Happy 4th of July Furiends!
Don’t lie, we all know this is exactly what you’re doing today! Nothing wrong with that (I’m doing it too….although maybe not the beach part, but I sure wish I was). But I never forget to celebrate the Independence of the good old US of A too!
I’m Team America all the way! Happy Independence Day! xoxo, 
Every year I go tent camping with friends during the summer. It’s a fun trip (filled with dog friendly adventures) that I look forward to all year long!
Especially since I get to spend all weekend with this lovely lady, my pal Shilah the Husky!
This year’s camping trip was a little different, because when I woke up on Saturday morning it was raining. And not just a little bit of rain, it POURED ALL-DAY-LONG!
The rain sort of put a damper on all the fun activities we had planned, but lucky for me mom packed my raincoat, and I wasn’t going to let the wetness stop me from having a good time.
The campsite we rented this year came with a bare-bones rustic cabin (although I always tent camp!), and thankfully the porch provided the perfect haven for lounging during the heavy rain.
Eventually we all started to get cabin fever though, and when the rain lightened up just a bit it was time to venture out for some outdoor fun (with our raincoats of course).
Even my camera crew dressed appropriately for the weather – so that I would have all these great pictures to share with you!
Our campsite had this neat stream that ran through it, and I quickly discovered my new favorite activity…..FISHING!
Consider my mind fully blown when Shilah’s dad actually caught a fish!
BEST DAY EVER! I love fishing!
And then when the fish we caught got released back into the water I couldn’t help myself from starting my own rescue mission. I mean he might drown!
I never did succeed, hopefully Mr. Fish was a good swimmer!
After a full day in the cold wet rain we all were a bit soggy, myself included.
So we had to make a trip into town to dry off, get food (for the folks that didn’t eat dog food), and make a walmart run for more rain gear!
After all my excitement in the rain I was pretty pooped. Thankfully my tent was nice and dry, and the perfect haven to rest up for another day of camping fun!
Stay tuned next week when I continue my adventures in the woods, where I even made a trip to the lake!
Wondering where to get any of my great camping gear? Be sure to check out my gear page!
P.S. Special thanks to Shilah’s mom from Mrs. Dailey’s Classroom for all the great photos of our soggy camping experience (the ones not watermarked with my website)!
I’m back from my annual camping trip, but before I share all those adventures I thought it would be fun to recap all the excitement from June!
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And now onto my June Adventures…
I kicked off June by sharing all the adventures of my week long road trip, first stop, Washington D.C. and the National Mall!
The next stop on my trip was the Shenandoah National Park, where I met my first Bear!
In the Great Smoky Mountains I ran into Elk!
I took a break from my travels to share the secret weapon against joint pain for my best friend Trooper.
Next up I took a tour of downtown Gatlinburg, Tennessee!
I ate BBQ in Nashville, Tennessee!
Then I found myself in Nashville where I walked the red carpet at the BlogPaws annual conference.
I shared the new Kickstarter campaign for my friends at Peach Industries (which got fully funded by the way!)
I picked up pony poop thanks to my friends at Earth Rated.
I made the last stop on my road trip, Knoxville, Tennessee, to see the Sunsphere!
I helped support the non-profit, Ryerss Farm, by attending (and performing) at their Family Day. My pal Minnow the Painting Pony tagged along too.
I shared Vol. 3 in the places I love to sleep series!
I modeled my new Gooby collar from the Doggie Days Boutique.
I played tug of war even though I was so tired I could barely stand (there’s a video for proof).
I shared the story of how I got my super awesome name.
I barked back and shared how sometimes I can have an attitude too.
I tested out some ethically raised dog food, and you can still enter to win a bag for your dog too!
Wow, did I really fit in all that excitement last month? I blink and it just flys by! Stay tuned this week as I share my next big adventures on my annual camping trip.
What did your dog do in June? Anyone else go on a road trip?
Sometimes when you’re a dog you just feel like you’re not being heard. Maybe it’s because humans and dogs don’t always speak the same language, and maybe it’s because they just CHOOSE not to listen to what we’re saying. Regardless, every once in a while I need to make a little noise about it….
So next time your dog “yells” at you, you better pay attention, because we have LOTS TO SAY!
Does your dog bark/yell at you too? What do you think he’s trying to say?
With a name like Ammo I always get questions about how I ended up with such an explosive name (for such a small dog). So I figured it was high time I shared the story of how I got my name.
I like to think I’ve really grown into my name over the past 6 years that I’ve had it, but my parents thought long and hard before they landed on “Ammo”.
In fact, it might help to show you a video of the VERY FIRST time I ever met my parents.
As you can see I really wasn’t too shy about asserting my personality! 😉
After meeting me, falling in love, and deciding I would get my forever home with them, mom and dad went home to contemplate what my new name would be.
Mom had picked out the name Ranger. She thought it was a strong name that sounded super cute with my soon to be best buddy’s name….Trooper! (Mom still says Trooper & Ranger would have been cute names).
Dad picked out the name Ammo. He said I looked like a little bullet because I was so long.
The wildcard name that almost came to be….Robot! Hehe, I like to think that would have been a pretty funny name to have too.
In the end I became Ammo. Mostly because my dad had never had a dog before (mom had) and it seemed only fitting that he get to name his very first fur kid (at least according to mom). So Ammo it was! And you know what, I think it’s pretty fitting. I’m fast, powerful, and explosive. I even found out later on (via a Facebook fan) that Amo means love in Italian. How cool!
Even though my name is Ammo, I’ve got lots of little nicknames around the house that mom and dad like to call me:
Amee
Am
Amer
L’Amee (short for Little Amee)
Ween
Weenie
Monkey
Peanut
Miami (short for My Amee)
How did your dog get their name? Does he/she have any fun nicknames too? Do tell!
Disclaimer: this post if brought to you by Chewy.com, but all opinions are my own and I only share products I think my readers will love!
My friends over at Chewy.com recently sent me a new toy. The KONG Squeezz Ball with Handle Dog Toy not only squeaks, but it’s perfect for tugging too! And even though it was well past my bed time….there was no way I was going to pass up the opportunity to take it for a spin.
Too tired to stand, but NEVER too tired to play with a new toy! How about your dog?
You can fetch the KONG Squeezz Ball with Handle Dog Toy from Chewy.com on sale for about $8!
Over the weekend my pal Minnow the Painting Pony and I attended the Ryerss Farm Family Fun Day.
The Ryerss Farm is a non-profit that cares for aged, and abused or injured horses by providing a home where they can spend their golden years out to pasture. The horses at Ryerss are never worked, go to auction or are used for experiments. They simply spend their days grazing and enjoying life with their friends on the farm.
My pal Minnow (who is an aged equine himself at 21 years young) was thrilled to be able to show off some of his painting talents for this organization.
Minnow drew quite a crowd when it came time for him to paint and show off a few of his tricks. Check out the video of Minnow painting at Ryerss on instagram.
I couldn’t let Minnow one-up me with his crowd, so every time I performed I tried to draw an even bigger crowd than him.
I pulled out all the stops by jumping through hoops and even showing off my most popular trick, playing dead!
I even dove through a solid hoop while wearing my stunt helmet! I think Minnow was impressed (don’t let his look of boredom fool you).
Eventually all that performing caught up to me – and this little super hero had to squeeze in some afternoon naps between shows.
Don’t worry though, my mom has a secret arsenal of Full Moon Real Bacon Treats* in her pocket (that we received from BlogPaws), that were just what I needed for revival before my next show.
*contains an affiliate link
I’m never one to disappoint my crowd!
Even though my crowd might have been just a wee bit bigger than Minnow’s, we were both thrilled to be supporting this good cause….and generating a few smiles along the way!
If you’d like to check out some of my pal Minnow’s artwork, be sure to visit him over at PaintingPony.com
I know what you’re probably thinking….how can I STILL be recapping my week long road trip? Well, the fact is, there was so much to see and do that I’ve had lots to share. Like my adventures in; Washington, D.C., Shenandoah National Park, The Great Smoky Mountains, Gatlinburg, TN, Nashville, Tennessee and the 2015 BlogPaws Conference. Well, today is the last adventure of my road trip, and it was one of my favorites! On the way home to Pennsylvania I stopped at the Knoxville Convention Center.
Being that it was a Sunday, the convention center was closed, but that didn’t stop me from exploring around.
Just outside the Knoxville Convention Center is the Sunsphere……the main purpose of my visit! The Sunsphere was constructed for the 1982 World’s Fair and served as the symbol to the Fair. It wasn’t until 2007 that it was renovated and reopened for the public.
Since there was no signs to say otherwise, and no one around to ask, I rode the elevator up the Sunsphere to the 4th floor observation deck to check out what all the fuss was about.
Not gonna lie, it was a long way down! I was more than happy not to get too close to the edge, just in case.
The 5th floor of the Sunsphere contains a restaurant and bar called the Icon Ultra Lounge. I didn’t attempt to go up there because the sign said reservations were needed – and I’m not even sure if they were open on a Sunday. And the 6th floor was for events.
Honestly I was thankful to have all 4 feet back on the ground, but there was a lot more to see in the World’s Fair Park, which had signs saying leashed pets were welcome as long as you picked up after them.
There was some beautiful waterways and according to their website it looks like they hold lots of fun events in the park.
Eventually I made my way to the Amphitheater, it was also constructed during the 1982 World’s Fair and was home to both country music and classical music concerts. The Sunsphere and the Tennessee Amphitheater are the only structures that remained after the World’s Fair. I would have put on my own show for everyone, only I forgot to pack my trick gear, and sadly I had no spectators.
Eventually I came across an outdoor fountain where lots of kids were enjoying it on a nice hot day. I wanted to join in too, but sadly it was one of the few areas off limits to dogs.
After exploring the World’s Fair Park it was time to get something to eat! So I found a pet friendly restaurant on the river, Calhoun’s!
Their deck overlooking the water was the perfect spot for a relaxing nap before my long long drive back to Pennsylvania.
And just as we were finishing up our dining experience, a big storm came rolling in. I have to say, the entire time I was gone I lucked out with all the weather. Every time I found something fun to do any storms seemed to clear and I had nice sunny days every time!
Eventually it was time for my fun to end and I headed towards home.
Even though my road trip adventures have come to an end, it’s always nice to be back in my home sweet home!
So what was your favorite part of my week-long road trip? Maybe it was the Bears in Shenandoah National Park, or the Elk in the Great Smoky Mountains, or perhaps my red carpet event in Nashville? What did you like best?
Just when you thought my week long road trip might be coming to an end, I’ve got even more to share! I’ve already visited some amazing places like; Washington, D.C., Shenandoah National Park, The Great Smoky Mountains, Gatlinburg, TN, Nashville, Tennessee and now I can’t wait to tell you about the 2015 BlogPaws Conference.
If you’re unfamiliar with BlogPaws, it’s essentially a community of pet enthusiasts who write about and support pets via social media! Their annual conferences bring together hundreds of pet bloggers, pet enthusiasts, shelters, rescues, and brands for social media education, networking, and promoting.
I’m pretty much a newbie when it comes to BlogPaws, and I decided to attend this annual event for the first time after I found out I was a finalist for the Best Dog Blog and Best Pet Photo of 2015 in the Nose-to-Nose Awards.
Honestly I had no idea what to expect at this conference, and pretty much all I knew was that it was a pet friendly event, which meant I would be doing a whole lot of butt sniffing!
At first I was a little nervous when I entered the conference. There was a lot going on, tons of dogs, lots of chatter, and so so much to look at. But after about an hour I quickly realized this was a safe place to be and I was with MY KIND OF DOGS. (friendly, adventurous, and ready to sample lots and lots of treats).
To give you a little better idea of what a BlogPaws conference actually looks like, check out this video:
At 15 seconds in you can actually see me and my mom & dad walking around the BlogPaws vender area (bottom right corner).
The BlogPaws vender area was packed with brands that are interested in working with bloggers, and that’s good news for you, because it means I’ll hopefully be able to bring you even more fun product reviews & giveaways with some great new products in the coming months! Which P.S., if you’re ever interested in hearing my honest review about a product or brand or you’d love me to host a giveaway with them (so you could potentially win!) – just shoot them (or me) an e-mail and let them know about my blog!
I had a blast sampling products, and talking to companies about some of their new product lines.
While I’ve been to expos before, this was the liveliest one, and I couldn’t believe how much there was to see and do! And did I mention the swag? There were so many wonderful sponsors that donated products to the event, and I gotta send my thanks to them (because this was only a small potion of it)! And since I’m just one small dog, I will be donating many items to my local animal rescue!
One of the exciting things was getting the opportunity to attend some of the lectures and talks at BlogPaws. I have to say before this, I had never attended a lecture before, unless you count the times I visited an Elementary School.
While mom and dad were busy learning about SEO, monetization, pinterest marketing, and so much more, I was busy catching some Zzzz’s! Because honestly, all of it was a bit over my head. I’m much more the “talent” behind this blog anyway, and I was more than thrilled that mom and dad were there to take notes for me. Mom found some of the lectures very interesting and picked up some new skills she’ll be helping me apply to not only my blog, but my regular 9-5 business at the frame shop.
While the lectures were quite serious in nature, I made sure to liven them up some with a few of my silly tricks…..like playing dead! (It’s no fun to be serious all the time!)
Guess what, I wasn’t the only Dachshund with the silly’s there either! This is Fiona McSnuggles, a long haired sweetie who was actually blind and is a therapy dog just like me.
I also met Dolly the Doxie, a dachshund mix! Surprisingly (or maybe not so much) those were the only other dachshunds I spotted at BlogPaws.
I did however get to meet the infamous Prissy and Pop! They are celebrities on instagram, and even have jobs working as mascots in a first grade class. And yes, I’m super jealous that they are on summer break right now!
With all the excitement of the BlogPaws conference I made sure to take as many nap breaks as I could squeeze in, especially since my poor mom caught a nasty cold the day we left for our road trip adventure and spent most of the week trying her best to get through all the fun activities we had planned.
Speaking of fun, I became the recipient of my very own Busy Bee while at BlogPaws! If you’ve ever watched the movie Best in Show, then you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about when I say I was FREAKING OUT every time my Busy Bee from PetSafe (one of the sponsors of BlogPaws) got out of my sight! And if you haven’t watch the movie…do it….do it now!
After all the excitement of the week there was one last thing to do….attend the 2015 Nose-to-Nose awards! Of course I dressed to the nines since I was a finalist for Best Dog Blog and Best Pet Photo awards!
This was my first time walking a red carpet, and hopefully I worked it!
Here’s a group shot of most of the 2015 Nose-to-Nose Finalists. In case you didn’t get a chance to catch the live streaming event, you can watch the video here:
Sadly I did not take home any awards this year, but hey, I’m just honored to have been a finalist – my very first year too!
You know who did win though? My fellow dachshund adventurer blog, You Did What With Your Wiener? Congrats to Jessica, and I’m thrilled that dachshund adventure seekers are taking over the World! (well at least BlogPaws).
After 3 days of BlogPaws I was royally beat! I had so much fun, and hopefully I’ll get to attend again sometime soon (I’m thinking it may be an every few years event for me).
For now though it was time to make my trek back home to Pennsylvania where my ponies were anxiously awaiting my return!
And don’t worry, incase you were thinking this was the end of my adventures, I still have one more fun stop I made on the way home in Knoxville, Tennessee! Check back next week for the full details on my visit to the Sunsphere.
P.S. Don’t forget, for you local Pennsylvanians, I’ll be at the Ryerss Family Fun Day this Saturday from 12 – 4pm with my friend Minnow the famous Painting Pony. Hope you’ll stop by and meet me! I’ll be performing some of my favorite tricks too!
My week long pet friendly road trip has taken me some amazing places thus far; Washington, D.C., Shenandoah National Park, The Great Smoky Mountains, Gatlinburg, TN, and today I’m going to share my adventures from Nashville, Tennessee!
Nashville was my main destination during this trip as I would be spending several days attending the BlogPaws Conference. In fact I spent so much time in Nashville that I decided to break it up into two posts today! So make sure you check back later today to read all about my adventures at BlogPaws.
One of the first things I did when I hit Nashville was to hit up the main strip on Broadway.
Live music can be seen and heard every day and night of the week in Nashville. It has become a hub for pop, rock, bluegrass, Americana, jazz, classical, contemporary Christian, blues, and soul music. It’s long been known as the “Songwriting Capital of the World” and songwriters from all over the world come to Music City to learn the art of songwriting.
Being that I was in Nashville, I had to break out a little country of my own with my plaid bandana – had I owned cowboy boots I would have totally rocked those too!
Nashville is known for not only it’s country music, but it’s delicious food too. Of course I’m never one to pass up a good piece of meat, so I popped into Jack’s Bar-B-Que as I had read they had a pet friendly patio in the back.
I didn’t realize you could access the patio from the back of the building, so I actually waited in line to get my BBQ inside with everyone else. No one seemed to care, and most people probably didn’t even notice I was there (I am short if you haven’t noticed).
Jack’s did not disappoint, and Mom and Dad seemed to be loving it too.
And in case you’re wondering, yes I did get to sample a bite or two!
After dinner it was time to wander down Broadway and checkout what goes on in Nashville in the evening….
As you can see I’m quite the expert in navigating a crowd.
As you saw I just HAD TO stop and take a few selfies with the street performers. This guy even wanted his own picture with me.
And you really can’t visit Nashville without getting a selfie with Elvis! I told him that he may be the King of Rock, but I was most certainly the King of Groundhogs. (he didn’t argue with that one bit)
After all that excitement I was happy to check into my hotel for a much needed rest. As you can see I brought all the comforts from home (as in my favorite toys).
My adventures in Nashville didn’t end there though, because I spent the next 3 days mixing and mingling at the BlogPaws conference while I was there. So make sure you check back a little later today when I share how I faired at my very first pet blogging conference…..complete with a red carpet event and everything!
P.S. Don’t forget, for you local Pennsylvanians, I’ll be at the Ryerss Family Fun Day this Saturday from 12 – 4pm with my friend Minnow the famous Painting Pony. Hope you’ll stop by and meet me! I’ll be performing some of my favorite tricks too!