2012 New Year Goals

Last year I made my list of New Year Goals, so I thought it would be fun to check back and see how far I got with them – and also come up with a few new ones for 2012!

ammo the dachshund new year party

P.S. this may look like my Birthday hat, but right now it’s doubling as my new years party hat!

LAST YEARS GOALS:

1. Take another agility class or maybe even COMPETE in agility. Sadly since my last agility class at the Dog Training Club of Chester County I haven’t been able to attend any new classes. Not because I didn’t want to, but because the training center hasn’t been offering any new agility classes that fit my busy schedule, so mom’s been looking into finding a new place for me to test out my agility skills this year, like this place. But I did try my hand at an agility course while I was at the Dog Days of Summer Event and I even tested out some moves at the dog park this year.

Ammo jumping through hoop

2. Actually win a race at the Dachshund Races this year. I did even better than win just one race this year, I won 3! and I even qualified for the Championship race, bringing home a respectable reserve champ ribbon! Go me!

3. Make MORE artwork. This year I created and shipped all over the World nearly 20 original pieces of art. Not bad for my first full year of being a real life artist!

4. Visit some nursing homes. I made several trips this year to visit the nursing home – HERE, HERE, and HERE. I even made some undocumented trips too! It’s great when I can make someone’s day a little bit happier with my happy wagging tail.

ammo the dachshund nursing home

5. Perform more with the Trick Ponies. I added lots of new performances with the Trick Ponies to my calendar this year. I visited a school and made appearances at the Ludwigs Corner Horse Show and The Dog Days of Summer event to name a few.

6. Learn at least 10 new tricks. Ok well I might not have accomplished this “10 new tricks” goal, but I did add a few new ones to my repertoire. Which reminds me….I never shared them with you guys! So that will definitely have to be a future post.

7. Dress up more often. This one I have totally accomplished. I was a dressing up fool this year with my 12 days of Christmas, my rocket dog costume and even my Valentines Day outfit to name a few.

ammo the dachshund rocket dog

8. Go on vacation. Admittedly I don’t really go on vacation much, it’s hard to get a way when you have such a busy working calendar like me! But I did get to take a special trip this year to Assateague Island to visit the sand and surf (and some new friends) with my pony pals.

assateague island

9. Try something new. This year I took my first trip on a motor boat at the Marsh Creek State park, I built a super fort while mom was away in Chincoteague, and I even did some relaxing by the pool for the first time. Oh yeah, and I watched a movie in the park this summer!

10. Giggle more. I giggle everyday, what about you?

2012 Goals:

1. Learn a new trick with my favorite pony, Minnow.

2. Compete in my first agility trial or take an agility class with a new club.

3. Make more home movies, featuring me!

4. Get more creative with my costumes.

5. Master some new tricks and share them on the blog.

6. Take pictures every month for my 2013 Calendar!

7. Make more DIY projects.

8. Paint more.

9. Dig more holes in the backyard.

10. Smile everyday!

So what about you? What are your goals for 2012? Do you think I can accomplish everything on my list by this time next year?

P.S. Don’t forget there is still time to enter my giveaway to win my 2012 Calendar!

Ammo’s Christmas Recap – part 2

Yesterday you heard about my trip to the farm on Christmas morning and today I’m going to show you what Santa brought me for Christmas. After heading home from the farm I dove head first into my presents!

ammo the dachshund's christmas

If you didn’t already know, I’m a skilled present unwrap-per. It’s a gift really.

ammo the dachshund's christmas

Just check out this fun video of me unwrapping my presents on Christmas morning:

The aftermath always looks a little something like this.

ammo the dachshund's christmas

But boy did I get a whole bunch of fabulous gifts!

ammo the dachshund's christmas

Santa brought me a super fun stuffie toy that looked just like himself, and I also got this super fun bowtie from Silly Buddy (hi Buddy!). Mom and Dad bought me some new dog bowls from Garnet Hill and some all natural dog treats from a cool bakery in New York called Bocce’s Bakery. And lastly I got gifted an awesome gift card to Yellow Brick Home, so that I can get a portrait of ME! How fun!

But my Christmas Adventure didn’t stop there. Next I was headed over to Trooper’s house, where Trooper let me play with all his new Christmas presents.

ammo's christmas adventure

ammo's christmas adventure

I even gifted Trooper a batch of dog cookies and my mom and dad got him a custom portrait from Yellow Brick Home too!

Eventually I made my way over to mom mom’s house where I got to watch all my cousins open their Christmas gifts.

ammo's christmas adventure

I might have helped some with the unwrapping…

ammo's christmas adventure

….and eventually I ended up more festive looking than when I arrived!

ammo's christmas adventure

As you can imagine, I passed out in the car on the way home. This much Christmas excitement really wears a boy out! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas with friends and family. Now I’ve got to rest up…..because this weekend is NEW YEARS! Woohoo!

Christmas Giveaway – Dachshund Calendar

***This Giveaway is no longer accepting entries***

Winner: Mary Anne Chan & her dog Kona! Please contact me at info@ammothedachshund.com to claim your prize.

Merry Christmas Friends! In the Spirit of giving I’ve decided to gift one lucky reader my 2012 Calendar.

2012 ammo the dachshund calendar

This 2012 Calendar measures 5 1/2″ w x 8 1/2″ h and comes with a metal bulldog clip for easy hanging on your wall or cork board. Just simply use a tack or nail on the wall.

Each month features a photograph of me! All photos are printed professionally on archival quality paper. At the end of the year/month the photos would be great for framing and hanging on your wall.

ammo the dachshund 2012 calendar

ammo the dachshund 2012 calendar

PRIZE: One 2012 Ammo the Dachshund Calendar
TO ENTER:
Comment on this post (you must comment on the BLOG – not on our facebook page) with the words “NEW YEAR” and….
BONUS QUESTION:
Tell me your new year resolutions. Maybe it’s eat less kibble, or take a jog in the park, whatever it is I want to hear about it!
GIVEAWAY CLOSES:
Monday, January 2, 2012 at 5:00pm EST
NUMBER OF WINNERS:
One
PRIZE SHIPS:
Anywhere in the World! Yeah!
RULES:
one entry per e-mail address. Winner will be selected using random.org (meaning the winner is drawn at random) – and will be announced shortly afterward. Good Luck!

 

Santa’s Secret Workshop

ammo the dachshund merry christmas

Last week I was busy working away on a secret project for the Holidays. I made Christmas Cards! Yay!

ammo the dachshund christmas cards

Mom fashioned a beard for me out of some cotton and a string and I happily posed for portraits in a cheerful little Santa hat we got at the dollar store last year.

ammo the dachshund christmas cards

Picture taking always proves to be the easy part, it’s coming up with the inside greetings that takes a little more effort.

ammo the dachshund christmas cards

But this year I came up with my very own version of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas….

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And left tiny paw prints all covered in soot.
The beard of his chin was white as the snow,
His twinkling eyes gave off a warm glow.

He spoke not a word, but gave out a sigh,
As he gobbled the milk & cookies in the blink of an eye.

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight,
“I like peanut butter cookies, next time get it right!”

You can fetch your very own set of my Holiday Greeting Cards HERE. Send a little Christmas Cheer to everyone you know! And because I love you all oh so much, enter the code AMMOPAL at checkout to get 10% off your order. Yipee!

Ammo’s Christmas Wish List

Dear, Santa

Even though I ate that piece of pizza off the coffee table, picked on Trooper, unraveled all the toilet paper, and ate a hole in mom’s pillowcase – I really really think I deserve all the things on my Christmas list this year. I promise to try harder next year.

xoxo,

Ammo

ammo the dachshund's christmas wish list

1. Custom Pet Portrait from the Yellow Brick House [via]

2. Rocket Ship Bedding Set from Garnet Hill

3. All Natural, Organic Dog Cookies from Bocce’s Bakery [via]

4. Bauer Earthenware Dog Bowl from Garnet Hill

5. Custom Made Cashmere Dog Sweater from By Chance Designs on Etsy

Freebie – Holiday Desktop Wallpaper

Countdown to Christmas….woohoo! And lucky for you I’m here with some early Holiday Cheer. Free for you to download for personal use is my Christmas Desktop Wallpaper. My cute little face will be sure to put you in the Holiday Spirit, you’ll be singing Christmas songs in no time.

free holiday desktop wallpaper

Just click the links below to download the appropriate wallpaper for your desktop.

1920 x 1080
1680 x 1050
1440 x 900
1366 x 768
1280 x 1024
1280 x 800
1024 x 768
ipad
iphone

Helper Boy

Weekend projects around my house tend to always involve a do-it-yourself mentality.

ammo the dachshund paint helper

And on this particular weekend, mom’s d.i.y. project to update the office took over my sunroom.

ammo the dachshund paint helper

Even though my sunning space was suddenly way more crowded, I was thrilled when mom said I could help, because as you know I’m really really good at helping.

ammo the dachshund paint helper

However, when the paint roller proved to be too difficult for my cumbersome paws I decided to improvise….

ammo the dachshund paint helper

….sadly mom didn’t think it was such a good idea and I was promptly relinquished from my duties as helper boy.

sigh.

Friday Fetch: Hund Collection at Neue Galerie

HF Loden CoatsIt’s always great when canines and art can combine, I should know, I’m an artist. So that’s why I was super excited when I received the new Neue Galerie New York catalog in the mail.

Neue Galerie is a museum devoted to early twentieth-century German and Austrian art and design. The gallery shop is devoted to providing the finest design icons from three periods: Biedermeier, Vienna 1900, and the Bauhaus. Contemporary designers such as Han Feng, Michael Graves, and Eva Zeisel also create exclusive pieces for the museum shop.

Among these contemporary pieces is Hund, which is a collection of chic canine couture and luxe accessories inspired by a mini Schnauzer named Milly von Barksky.

In other words, drool.

The Hund collection might be a bit out of my price range, but a dog can dream right? You can check out the Hund Collection at Neue Gaerie.

Hund Tag II

hund fabric bone

Yeohlee Teng Raincoat with Hood

R Horn Stag Harness

Home Sweet Home

Home. Work. Farm. That pretty much describes a good majority of my life. So I thought it would be fun to give you all a little “peek behind the curtain” and show you exactly where I spend my days & nights.

This is home – my quiet little street in the ‘burbs where I have my own doggie door, keep all my favorite toys, and get to take naps on the couch.

studio 3

This is work, right smack dab in the center of town.

studio 3

It’s where I spend my Tuesday through Saturday greeting customers.

studio 3

I take my work very seriously and although sometimes you’ll catch me napping on the job, it’s usually just a ruse to get you to rub my belly. (I’m sneaky like that)

ammo the dachshund at work

iron horse farm

This is the farm – my home away from home. It’s where I help train the trick ponies, do my chores, and play tag with Trooper and the kitties.

iron horse farm

And if I’m truly showing you where I REALLY spend most of my time, there is one last photo I must divulge.

iron horse farm

These are my groundhog holes. And I’m only showing you this because I KNOW you can keep a secret.

After all, there’s only one Super Dachshund fit to guard these holes, and it’s me!

 

Leaf Break

Things are a little quieter around here now that fall has arrived. The shop slows down a little bit before the Holiday rush, the ponies start growing their winter coats and I don’t have quite as many things booked on my calendar.

ammo the dachshund in the leaves

So it’s nice to take this little fall break and play in the leaves.

ammo the dachshund in the leaves

Did you know that you can find buried treasure in fall leaves?

ammo the dachshund in the leaves

It’s true, I’ve seen it with my own eyes.

ammo the dachshund in the leaves

All you gotta do is wiggle your little nose and let it lead you too it.

ammo the dachshund in the leaves

And if you can’t find the treasure, than I hate to tell you, but those darned squirrels probably took it. Sorry pal, I guess you’re out of luck this year.