Check out the 'Black Girl In a Doggone World' years in review
Most popular BGIDW reader posts since joining Substack in 2022
Wrapped on Spotify is fascinating to me, mainly because the songs, the albums and the podcasts that I think would make it to the top of the list rarely do. And I always end up trailing off down some peculiar path or losing interest completely in something I was fanatical about at the start of the year. Then, I find something new.
It’s fun to see what was of interest to me then and now. Same goes for my YouTube 2025 Recap.
But what may have stood out the most this year was the kind of items that were the most popular on my Amazon Affiliate list. None of the top six (two are the same brand) were choices I would’ve predicted to be the most popular, but I’m happy to see the ones that my Substack subscribers and casual readers decided to buy. I still co-sign all six, especially those that assist in helping Black authors and Black businesses.
Instead of doing just a Substack year in review for 2025, I’ve decided to do a Substack all-time-posts in review since my content migration from Medium to Substack in mid-2022. I know Substack has a “top” posts category on the homepage, but Google Analytics has a few interesting (and different) results for the past three years. In addition to listing the top 10 posts (according to Google Analytics), I’ll tell you my take (or experience) on this post as of today in 2025. Here’s hoping you enjoy learning what inspired me to write these posts and clicking away to read them too.
Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and Happy (upcoming) New Year!
Shamontiel’s most popular Amazon Affiliate recommendations on Substack
Michael Harriot’s “Black AF” (available in hardcover, Kindle and audiobook)
Michael B. Jordan’s sea moss drink (sold out at the date of publication — PURE Moss, Pomegranate Moss, Mango Ginger Moss, Variety Pack Moss)
Top 10 BGIDW posts from 2022-25
1. No, you don’t have to wipe your dog’s butt ~ Your ‘fur baby’ is not human, nor does (s)he have butt cheeks
2025 take: Although I have had a no-shoes household since 2001, two of my three dogs were always in the basement, backyard or the floor. It wasn’t until I adopted Junee that I worried about paw prints on couches and pillows. Although a microfiber cloth can get off light dirt from outside, I use PET N PET 100% Plant Based Dog Wipes for Paws and Butt all the time when it’s snowing, raining or if she has an upset stomach. Because her fur is so short, she’s dry in 30 minutes after a dog bath. But wipes are the perfect in-between bath!
2. Kroger’s ‘Proudly Made in USA’ Pet Pride dog food raises questions ~ Before you feed your dog a pet food, read the bag, not just the website
2025 take: Junee, my Hound mix, has an incredibly sensitive stomach, but my other two dogs ate everything. Junee’s diet might be payback for all the dogs I walked and gave treats to — even if owners warned me about their sensitive stomachs. I have monitored everything she eats to avoid ever having the puppy year when she was vomiting a couple of times a week. I was genuinely worried about her health and weight, and I wondered if I should go back to the adoption agency to see if something was hereditary. From years two to four, I have it down. I don’t bother with store-bought treats. Making homemade dog treats is far less stressful.
3. For the sake of your dog, take Dentastix weight groups seriously ~ Side effects of wrong dental dog bone: Diarrhea, lethargy, loss of appetite, sad owner
2025 take: Refer to the post above. Just because a dog treat is popular, including dental dog treats, does not mean it’s the best treat for every dog. Dental treats were 50% of the reason Junee kept throwing up. I gave the box away and have been brushing her teeth ever since.
4. Skip the dog barrettes, rubber bands at groomers ~ What works well on a human child is a nightmare for dog
2025 take: I’ve given in with dog sweaters and dog coats because I adopted a short-haired dog who doesn’t shed nearly as much as my prior German Shepherd or Labrador Retriever mix. She also gets noticeably cold in a way that my other two dogs never showed signs of. But I drew the line at barrettes and rubber bands and other supplies that make far more sense on a human child. And this terrifying experience with an irresponsible dog groomer proved my point about why.
5. What’s up with dogs and bathroom rugs? ~ When your dog has decided the bathroom floor is her new hangout
2025 take: Junee couldn’t care less about a bathroom rug nowadays. Like new toys, she’s obsessed with them when they reach the dog toy bin. A week later, she’s over it. I still don’t know what her fixation was with bathroom rugs, but that ship has sailed.
ADVERTISEMENT ~ Amazon
As an Amazon affiliate, I earn a percentage from purchases with my referral links. I prioritize featuring intriguing products from small businesses, women-owned businesses and Black-owned businesses. All four of my Substack publications include a MINIMUM of one product sold by a VERIFIED Black-owned business.
6. Let’s take a walk: 21 best dog harnesses ~ The pet shopping trip you didn’t know you needed to take
2025 take: In my 10 years freelancing with Upwork, I have worked for so many startup companies to the point I’ve lost count. Unfortunately, so many of my posts disappear when the startups don’t last. Wayback Machine has become my best friend when this happens. I worked so hard trying to find then-30 harnesses that made sense. It’s also weird to me to walk a dog with a neck leash. I have used every kind of harness there is with Wag! and Rover dogs.
7. Making a Round-To-It version of Meghan Markle’s dog treats ~ Even without all the ingredients, my first time baking dog treats was a win
2025 take: I have made three variations of these dog treats. I won over Junee, my mother’s dog Jackie and one of my favorite dogs to walk. Not only are they super easy and quick to bake, but they’re safe for dogs with sensitive stomachs.
8. Boston Terrier versus French Bulldog: What’s the difference? ~ BGIDW won’t tell you who’s cuter, just how to tell the two breeds apart
2025 take: This was another post from a now-defunct website for an Upwork client. I was ready to write this one solely because I didn’t really know the answer. Every day is a School Day, as one of my favorite editors used to say.
9. Dog blanket or dog bed: Which is best? ~ Why do dogs chew holes in blankets?
2025 take: I still haven’t figured out why Junee chewed apart two dog beds in her smaller crate, but the dog bed in her larger crate still looks like it left the department store around 2022. I also had large pieces of carpet in one of my closets. (I was using one for her water dish.) I put a medium-sized rectangular piece in the smaller crate two years ago, and it’s been there ever since. Additionally, I found an eco-friendly way to reuse and recycle clothing. Once it tears, wears or has noticeable stains on it, I toss it in her large crate and Junee knows she has the green light to chew away. Everything but the bed looks like Charlie Brown’s Halloween ghost costume, but that’s her business. She doesn’t chew on any blankets on my bed or if I put one on the human-sized dog couch or my own couches. Chew-happy medium!
10. Wag! dog walkers, beware of scammers ~ What independent contractors need to be aware of with the Wag! app
2025 take: I have written quite a few posts about companies that I’m unhappy with, who I still think are scammers or have terrible business habits. Wag! is not one of them. As you can see in the footer of my BGIDW posts, my walks and dog count continue to grow. While I did deal with a couple of not-so-great dog owners (or fake pet owners), overall, I give my experience with Wag! for the past six years (since March 2019) a 4.5-out-of-5-star review.
My favorite Junee video forever
Enjoying this post?
Read “Check out the ‘Homegrown Tales’ years in review ~ Most popular HT reader posts since joining Substack in 2022” too!
Read “Check out the ‘I Do See Color’ years in review ~ Most popular IDSC reader posts since joining Substack in 2022” too!
Read “Check out the ‘Window Shopping’ years in review ~ Most popular WS reader posts since joining Substack in 2022” too!
Shamontiel is a dog lover to her core: 674 completed walks with 103 dogs, eight dog house sittings and 10 dog boardings at the time of this publication.
Did you enjoy this post? You’re also welcome to check out my Substack columns “Black Girl In a Doggone World,” “BlackTechLogy,” “Homegrown Tales,” “I Do See Color,” “One Black Woman’s Vote” and “Window Shopping” too. Subscribe to this newsletter for the weekly posts every Wednesday. Thanks for reading!