Wait, no. It’s more like a memory question. Gads, which is harder – figuring out a math problem or trying to remember where you left your favorite comfy shoes? But no worries, people. We’ll keep it simple. It’s what I’m good at.

1. What were you doing five years ago?
2. What has changed since then?
3. And dear God why can’t we have just one thing stay the same on this green earth for once?

The Mighty Micron 2009 version

Roll that around in your noggin for a couple of minutes. I’m good with waiting here. Actually I think I’ll toss a bag of popcorn in the microwave. That gives you an extra minute or so while I find a clean bowl.

Ok, you got it? What’d you come up with? Did you actually start to make a list, you over-achiever you? Once I greased the cogs to get the wheels turning, I counted off on my fingers the big changes, then took off my socks to tally the impending ground-shakers yet to come.

The time marker I gave of five years was not an arbitrary one. Because it was November 2009, a passing glance as life goes, that we launched Raising a Super Dog out to the great blogosphere with a Here We Go.

I really didn’t imagine this blogging gig to have lasted so long. Truth be told, my planning didn’t extend past just sharing photos and stories with the other puppy raisers of Micron’s littermates. Then this weird thing happened.

Yaxley 2011 version

We started to get readers. Lots of ‘em, too.

Affirmation, y’all. It’s a gateway drug and it’s addictive. It doesn’t take more than a couple I-liked-your-last-blog-post and you’re plugging into Google Analysis to check your stats several times a day to get your affirmation fix. And then you need more, so you get hooked on your Klout.com score, even though you know it’s just a quick buzz and won’t last. You keep adding on the social media to increase readership. A Facebook page, Twitter account, Google+, and even, who knows why, you create a business Pinterest account to promote your website. Everything actually, except Instagram. Because that would be nuts.

A blink later, five years of your life has passed. And for what?

Over four hundred stories and a quarter million hits on your little niche blog, that’s what. It makes me teary-eyed, it does. Thanks y’all, for hangin’ with us on this journey of ours. Sloppy dog kisses to each one of you. Watch out for Micron, though. He’s bad about slipping you the tongue. Especially up a nostril.

Euka II 2012 version

Here on Raising a Super Dog we’ve shared the adventures of three puppies in training – Micron, Yaxley & Euka – from stinkin’ adorable balls of fluff to service-dogs in training. Puppy Number Five, the darling Miss Holly, is working hard to keep the stories coming to you, too.

But things change, don’t they? Nothing can stay the same for too terribly long.

So while we celebrate the anniversary of Raising a Super Dog, we also embrace the new and exciting stuff that is on another path not yet explored.

These next few months will challenge us with some adjustments to that ever delicate Work/Life/Volunteer Balance and I’m blessed that at least have a heads up on some of it. Being an unrepentant control freak, I just don’t do well when life slips through my fingers like warm Jello. Sure, I can do change. I just cope much better when it’s my own.

So here’s what I’m gonna do.

I’m deploying a new blog. A sister site to Raising a Super Dog.

Inga 2008 version

So I’m reading this great book. The protagonist at one point waves her hand and says “Go. Do. Be.” The scene and these three very simple words went bouncing about in my neurons.

Do your thing, people. Be an active participant of your own life, right? It’s your hands that are on the steering wheel, of course.

And amid all the GPS redirections that we encounter [recalculating], one thing in my journey has not changed. 

 Sharing my life with purpose-driven dogs. It’s kinda a passion of mine.

Holly 2014 version

So today I’m ridiculously thrilled to announce the launch of Go. Do. Be Dog: Living a purpose driven life with dog hair on my clothes.

Won’t you join us as we explore the wonderful stuff that is the Human/Animal Bond?

Some stories will be cross-posted across both blogs sites as we get things up and running. But later Go. Do. Be Dog. will be a stand-alone site, featuring guest bloggers and stories on the positive impact of having these remarkable canines at our sides.

Check it out and let me know what you think [**coff coff**affirmation**coff**]. Even better, pop me a note if you have your own story to share.

Click here: Go. Do. Be Dog.

Sloppy dog kisses to everyone.

You see? I told you to watch for tongue. The sly devil.

Pucker up, baby The mighty Micron Current version