Even your dog has a blog

(LifeWire) -- It goes without saying that Max, a 3-year-old golden retriever can't talk. But that doesn't stop him from chronicling his dog's life -- as told to his owner Aubrey Jones -- on the blog Max the Golden Retriever.

There are trips to the dog park, musings on his owners' socks, confessions about crushes on poodles and, of course, his passion for tennis balls.

"Hey, look, a tennis ball," a December 17, 2007, post reads. "My long-lost tennis ball. ... How many hours has it been since I saw you last?"

These days, it seems everyone from the UPS man to your mother-in-law is a blogger. At last count, the blog search engine Technorati.com shows nearly 113 million blogs on the Internet, and it estimates that more than 120,000 blogs are created each day.

So why shouldn't pets have voices? At least that's the sentiment of lots of pet owners who have set up blogs for their dogs, cats, goldfish and hamsters to channel their household companions online.

Jones, a small-business consultant, says he and his family in Raleigh, North Carolina, get a kick out of Max's blog. "It's a blast," he says. "I was looking for a way of doing something humorous. And I can really see Max in these posts. It's about capturing his energy."

In the process, he's captured other readers, too. Some leave comments on the blog about their own dogs; others have inquired about Max's availability for play dates. "There's a definite connection among dog owners," says Jones.

[ 本帖最後由 追求永生 於 2008-3-22 00:18 編輯 ]

Max is in good company. Fellow pet scribes include Daisy, a frisky 4-year-old calico cat who writes about chasing lizards in and around her home in Parkland, Florida, along with catnip capers and modeling the latest kitty couture clothing. After each of her posts, between 50 and 150 fans, many of them masquerading as felines, leave comments.

Some pets are part of their owner's social network. Some 34,000 users daily visit Dogbook on Facebook, which allows owners to create "profiles" for their pets. Kitties may be a little neglected with 13,390 daily visits to Catbook.

Hope McPherson's Jack Russell terrier, Wimsey, joined the blogosphere in 2005. He had everything a pooch could want: doggie daycare, doting nannies, even a seat at the table. "He bows his head when we say grace," says McPherson, "but whines if the prayer gets too long."

Clearly, McPherson thought, Wimsey is a dog who has a lot to say, so to speak. "When he heard about blogging, he was immediately interested," jokes the Seattle resident. "I set him up with a blog and he took it from there."

McPherson, a writer by profession, says Wimsey loves his blog. But the family cat? Not so much.

"She's not amused," McPherson says. "She thinks people spend far too much time fawning over the dog and not recognizing her innate qualities." And there probably isn't a blog in her future. After all, says McPherson, "She's not interested in technology."

Psychologist Larina Kase of Philadelphia says there are countless reasons people blog on behalf of their pets. "Pets are part of the family, yet we can't communicate with them about many things, so pet owners may blog about their pets as a way to better understand how their pets think and feel," she says.

And blogging in such a way, Kase says, can help a person connect with other humans, too.

"People bond over shared interests, especially those that they are passionate about. Walking a dog is a great way to meet other dog walkers and people who stop to pet your dog." Blogging, she says, is "21st-century dog walking."

Plus, says Kase, who doesn't want to live vicariously through their pet? "Every pet owner has had a moment when they look at their pet and think, 'I want his life. He eats, naps, goes for a little walk -- what a life.'" She thinks pet blogging might even be an effective way to relieve stress.

Got a poetic piranha or a chatty tabby? Free blogging platforms such as those at Blogger.com, WordPress.com or LiveJournal.com offer easy ways to set up a blog, whether it's for you or Rover. It doesn't take any special technology skills, either -- just some imagination and creativity.

McPherson offers this advice to would-be pet bloggers: "Try to see the world through your pet's perspective," she says. "It's his or her blog, after all. If you want the blog to be from your own point of view, do your own!"

It goes without saying that Max, a 3-year-old golden retriever can't talk. But that doesn't stop him from chronicling his dog's life -- as told to his owner Aubrey Jones -- on the blog Max the Golden Retriever.

[ 本帖最後由 追求永生 於 2008-3-22 00:49 編輯 ]

[ 本帖最後由 追求永生 於 2008-3-22 00:30 編輯 ]

[ 本帖最後由 追求永生 於 2008-3-22 00:42 編輯 ]

Happy Friday, Everyone!

追求永生 兄弟..

這個應該是帖在水庫吧...