Along – Pet mom of Simba the Snazzy Schnauzer shares hilarious musings of their life. Obviously we’re huge fans of the name.
- K9’s Over Coffee – A great all-around blog for pet parents, with a title that captures the two nearest and dearest things to the heart of this blog’s author!
- Dachshund Nola – Famous as the cohost of the popular “Black and White Sunday” blog hop, this blog features spectacular photos, and a great archive of videos and posts with tons of information about dog training for all levels of enthusiasts. Nola is a show dog who shares a lot in common with Gilligan, including her age and of course breed.
- Bicontinental Dachshund – Yes, the dachshunds continue with this blog that follows Tootsie, an American ex-patriot now living it up as a citizen of Switzerland.
- Dolly the Doxie – Like a 7-Eleven food counter, we’re keeping the hot dogs rolling with one of our favorites, Chicago-based Dolly. She was one of the first ambassadors of the pet blogger community to reach out to us when we started, and we love her work.
- Walks with Rama – Tales from the mom of a group of show dogs and home dogs, not the least of which is Rama. They’ve recently been posting fun GoPro camera footage from lovely walks they’ve been having. Check them out!
Questions for Nominees from Gilligan
- What is the most interesting location you have traveled to, and what made it so special?
- What method have you found works best for reaching more blog followers and engaging your audience?
- How much time per week do you dedicate to your blog?
- What is your strategy for engaging brands, and how many brands do you regularly work with?
- Would you ever consider adding a new dachshund puppy to your family (regardless of your current family makeup)?
- What is your number one talent that sets you apart from the rest of the “pack?”
- Would you ever consider appearing in a music video? If so, what genre would it be?
- Are you planning to attend the BlogPaws 2015 Conference? Optional follow-up: If so, does the revenue generated from your blog site cover the costs of your attendance?
- What is the next major goal or new milestone you hope to accomplish with your blog?
- What is your ultimate “dream come true?”
- What aspects constitute the “perfect walk” (in terms of location, length of time, activities, etc.)?
What to Do If Nominated:
Should you accept this award, you’ll need to know the rules, which are:
- Acknowledge and accept the Liebster Award by leaving a comment on the blog where you were nominated.
- Copy and paste the Liebster logo onto your own blog.
- Link back to the blogger who awarded you.
- Answer the 11 questions put to you by the person who nominated you.
- List 11 random facts about yourself.
- Nominate and link to 3—11 other blogs you enjoy that have less than 3000 followers.
- List 11 questions for your Liebster Award nominees on your blog.
- Inform your nominees by leaving a comment on their blog.
Wags Ahoy! 