Watch This

Watch This // Training Horses Through Mimicking // Ammo the Dachshund

Whenever it’s time to work on training the ponies I’m never too far as I love offering encouraging words to my ponies as they learn new skills and tricks.

Watch This // Training Horses Through Mimicking // Ammo the Dachshund

My buddy Boomerang here is learning how to be more comfortable on a teeter totter.

Watch This // Training Horses Through Mimicking // Ammo the Dachshund

Sometimes though, the ponies learn best by watching someone else do it first. So I offer up my skills, and tell Boomerang to watch this as I plod effortlessly across the teeter totter. In theory, watching someone else do it helps my ponies to realize it’s not as scary as it seems.

Watch This // Training Horses Through Mimicking // Ammo the Dachshund

Although it would also help if Boomerang was actually paying attention instead of sneaking grass behind me! Sigh. Ammo the Dachshund

Scrub-A-Dub-Dub, Weenie in a Tub

Scrub-A-Dub-Dub, Weenie in a Tub // Ammo the Dachshund

When you spend a lot of your time on a horse farm it’s inevitable that you’ll find yourself in the tub more often than not.

Scrub-A-Dub-Dub, Weenie in a Tub // Ammo the Dachshund

Bath time rituals become pretty common for me as I’m used to hearing things around the house like “what’s that smell?”, “what did you roll in this time?”, or my favorite “The smell is horrible!”.

Scrub-A-Dub-Dub, Weenie in a Tub // Ammo the Dachshund

While my patented weenie stench is not something all members of my household enjoy (what do you mean you don’t like the smell of soggy worms and horse poop?), I can say that sometimes I do enjoy the benefits of a good bath.

Scrub-A-Dub-Dub, Weenie in a Tub // Ammo the Dachshund

Not only does my after bath aroma warrant extra cuddles and the praises of “you’re so soft” and “you smell like sunshine”, but…

Scrub-A-Dub-Dub, Weenie in a Tub // Ammo the Dachshund

….I find that afterwards my pleading eyes for more cookies mom, are almost always met with – “of course you can have another cookie, because you’re so clean and sweet!”

Stink Happens // Dirty Dog // Ammo the Dachshund

Guess I’ll just have to start stinking up the place a little more often if I want those after bath cookiesAmmo the Dachshund

What’s the worst thing your dog has ever rolled in? 

P.S. if you haven’t already, check out the article my mom wrote starring me on the Barkpost – all about 10 Creative Summer Adventures you can go on with your Dog!

Swimming Dogs and Ponies at the Lake

Swimming Dogs and Ponies at the Lake // Ammo the Dachshund

It’s no secret that I love spending time at the lake during the summer.

Swimming Dogs and Ponies at the Lake // Ammo the Dachshund

But did you know that my pony friends from the farm also enjoy relaxing at the lake on hot summer days?

Swimming Dogs and Ponies at the Lake // Ammo the Dachshund

Swimming Dogs and Ponies at the Lake // Ammo the Dachshund

While I’ve been to the lake with my ponies many times before, this time I decided to find out what it was like to swim with them! My favorite pony Minnow offered up his back to take me for a swim around the lake.

Swimming Dogs and Ponies at the Lake // Ammo the Dachshund

Swimming Dogs and Ponies at the Lake // Ammo the Dachshund

And since ponies don’t come equipped with seat belts, mom had to come along too to make sure I didn’t accidentally fall in (not to worry though, I wore my life vest at all times too).

Swimming Dogs and Ponies at the Lake // Ammo the Dachshund

Swimming Dogs and Ponies at the Lake // Ammo the Dachshund

My pal Minnow is actually a Chincoteague Pony and he was born wild on the Island of Assateague. Which if you know the story of the Chincoteague Ponies, then you may know that as a young pony Minnow made the swim across the Chincoteague Channel during Pony Penning Week when he was just a young foal. So if anyone knows how to swim, it’s my pal Minnow.

And I have to say, swimming on the back of a pony is a heck of a lot easier than swimming in the lake on your own. I think it’s going to have to be my preferred method of transportation on the lake from now on!

Swimming Dogs and Ponies at the Lake // Ammo the Dachshund

Swimming Dogs and Ponies at the Lake // Ammo the Dachshund

So thanks Minnow, for taking me on my maiden pony swimming voyage! I hope to have many more in my future! Ammo the Dachshund

P.S. Thanks to my pals from My Life, Naturally for taking some of the photos in this post!

Blanket Dog Bed Review & Giveaway

Disclaimer : This is a sponsored post and giveaway brought to you by I Brake For Yard Sales.

Blanket Dog Bed Review & Giveaway // Ammo the Dachshund

Recently my new friends over at the Etsy Shop, I Brake For Yard Sales, sent me one of their handmade Blanket Dog Beds to take for a spin.

Blanket Dog Bed Review & Giveaway // Ammo the Dachshund

What makes this bed a little different than your average dog bed is that it has a super soft and snuggly blanket attached to the handmade wooden frame so that your dog can dig around and get extra comfy (or burrow to their hearts content!).

Blanket Dog Bed Review & Giveaway // Ammo the Dachshund

And not to worry, the fleece blanket easily unsnaps from the wood frame so you can wash it should your pup decide to go to bed with muddy paws! It even comes in lots of fun colors (I opted for the Gray).

Blanket Dog Bed Review & Giveaway // Ammo the Dachshund

It comes in two different sizes for the big and small dogs (but custom sizes are available by request) – I enjoyed lounging in this 17″ x 19″ x 6″ bed.

And since I’m an expert digger and burrower, I figured I’d show you just how “bed fluffing” is really done….

Blanket Dog Bed Review & Giveaway // Ammo the Dachshund

Blanket Dog Bed Review & Giveaway // Ammo the Dachshund

Blanket Dog Bed Review & Giveaway // Ammo the Dachshund

Perfect!

Blanket Dog Bed Review & Giveaway // Ammo the Dachshund

As I fluffed and readied my new Blanket Bed for an afternoon nap I began to draw a little attention.

Blanket Dog Bed Review & Giveaway // Ammo the Dachshund

I’m pretty sure I’m going to have to spend my afternoon snoozes fending off the farm cats who are now eyeing my comfy sleeping spot!

You can fetch your own Blanket Dog (or apparently cat) Bed from Etsy! And you can even save 10% with coupon code Ammo1.

And now for the best part…

Blanket Dog Bed Review & Giveaway // Ammo the Dachshund

One Lucky Winner will win a 17″x19″x6″ Handmade Blanket Dog Bed in BLUE!

Blanket Dog Bed Review & Giveaway // Ammo the Dachshund

Here’s HOW TO WIN:

For this giveaway I will be using, Rafflecopter. We only use the information you provide to contact the winners and we never share it – so not to worry. Winners will be chosen at random and you will be contacted via e-mail to claim your prize. All the winners will also be announced on this blog post once the giveaway ends on 7/22/14 12AM EST. Open to USA residents only. Only one winner. Winners must claim their prizes within 48 hours of being notified or prize will be forfeited. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post by I Brake for Yard Sales on Etsy, but all opinions are my own! Ammo the Dachshund

P.S. Don’t forget, today is the last day to enter my giveaway for a Ruffwear Roamer Leash!!

New York or Bust

New York of Bust // Ammo the Dachshund

Over the 4th of July weekend I packed up my ponies and headed north 5 hours to New York!

New York of Bust // Ammo the Dachshund

New York of Bust // Ammo the Dachshund

After so many pit-stops I was fully expecting to end up in the big apple, but instead I ended up in the middle of nowhere at a horse campground!

New York of Bust // Ammo the Dachshund

I unpacked my ponies and tucked them in for the night….

New York of Bust // Ammo the Dachshund

…and pitched my tent for yet another fun weekend of camping!

New York of Bust // Ammo the Dachshund

I may or may not have hogged all the sleeping bags in the night. At least I was comfy!

New York of Bust // Ammo the Dachshund

When I awoke the next morning it became apparent that my ponies had made the long journey to New York to compete on a dog agility course! (at least that’s what it looked like to me)

New York of Bust // Ammo the Dachshund

It had a teeter totter….

New York of Bust // Ammo the Dachshund

…and some sort of porcupine looking things…

New York of Bust // Ammo the Dachshund

…and chickens? Ok well maybe it was the advanced dog agility course, which would explain why I’ve never seen any of these obstacles at my training classes.

Regardless my ponies were super brave and attempted each and every one of these challenging obstacles over the weekend!

New York of Bust // Ammo the Dachshund

I had a relaxing weekend watching them perform from the comfort of my favorite seat in the car. I even had my portable fan going to keep me cool.

New York of Bust // Ammo the Dachshund

I even got to pack in some tanning during my weekend in New York. And before I knew it we were on the road again headed back home to Pennsylvania.

New York of Bust // Ammo the Dachshund

And the good news is, we only got one flat tire on the way home! (not to worry, I’m an expert at changing tires).

What sort of adventures did your dog have over the 4th of July weekend? Ammo the Dachshund

Check out some more photos from my weekend adventure on the Painting Pony Blog.

June 2014 Monthly Recap

Before we get to the recap of all the exciting adventures I’ve been on in June, I wanted to give a shoutout to my special sponsors! Thanks to them I’m able to bring you exciting posts, so make sure you give them some love and check out what great products they carry!

ugodog-250x250

UGODOG is an innovative and environmentally friendly indoor dog potty and training system. It is specially designed as a stylish indoor toilet for canines of all shapes and sizes. UGODOG will not only keep your dog’s paws dry, but will keep your house dry too! Easy to clean and bring with you where-ever your dog needs to go! This is the only indoor potty rated with 5 stars by the American Pet Association. All UGODOG products also include a free wellness test kit for your pup!

Check out the UGODOG!

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PawCheck is a new concept in home-testing for Pets recommended by Veterinarians for health screening and offering pet parents an affordable tool to monitor the first suspicious symptoms for preventative care. PawCheck offers a complete solution for pet home-testing, with step-by-step instructions and tools for easy urine sample collection. You can check out my review of the PawCheck too!

Check out all the preventative care options PawCheck has to offer!

Barkbox AdBarkbox is a monthly subscription service for your dog. Starting as low as $19 a month (shipping included) you can get a box of the finest treats and toys sent right to your front door every month! Choose from packages for small, medium, and large dogs and as a bonus 10% of their sales go to supporting rescue groups! You can check out just what goodies your dog could be getting every month by reading my reviews!

Use code AMMO5 for 10% off your Barkbox Subscription.

Ruffwear Ad

Ruffwear carries performance dog gear designed to enhance and inspire outdoor adventures for dogs and their human companions. Totally my kind of company that carries anything from dog hiking packs, harnesses, camping essentials and more! You can check out my review of their dog boots (that even work for dachshund’s too) as well as the Ruffwear Swamp Cooler to keep your pup cool in the summer!

Free Shipping on all orders over $75 at Ruffwear!

Kurgo thumbnail Ad

Kurgo is devoted to helping people get out & safely enjoy the world with their dogs.  They carry high-quality, innovative products that last at reasonable prices. They even offer a lifetime guarantee. You can check out my review of the Kurgo Surf n’ Turf Life Vest.

Use code KURGO20WIN for 20% off your purchase at Kurgo!

If you would like to find out more about my advertising rates, click HEREAnd thanks again to all of my wonderful sponsors, I couldn’t do it without you!

And now onto my June Adventures….

Sleepypod Yummy Bowl Review & Giveaway // Ammo the Dachshund

Trooper and I checked out the Sleepypod Yummy Bowls & gave one away too!

A Dog's Day at the Devon Horse Show // Ammo the Dachshund

I spent the day at the Devon Horse Show.

Stand Up Paddleboarding with your dog // Ammo the Dachshund

I went Paddleboarding at the Lake.

Lasso Ropes Review & Giveaway // Ammo the Dachshund

I reviewed this spiffy Lasso Rope Collar.

Fetch // Ammo the Dachshund

I had an exciting game of fetch in my backyard.

Toy Graveyard // Ammo the Dachshund

I shared my toy graveyard with everyone.

World Cup Soccer // Ammo the Dachshund // Team USA

I shared my excitement for the World Cup to start.

Working Late on the Farmhouse // Ammo the Dachshund

I thanked all the dads out there on Father’s Day.

Sleepypod Clickit Review & Giveaway // Ammo the Dachshund

Trooper and I took the Sleepypod Clickit for a test ride!

Dachshund Photo Collage Mat from Flying Hero // Ammo the Dachshund

I shared the new dachshund photo mats available in my shop!

Ammo the Dachshund's First Baseball Game

I visited the Ballpark and watched my first baseball game.

Ammo the Dachshund on the Farm

I tried to survive the barn swallow attack.

Fun Time Dog Shop Pet Hair Removal Glove Review & Giveaway // Ammo the Dachshund

I helped mom test out a pet hair removal glove.

Officially Summer // Ammo the Dachshund

I welcomed the official start of summer.

What to pack when camping with your dog in the mountains / Ammo the Dachshund

I shared what I planned to pack for my upcoming camping trip.

Chewy.com Planet Dog Tennis Ball Review // Ammo the Dachshund

I shared what I like to do for fun in my hallway.

Mattie & Margot Collars // Recycling your Dog's Collar into Savings with Ammo the Dachshund

I shared how you can recycle your dog’s collar into savings.

Can you believe how much I’ve packed in already….and the summer has just begun! I can’t wait to see what July holds for me! What sort of adventures has your dog been on this past month? Ammo the Dachshund

Attack of the Killer Toad

When Toads Attack // Ammo the Dachshund

A couple weeks ago this toad came out of nowhere on the farm. He snarled and lunged right for me! I’m pretty sure he thought having a tasty bite of wiener dog for dinner would hit the spot! Don’t worry, I foiled his dinner plans….

…boy was that a close one! Ammo the Dachshund

Don’t worry, no toads were harmed in the making of this video. Top image via.

Recycling your Dog’s Collar into Savings

Disclaimer : This is a sponsored post brought to you by Mattie & Margot.

Mattie & Margot Collars // Recycling your Dog's Collar into Savings with Ammo the Dachshund

Way back in April my friends over at Mattie & Margot mailed me 2 spiffy new collars in one of my favorite colors, blue!

Mattie & Margot Collars // Recycling your Dog's Collar into Savings with Ammo the Dachshund

You may have caught me wearing them on some of my adventures as of lately, because I certainly got some good use out of them.

Mattie & Margot Collars // Recycling your Dog's Collar into Savings with Ammo the Dachshund

But after a couple months of wear, I decided I was ready for another spiffy new color. As luck would have it, Mattie & Margot offer a collar recycling program that can save you 40% off a new collar for your dog! Here’s how it works…

Mattie & Margot Collars // Recycling your Dog's Collar into Savings with Ammo the Dachshund

Mattie & Margot Collars // Recycling your Dog's Collar into Savings with Ammo the Dachshund

First I packed up one of my Mattie & Margot collars and shipped it off to the birthplace of new collars, California. Through my rough and tumble use the hardware on my old collar was a bit dinged up, but it was still totally functional and safe to wear, so giving it new life in a new color was just what it needed!

Mattie & Margot Collars // Recycling your Dog's Collar into Savings with Ammo the Dachshund

Once my collar reached California (and the talented hands of Rachael from Mattie & Margot) it was disassembled to be turned into something fun a new. Meanwhile I was sent a code for 40% off a new collar of my choice!

Mattie & Margot Collars // Recycling your Dog's Collar into Savings with Ammo the Dachshund

The fabric from my old collar is recycled into a fun and functional key fob, and I picked out a fun new reflective print in neon orange to be attached to my old buckles and hardware.

Mattie & Margot Collars // Recycling your Dog's Collar into Savings with Ammo the Dachshund

My recycled collar arrived in the mail looking fabulous, and I’ve been rockin’ it on the farm ever since!

Mattie & Margot Collars // Recycling your Dog's Collar into Savings with Ammo the Dachshund

Mom says she loves that the neon orange is easy to spot on the farm, especially in the tall grass.

Mattie & Margot Collars // Recycling your Dog's Collar into Savings with Ammo the Dachshund

And everyone knows that with a nose like this – I can’t be tied down to one place for very long….

Mattie & Margot Collars // Recycling your Dog's Collar into Savings with Ammo the Dachshund

Mattie & Margot Collars // Recycling your Dog's Collar into Savings with Ammo the Dachshund

And mom even got a fun gift of her own in the form of a key fob out of my old collar’s fabric…

Mattie & Margot Collars // Recycling your Dog's Collar into Savings with Ammo the Dachshund

So if you’re looking for a fun upgrade to your dog’s current collar I highly recommend checking out the Mattie & Margot Recycling Program for a savings of 40% OFF a new collar!

And if you don’t have a Mattie & Margot Collar yet, you can grab one of their many many styles for 20% off with code AMMO20 Ammo the Dachshund

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post by Mattie & Margot, but all opinions are my own and Mattie & Margot is one of my favorite go-to collar sites.

P.S. Don’t forget, today is the last day to enter my Fun Time Dog Shop Giveaway!

When Barn Swallows Attack

Ammo the Dachshund on the Farm

This time of year I spend a lot of time hanging around the family farm. While mom does chores and rides ponies I hang out with my gal pals, Cricket and Spider.

Lately though our time together seems to get interrupted by the barn swallows that have made their home in the barn.

Swooping, diving, and yelling at us – those birds are relentless in making sure we know that our presence near their nests are unwelcome. Honestly, I can’t say I blame them – Spider, Cricket, and I are fierce hunters – and I may have inadvertently purposely helped Spider take down a few birds out of the air. In my defense, they do like to scream at us a lot!

I’ll be looking over my shoulder from now on when I’m on the farm. Does your dog like to chase birds too? Ammo the Dachshund

Sleepypod Clickit Review & Giveaway

Disclaimer : This is a sponsored post and giveaway brought to you by Sleepypod.

Sleepypod Clickit Review & Giveaway // Ammo the Dachshund

After checking out the Sleepypod Yummy Bowls a few weeks ago Trooper and I are back to share another Sleepypod product – the Clickit 3 Point Safety Harness.

Sleepypod Clickit Review & Giveaway // Ammo the Dachshund

Now if you’ve never heard of the Clickit, you mainly need to know one thing. It’s the HIGHEST rated dog restraint for the car in a crash test performed by the Center for Pet Safety last fall and the only 3-point car restraint for dogs on the market. Now that’s saying a lot!

You can check out more about what makes Clickit so safe here.

Sleepypod Clickit Review & Giveaway // Ammo the Dachshund

Trooper and I of course always wear harnesses and restraints when riding in the car and we’re sticklers for making sure that all passengers (dogs included) are buckled up, so we were excited to test out the Clickit.

Sleepypod Clickit Review & Giveaway // Ammo the Dachshund

Now the Clickit is designed to not just be a car harness, but also a walking harness too. You’ll notice though because of the width of the chest piece that it’s much more suited for walking bigger dogs in, as it was a little too wide for me to go for an average walk in. If you have a very small dog Sleepypod recommends using one of their travel carriers to restrain your pet safely in the car. I was teetering on the cutoff to being too small for the Clickit, but I was relieved when the extra small seemed to fit me properly.

P.S. you’ll notice in the above picture that mom forgot to tuck in the straps after she adjusted them for me. She realized later that you can tuck all the access webbing into the harness so it looks nice and clean.

Sleepypod Clickit Review & Giveaway // Ammo the Dachshund

Now what makes the Clickit different from other car harnesses is that the back has a unique criss-cross design so that your dog is safety belted into the car in 3 separate points. The top collar part has a ring for attaching ID tags or a leash for walking.

Sleepypod Clickit Review & Giveaway // Ammo the Dachshund

All those straps may look complicated to put on your dog at first, but it’s actually quite simple to attach. You can check out this handy video from Sleepypod on how to put it on your dog.

Sleepypod Clickit Review & Giveaway // Ammo the Dachshund

Before Trooper and I could set out on our maiden voyage mom had to attach the included tethers to the latch anchors in the backseat of mom’s car. (Latch anchors are installed in any car manufactured after 2003, but even if your car doesn’t have them you can get them installed.)

Sleepypod Clickit Review & Giveaway // Ammo the Dachshund

So Trooper and I loaded up in the car and got ready to travel safely!

Sleepypod Clickit Review & Giveaway // Ammo the Dachshund

With the Clickit you attach the tethers to each of the side rings, and run your car’s seatbelt through the criss-cross on the back of the harness. This gives your dog three points of attachment, and makes sure that they would stay put in the event of a crash.

Sleepypod Clickit Review & Giveaway // Ammo the Dachshund

Sleepypod Clickit Review & Giveaway // Ammo the Dachshund

Trooper and I both had no problem laying down in the backseat for our ride. Here’s a fun video of our first voyage with our Sleepypod Clickits:

You can also watch this on youtube.

Sleepypod Clickit Review & Giveaway // Ammo the Dachshund

Trooper has been wearing his Clickit every day in the car for the past month, and loves it!

Now some of you may be wondering about my booster seat, which has always been my preferred method of travel in the car….

Sleepypod Clickit Review & Giveaway // Ammo the Dachshund

Now while Sleepypod can’t recommend using the Clickit any other way than it was designed (for the best safety), I just couldn’t give up riding in my Booster seat! So mom attached one of the tethers to the seatbelt inside my booster seat.

Sleepypod Clickit Review & Giveaway // Ammo the Dachshund

And then hooked the tether to the criss-cross in the back of the Clickit. While it’s not going to be as safe as attaching with the 3 points, I just couldn’t give up riding in my Booster – but mom still believes this harness is much safer in the car than the standard walking harnesses I used to use.

Sleepypod Clickit Review & Giveaway // Ammo the Dachshund

Mom plans to maybe add a metal ring to the harness (by sliding it through the webbing) to make attaching the tether easier in the future.

So if you are looking for the best way to keep your pet safe in the car I highly recommend the Sleepypod Clickit. Because you can’t put a price on being “too safe” with your pet’s life!

And now for the best part….

Sleepypod Clickit Review & Giveaway // Ammo the Dachshund

ONE Lucky WINNER will WIN a Sleepypod Clickit!
(winners choose size + color)

Here’s HOW TO WIN:

For this giveaway I will be using, Rafflecopter. We only use the information you provide to contact the winners and we never share it – so not to worry. Winners will be chosen at random and you will be contacted via e-mail to claim your prize. All the winners will also be announced on this blog post once the giveaway ends on 6/24/14 12AM EST. Open to US Residents Only. Winners must claim their prizes within 48 hours of being notified or prize will be forfeited. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: This a sponsored post by Sleepypod, all opinions are my own. Ammo the Dachshund

P.S. Don’t forget today is the last day to enter my Lasso Leash Giveaway!