Just the other day I told a friend that I would never have a contest on my FaceBook page or here on the blog. It’s always presented as one of the number one ways to get people to Like, read, or visit your site. It seemed so tacky and pandering to do that just to get readers. I always figured that if I wanted readers (and I do, I do!), it was my job to be interesting, informative, or at least entertaining.
I still think that, but then something happened. I’ve been collecting photos of Summer’s face in different situations for a while, since she is so very expressive. I made them all into a gallery, and made a list of all the descriptions of the situations. I thought I’d ask readers if they could match them up.
Oops, it’s a contest! So I decided to go with it. So put on your observer hat and get ready to apply what you know!
Rules are below. The three top scorers (see rules below) will get their choice of either a print copy (not e-book) of Alexandra Horowitz’ “Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know” or Grey Stafford’s “Zoomility,” mailed directly to them from DogWise.
Photos
Descriptions
Here are the descriptions for the photos, in random order.
- First time she saw a TV
- In costume
- Looking for a varmint (squirrel, rat, possum, or turtle) (see comments for clarification)
- Looking for a varmint (squirrel, rat, possum, or turtle) (see comments for clarification)
- Looking for a varmint (squirrel, rat, possum, or turtle) (see comments for clarification)
- Found a varmint (squirrel, rat, possum, or turtle) (see comments for clarification)
- Found a varmint (squirrel, rat, possum, or turtle) (see comments for clarification)
- After a varmint hunt
- Sitting uncomfortably close to another dog
- Has been fussed at
- Late in day at agility trial
- At the agility field
- Watching petals float through the air
- My mom has her arm around her
- Playing with Zani
- Playing with Zani
- Guarding a Nylabone
- Being held in my arms
- During a thunderstorm
- During a thunderstorm
- Home from vet after serious illness
- Asking to train
- Doing agility sequence
- Just a photoshoot in the back yard
- On a road trip in hot weather
- Waiting to check the back yard
- Immediately after fence fight with new neighbor dog
- On a fun outing
- On a fun outing
- At the fairgrounds on her mat at a dog show
- Being petted
Don’t be daunted that there are so many! Give it a try even if you can guess only a few. If it’s so hard, it could be that someone who only gets half of them right could win.
How to Enter
To enter the contest, copy the above list into an email and put the number of the photo next to each description. Title the email “Contest Entry.” Email it to the name of this blog @att.net. Got that? eileenanddogs at the domain name in the previous sentence. Please include your name in your email. If you have trouble with the email address, send me a message using the sidebar of the blog. I will acknowledge all entries, so if you don’t get an email back from me within 24 hours, try it again.
Rules
- Please enter only once. (In the event that I have made some kind of error that affects your choice and it is discovered after you have entered, you may amend your entry pertaining to that issue.)
- For the exact same descriptions that apply to multiple photos (mostly having to do with varmints), it doesn’t matter in what order you attach the photo numbers to the descriptions.
- Please do not submit your entry in the comments section of the blog (I will unpublish it if anybody forgets).
- It’s OK to have discussions of the photos with each other in the blog comments, or on my FaceBook page, or anywhere. Just don’t post your list.
- Check back in the comments and/or my FaceBook page in case I need to make any interim announcements. I will make the announcements both places.
- The three winners will be the people who get all 31 right the fastest. Or failing anyone getting all 31 right the winners will be determined by who got the most right, and in the case of a tie, who got that number right first.
- If you want to guess just for the glory of it and don’t want a prize, please say “decline prize” in your entry email.
- If you don’t want your name announced if you win, please say so in your entry email.
- I will notify winners by email as well as by announcing on the blog. At that time I’ll ask privately for your mailing address.
- Deadline is 12:00 midnight on Thursday, January 31st, 2013, at Central Standard Time (Central Standard Time is GMT minus 6 hours).
- I will announce the winners during the first weekend of February and publish the answers. I’ll publish the uncropped photos, with some commentary, sometime after that.
I hope this was fun!
Coming up soon:
- Understanding errorless learning
- Est-ce que votre chien veut VRAIMENT être caressé ? (Does your dog REALLY want to be petted?–the French version!)
This is a fun game. Multiple shots could be for one description. Since you can’t see the whole body, I’m going to also use other elements in the pictures as tips. She is very expressive.
Very generous of you to share a good idea. Glad you like the game.
Can you please clarify the difference between looking for a varmint and found a varmint? Does she not know if there is a varmint around in the former (just hopeful) but has spotted one in the latter? Or does looking for a varmint mean she has spotted one but found a varmint means she has one cornered or treed or in her possession or something?
Yes, your first interpretation. Looking for a varmint: she doesn’t know for sure but is hopeful and looking. Found a varmint: spotted one/knows where one is. I will notify the people who have submitted entries in case this changes their guesses. Thanks for the question, Sharon.
Another entrant asked a good question. It was what I meant by “being fussed at.” I hate to admit it, but it means I had just scolded her. I’ll notify people who have already entered in case that clarification changes their entry. (Sorry, Summer!)
What are the correct responses? Now I’m dying to know! 🙂
They are in this followup post: https://eileenanddogs.com/2013/02/01/contest-results-and-the-curse-of-knowledge/
Glad you’re interested!