Category Archives: D.I.Y

12 Days of Cheer! DIY Holiday Pet Garland

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Festive, fun, and made of COOKIES! This is totally my kind of DIY!

12 Days of Cheer! DIY Holiday Pet Garland using Milkbones! via Ammo the Dachshund

Mom helped me come up with a fun holiday garland to decorate my home with this year. I figured can’t hurt to make my home extra festive, because you never know what jolly round fellow might be stopping by in a few days!

12 Days of Cheer! DIY Holiday Pet Garland using Milkbones! via Ammo the Dachshund

DIY Holiday Pet Garland

Materials:

 

12 Days of Cheer! DIY Holiday Pet Garland using Milkbones! via Ammo the Dachshund

Step 1: Using your Electric Drill, drill holes through the pre-existing hole marks in your cookie. You can alternatively use an awl to push holes through them – but this method tends to crack the cookies easier.

12 Days of Cheer! DIY Holiday Pet Garland using Milkbones! via Ammo the Dachshund

Step 2: Spray paint your cookies a fun and festive color.

12 Days of Cheer! DIY Holiday Pet Garland using Milkbones! via Ammo the Dachshund

12 Days of Cheer! DIY Holiday Pet Garland using Milkbones! via Ammo the Dachshund

Allow them to completely dry before moving onto the next step, preferably overnight.

12 Days of Cheer! DIY Holiday Pet Garland using Milkbones! via Ammo the Dachshund

Step 3: Thread the bakers twine through the back of your cookies. A toothpick may be helpful to push the twine through them.

12 Days of Cheer! DIY Holiday Pet Garland using Milkbones! via Ammo the Dachshund

Step 4: You will want to knot the end of each piece of twine near your cookie so that it won’t slide around on the garland.

12 Days of Cheer! DIY Holiday Pet Garland using Milkbones! via Ammo the Dachshund

Step 5: If you choose you can tie some festive ribbon onto the bakers twine. Then hang and enjoy!

12 Days of Cheer! DIY Holiday Pet Garland using Milkbones! via Ammo the Dachshund

Had I know this Cookie Garland was just for looks and not for nibbling I might not have been as excited to make it.

12 Days of Cheer! DIY Holiday Pet Garland using Milkbones! via Ammo the Dachshund

Despite the red spray paint I can still smell the cookies underneath, so make sure you hang your garland out of reach of any furry friends! Mom says it might smell good, but they won’t taste good! Ammo the Dachshund

This diy was inspired by the following halloween decorating tutorial.

12 Days of Cheer! DIY Holiday Dog Cookie Jar

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DIY and Cookies, what’s more to love? Today I have a very special holiday diy to share with you, it’s simple, it’s easy, and it involves cookies!

12 Days of Cheer! DIY Holiday Dog Cookie Jar via Ammo the Dachshund

DIY Holiday Dog Cookie Jar

12 Days of Cheer! DIY Holiday Dog Cookie Jar via Ammo the Dachshund

Supplies:

  • Mason Jar
  • Painters Tape
  • Spray Paint
  • Bone Cookie Cutter (or anything you would like to use as a stencil)
  • Exacto Knife

12 Days of Cheer! DIY Holiday Dog Cookie Jar via Ammo the Dachshund

Step 1: Lay out your painters tape on a cuttable surface (self-healing mats work great) and trace around your dog bone shaped cookie cutter (or any stencil you would like to use).

12 Days of Cheer! DIY Holiday Dog Cookie Jar via Ammo the Dachshund

Step 2: Cut the shape out with an exacto knife.

Step 3: Position your cut-out shape on the mason jar where-ever you would like it.

12 Days of Cheer! DIY Holiday Dog Cookie Jar via Ammo the Dachshund

Step 4: Spray paint the jar in any color you would like.

Step 5: When the jar is dry remove the painters tape and fill with your favorite cookies!

12 Days of Cheer! DIY Holiday Dog Cookie Jar via Ammo the Dachshund

I filled my jar with some peanut butter cookies from the Three Dog Bakery, but if you are looking for some recipes you might want to check out this E-book from Pretty Fluffy.

My new DIY Holiday Dog Cookie Jar would make the perfect gift this holiday to give to my best friend Trooper, however my tummy might have the final ruling on this one. I’m sure Trooper won’t mind if I eat just a few! Ammo the Dachshund

12 Days of Cheer! DIY Holiday Dog Ornaments

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One of my favorite things about the holidays is decorating the house with lots of Christmas Cheer! So this year my mom decided to help me make some festive ornaments to hang on my tree. These DIY Holiday Dog Ornaments will add a little WOOF to any home!

12 Days of Cheer! Ammo the Dachshund's DIY Holiday Dog Ornaments

Supplies:

12 Days of Cheer! Ammo the Dachshund's DIY Holiday Dog Ornaments

12 Days of Cheer! Ammo the Dachshund's DIY Holiday Dog Ornaments

Step 1: After choosing photos of your pet to use (it helps if they have a white background) print them out on your iron-on transfer paper. Follow the directions on the package for printing, and remember to mirror your image.

12 Days of Cheer! Ammo the Dachshund's DIY Holiday Dog Ornaments

Step 2: Cut your images out of the print-out.

Step 3: Iron on your images to your white fabric, making sure you follow the directions on your iron-on transfer paper package.

12 Days of Cheer! Ammo the Dachshund's DIY Holiday Dog Ornaments

Step 4: Cut each image out of your fabric, making sure to leave at least a 1 inch space around each image. By using something as a template you can also cut them out in the shape of a circle, which will be easier to sew down the line.

12 Days of Cheer! Ammo the Dachshund's DIY Holiday Dog Ornaments

Step 5: Next you will want to cut shapes out of your colorful Christmas fabric that are the same size as the images. These will serve as the backing for your ornament.

12 Days of Cheer! Ammo the Dachshund's DIY Holiday Dog Ornaments

Step 6: Using the baker’s twine you’ll want to cut a small piece and tie it into a bow. Then with your needle and thread stitch your bow onto the image transfer of your pet.

12 Days of Cheer! Ammo the Dachshund's DIY Holiday Dog Ornaments

Step 7: Then you will want to sew your ornament together. Place your colored fabric ONTOP of your image and then using your sewing machine (or by hand) stitch nearly all the way around your ornament, leaving about a 1/2 an inch of the fabric un-sewn.

Step 8: Flip your sewn ornament inside out so that now the image is on the outside. Then stuff with cotton.

Step 9: Cut a piece of bakers twine to be used to hang your ornament and knot it into a loop. Then using a needle and thread stitch the top of your ornament (and the loop) closed.

12 Days of Cheer! Ammo the Dachshund's DIY Holiday Dog Ornaments

Step 10: Marvel in your diy-ness and enjoy your new ornaments!

12 Days of Cheer! Ammo the Dachshund's DIY Holiday Dog Ornaments

I’m thoroughly enjoying my new ornaments, and I think they’re super cute !

12 Days of Cheer! Ammo the Dachshund's DIY Holiday Dog Ornaments

12 Days of Cheer! Ammo the Dachshund's DIY Holiday Dog Ornaments

I bet you can guess which one’s my favorite! Ammo the Dachshund

*The photos used for my ornaments were from the lovely Brenda Carpenter & The Mutt Room!

DIY Pet First Aid Kit

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As you know, this week I’m on a road trip with my family to North Carolina. Before I set out on my big adventure, there was some things that had to be checked off my to-do list. Once of those items included creating a Pet First Aid Kit to have with me just incase there was a pet emergency. You can never be too prepared!

Build your own DIY Pet First Aid Kit with Ammo the Dachshund

Before creating my kit I researched what I should include in it. I ended up coming up with my own concoction of items that I gathered from lists on the American Red Cross, the Animal Poison Control Center, and the American Veterinary Medical Association.

Build your own DIY Pet First Aid Kit with Ammo the Dachshund

I admit, my own first aid kit has quite a few items in it, but isn’t that the point – to be OVER PREPARED? I probably would of made a really good boy scout!

Build your own DIY Pet First Aid Kit with Ammo the Dachshund

Many of the items in my kit I already had on hand (the benefit of having a grandma who is a nurse), but I gathered them all up and put them into a handy kit that will travel with me in the car from now on.

Ammo the Dachshund's DIY Pet First Aid Kit

DIY Pet First Aid Kit:

*contains affiliate links

Not pictured in my kit are also a few handy iPhone apps that Mom helped me download.

Ammo the Dachshund's DIY Pet First Aid KitThe Pet First Aid App is $3.99 in the apple store, and one of my very favorite purchases. Not only does it help you out in the case of an emergency (by telling you how to give CPR to your pet, how to control bleeding and so much more), but it also helps you store and organize records on your pet; like when they are due for shots, their license and registration id’s, and any medications or conditions.

Ammo the Dachshund's DIY Pet First Aid Kit

Ammo the Dachshund's DIY Pet First Aid KitThe Pet MD Symptom Checker is also a useful app to have in your arsenal and is $0.99 in the app store. Easily plug in symptoms of your dog or cat and be directed to articles of possible diagnosis.

Ammo the Dachshund's DIY Pet First Aid Kit

You should also make sure you store important phone numbers for your pet in your phone. I keep on hand my personal vet’s number, a local 24 hour emergency vet number, the Pet Poison Helpline number (1-800-213-6680), and a phone number for an emergency vet where-ever I will be traveling to.

I hope to never have to use the items in my pet first aid kit, but I sleep a little sounder at night knowing that I’m extra prepared in case I ever need it!

Anyone else have a pet first aid kit in their car? Any other suggestions of items I may have forgotten to include? Do tell! Ammo the Dachshund

Birthday Week: Dog Treat Round-up

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I couldn’t decide what I wanted mom to bake me for my Birthday, so I decided to round-up some of my favorite dog treat recipes on the web right now.

My paws are crossed that mom will bake me one of these this weekend, because when your Birthday is on a Friday you get to extend it into a Birthday Weekend – it’s a rule!

Natural Dog Treat Recipe with Apples from 17 Apart

Ammo the Dachshund // Birthday Week // Natural Dog Treats with Apples

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup cornmeal
  • 1 finely chopped or grated apple
  • 1 beaten egg
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup cold water

Ammo the Dachshund // Birthday Week // Natural Dog Treat Recipe

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease cookie sheets. Blend flour and cornmeal in large mixing bowl, then incorporate apple, egg, oil, brown sugar, and water until well blended. Flour your workspace and roll out dough to desired thickness. Cut cookies to desired shape and size. Place dog cookies on baking sheet and bake 35 minutes. After baking, turn oven off and leave cookies inside for another 30-45 minutes until crisp. Allow to cool and store in an air-tight container.

 

Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits from Pink Pistachio

Ammo the Dachshund // Birthday Week // Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup oats
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon applesauce

Ammo the Dachshund // Birthday Week // Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits

Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl. Add wet ingredients and mix until well blended. Knead into a ball and roll out on wax paper to 1/2″ thickness. Using cookie cutters cut out cookies and place on an unlined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Store in an air-tight container.

 

Low Fat Carrot Dog Treats from Dog Treat Recipes 

Ammo the Dachshund // Birthday Week // Carrot and Banana Dog Treat Recipe

Image via 17 Apart

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium banana (ripe)
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened applejuice
  • 1/8 cup water (maybe more, as needed)
  • 1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (keep some handy for rolling)
  • 1 cup rolled oats

Ammo the Dachshund // Birthday Week // Carrot and Banana Dog Treat Recipe
Image via 17 Apart

Directions: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, lightly spraying a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and sprinkling a little flour onto the surface you’re planning to use to roll out the dough. In a medium bowl, mash up the banana and mix in the shredded carrots. Then add water and apple juice. Stir. Next, add the oats and flour. Stir all of the ingredients together until they are thoroughly combined.

Using your hands, knead the mixture until a dough forms. Dump the dough onto the lightly floured surface that you prepared earlier. Roll it out until it’s about a half inch thick. Using a cookie cutter, cut into 3″ pieces. Place the pieces onto your lightly sprayed baking sheet. Bake the dog treats for 25 minutes.

Before “serving”, let them cool completely. Here’s a tip that you may find useful: If your dog likes a little more crunch to his treats, then turn off the oven and let the treats cool there overnight.

 

I don’t know about you, but I’m totally drooling! Ammo the Dachshund

 

 

My Weekend DIY Dipped Yellow Chair

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Sometimes over the weekend I take on a few DIY projects around the house. Mom says I’m her favorite little helper, and pretty much I agree.

ammo the dachshund's diy dipped yellow chair

On this particular weekend I decided to help Mom makeover an old chair we had sitting around the house. The BEFORE was pretty blah, but I knew just what would do the trick after seeing this pretty lady on Pinterest:

Dipped Chairs with Dachshunds

ammo the dachshund's diy dipped yellow chair

So I did what I do best – supervised while Mom taped off each of the four legs with painter’s tape.

ammo the dachshund's diy dipped yellow chair

ammo the dachshund's diy dipped yellow chair

Then Mom gave it several coats of spray paint while I chomped on my ball in anticipation. I would of helped, but as you know, these cumbersome paws can’t exactly work a spray paint can.

ammo the dachshund's diy dipped yellow chair

After a few hours of drying time this baby was ready for a photoshoot, and we all know how I love a good photoshoot!

ammo the dachshund's diy dipped yellow chair

ammo the dachshund's diy dipped yellow chair

My new yellow chair looks fabulous with it’s dipped legs don’t you think? I’m now contemplating painting everything this way……how do you think I’d look dipped in teal – it would be the hot new trend in painted pets. I’m gonna be famous! 

Good Boy Treats

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I was such a good boy at my Canine Good Citizen and Therapy Dog Test on Sunday that Mom made me an extra special treat when I got home.

Ammo the Dachshund DIY sweet potato treats

You might remember the Polka Dog Bakery DIY Sweet Potato Dog Cookie Recipe I posted about a few weeks ago – well Mom decided to make me some as a reward for all my hard work!

Ammo the Dachshund DIY sweet potato treats

First Mom sliced up some sweet potatoes for me.

Ammo the Dachshund DIY sweet potato treats

Then we let them soak in a bowl of chicken broth for about 1/2 hour.

Ammo the Dachshund DIY sweet potato treats

While they soaked I sat on my bed in the kitchen just counting the minutes until they would be ready. It was a whole lot of minutes.

Ammo the Dachshund DIY sweet potato treats

Then after baking them for 15 minutes at 400 Degrees I had to wait a whole bunch more minutes for them to cool.

Ammo the Dachshund DIY sweet potato treats

Finally my good dog treats were ready for their taste test!

Ammo the Dachshund DIY sweet potato treats

Of course wouldn’t you know that mom made me practice my leave it command before I was allowed to eat them!

Ammo the Dachshund DIY sweet potato treats

In the end it was worth the wait, because they were yum! Perhaps I should be a good boy all the time.

You can find the entire recipe for DIY Healthy Sweet Potato Dog Cookies HERE. 

DIY Ombre Pet Bandana

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DIY Ombre Pet Bandana via Ammo the Dachshund

Over the weekend mom and I had some fun with a little DIY project. I like to keep up with all the fashion trends, so I told mom I needed a stylish new Ombre Bandana for the summer! Ombre is new it thing, incase you didn’t know.

So here’s my super fun tutorial for a…

DIY OMBRE PET BANDANA

DIY Ombre Pet Bandana via Ammo the Dachshund

Supplies Needed:

  • Hanger (a plastic pant hanger works best)
  • Box of Dye (we ended up using a Royal Blue Color – not the pictured teal dye)
  • Cutting Tool (scissors or rotary cutter work fine)
  • Ruler or tape measure
  • White Fabric or Bandana (we used a white cotton jersey material, but the ombre color may show up better on a different material – we just didn’t have any on hand to experiment with) *we also pre-washed/shrunk our fabric before dying

DIY Ombre Pet Bandana via Ammo the Dachshund

Step 1: If you are using a piece of fabric vs. a pre-made bandana (sold at most craft stores, but better sized for a large dog), cut your fabric into a triangular shape that will fit your dog’s neck. Mom measured my neck then added 4″ to each side on the top to make room to tie it. Ex: my neck measured 12″ so we added 8″ total making the top measurement 20″ wide.

DIY Ombre Pet Bandana via Ammo the Dachshund

Step 2: Mix your dye as per the directions on the box. As a rule always add a little less water to your bucket – you can always add more water to dilute it later.

DIY Ombre Pet Bandana via Ammo the Dachshund

Step 3: Attach your bandana to the hanger.

DIY Ombre Pet Bandana via Ammo the Dachshund

Step 4: Dip the bandana 3/4 into the dye for about 5 seconds, then remove. Try to keep the bandana as level as possible when dipping into the dye.

DIY Ombre Pet Bandana via Ammo the Dachshund

Step 5: Next dip your bandana 1/2 way into the dye for 20 seconds.

DIY Ombre Pet Bandana via Ammo the Dachshund

Step 6: Remove the Bandana another 1/4 out of the dye so that just 1/4 remains in the dye. Leave it there for another 2 – 3 minutes. *you may have to experiment with dye times based on the type of fabric you are using and how quickly it soaks up the dye.

DIY Ombre Pet Bandana via Ammo the Dachshund

DIY Ombre Pet Bandana via Ammo the Dachshund

Remove from the dye and hang until dry.

DIY Ombre Pet Bandana via Ammo the Dachshund

The waiting is the hardest part!

DIY Ombre Pet Bandana via Ammo the Dachshund

When your bandana is dry you will have a stylish new accessory perfect for the summer! Yay!

DIY Ombre Pet Bandana via Ammo the Dachshund

Of course I had to break mine in by rolling in the stinkiest dead animal smell I could find. It was glorious!

Friday Fetch: DIY Healthy Sweet Potato Treats for your Dog

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I’ve been posting a lot this week about the new Polka Dog Line at Target, and I couldn’t help but squeeze one more post in about them this Friday – because I found the icing to my cupcake!

Via the A Bullseye View Blog I found a DIY recipe for Healthy Sweet Potato Treats for your furry friend. And never one to pass up a good cookie recipe I wanted to share it with everyone! Not to mention this is super easy to make and only requires two ingredients – the perfect start to your weekend for you and your dog.

diy sweet potato dog cookies

Sweet Pawtato Chips
Makes 32-42 treats 

Made from sweet potatoes (loaded with vitamin C, potassium and fiber) soaked in chicken broth, these thinly sliced treats are a healthy snack solution.

What You Need:
2 medium sweet potatoes
Chicken broth

What You’ll Do:
1. Preheat oven to 400 F.

2. Wash and Scrub Sweet Potatoes. Slice 1/8” thick with a mandolin or sharp knife.

3. Place in small bowl and cover with chicken broth.  Let soak for 1/2 hour.

4. Take slices out of bowl and place on parchment lined sheet pans.

5. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

6. Remove from oven, and allow to cool.

diy sweet potato dog cookies

Make sure you check out the full post for more photos and another recipe for Chicken Dog Biscuits. And you can bet I’ll be begging my mom to make me some of these this weekend!

Images and cookie recipe reposted from ABullseyeview.com 

Ammo’s Guide to Nail Trimmers for Dogs

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Nail Trimming, it’s the arch nemesis to many of my four-legged friends – including myself. According to my mom it is a necessary evil to prevent ingrown nails, and trimming them allows me to put my full weight on the ground – instead of my nails, which could cause a deformed gait.

ammo's guide to nail trimming for dogs

So despite the fact that I really don’t like to have my nails trimmed I’m here to share with you my opinion on some of the best and worst nail trimmers out there.

Below is a break-down of some of the tools I have tried.

ammo's guide to nail trimming for dogs

1. Guillotine style nail clippers*

2. Scissor Style Nail Clippers*

3. PediPaws nail trimmer*

4. Dremel*

*contains affiliate links

ammo's guide to nail trimming for dogs

The guillotine style nail trimmer is my least favorite type. Don’t tell anyone I said this, but it makes me cry! Mom also says she finds it awkward to hold and get into the right position and it doesn’t seem to make a clean cut, perhaps that’s why it hurts when it trims my nails.

ammo's guide to nail trimming for dogs

The scissor style trimmer is at the top of my list because it’s quick and painless as long as you don’t trim the nails too short.

ammo's guide to trimming dog's nails

The particular scissor style trimmer that I have is made by JW Pet Company and also has a protective guard on it to help avoid cutting anything else (like little doxie noses).

ammo's guide to nail trimming for dogs

The PediPaws nail sander works fairly well, but I’m not a huge fan of the way it vibrates my nails. I can only tolerate it for so long before I just won’t sit still any longer. It also seems to take a long time to trim the nails. The one nice thing about the pedi paw though is that it has a guard on it with an opening just big enough for a nail to fit through. This helps to make sure nothing else accidentally gets sanded.

ammo's guide to nail trimming for dogs

The dremel tool isn’t something sold specifically for trimming dog’s nails but it’s practically the same thing as the PediPaws. The only difference is that this sands the nail a lot faster, but this also means it spins at a higher rate (and without a nail guard) so you have to be extra careful when trimming with it.

ammo's guide to trimming dog's nails

Now if it was up to me, I’d be trimming my nails myself.

ammo's guide to trimming dog's nails

But, you’d be surprised at how difficult it is when you don’t have opposable thumbs.

ammo's guide to trimming dog's nails

So to get my fabulous mani/pedi look, this is how my mom does it for a difficult nail trimming patient like myself…

She’s super sneaky and waits until I fall into a deep sleep then quickly and quietly snips some of my nails with the scissor style trimmer, making sure to cut my all black nails just before they begin to curve as to not cut the quick. If I happen to wake up (which I always do for my front nails) she feeds me some cookies and leaves me alone until I fall asleep again or sometimes waits until the next day to finish my nails. If she thinks some of her snips weren’t quite short enough, then she’ll break out the dremel or pedipaws to sand them down a bit further. I typically only tolerate the sanders for about 5 minutes so sometimes this is broken up over several days as well.

ammo's guide to trimming dog's nails

As much as I hate getting my nails trimmed I know I look fabulous when it’s all said and done.

So now I want to hear from my fans – what nail trimming secrets or products do you use? 

 

Disclosure: I was not paid or perked to write this review, I just thought it would be helpful to share my nail trimming tips with everyone.