There are two important parts to your ad, besides the content: text and photos.

Text. Make your text work for you by striking a balance between too much information and too little. Include your dog's name, its temperament and other features that would be of interest to prospective buyers. Emphasize the way your dog is different from others, how it is unique and special. Background is important both on pet and show dogs; information/photos of sire and dam help viewers get a more precise picture of what the puppy they are considering may grow up to be like.

Use the text options in ways that will make your ad interesting, but still easy to read. Too many colors or letter sizes can be confusing and displeasing. Simplicity works best most of the time.

Photos. A good photo can sell your puppy - in a couple of seconds a photo will say more than in 5 minutes of reading great copy. But text and photo should work together to help an emotional reaction become a good decision. Everyone loves a cute puppy, but our goal is to find forever homes for our dogs, so we need to make sure that our ad viewer not only responds at an emotional level, but he also chooses the dog that is best for him.

Important tips for good photos:

• Take photos of clean, groomed dogs; puppies ears pinned. The difference shows.

• Invest in a good digital camera, it's worth it!

• Send in current photos; puppies at least 6 weeks old.

• Photos taken up-close and at dog's height are best. Natural, attractive settings showcase your dog: flower beds, mowed lawns, nicely groomed areas. It's worth taking a trip to the park if your backyard is not looking great the day of the photo shoot.

• Edit your photo as needed. Trim off excess surroundings so your dog fills most of the photo. Adjust dark photos, etc, to ensure your dog shows clearly.

• Send photos in as jpeg, gif, bmp or tiff files, best at 75 dpi resolution.

A good photo editing program (and free) is Picasa, a Google service. You can download it from: http://picasa.google.com/ Instructions on how to use on same page. If you have trouble editing your photos you can email them to us, we will edit them and send them back ready for you to include in your ad. $3/per photo edit.

They say education and advertising both work on repetition. There is a lot of truth on that. The more visible you are, the more your potential customers will remember you when they are ready for a new dog. If you are a breeder post your listings in the Breeders Directory, the Sheltie Network, showcase your dogs, brag about them. Some of these categories are free, all are very reasonable. Instead of sending emails heavy with photos, which "clog" friends' inboxes with your news, post them! everyone will see them and they will appreciate your thoughtfulness! and make new friends and customers in a heartbeat.