Ammo’s Lake School

Posted on July 12, 2017 by Ammo

Ammo's Lake School

It’s come to my attention that I may need to open my own Lake School. Until recently I didn’t realize how many dog’s I’ve mentored on their very first lake outing.

On the Lake with Friends // Ammo the Dachshund

First there was Shilah, who I introduced to the water and her first paddleboarding experience.

Lake Dogs // Summer // Ammo the Dachshund

Then there was Maya, who had her first dip and also took to the paddle board under my supervision.

Ammo's Lake School

And then there was Hank! The latest ~~victim~~ trainee in Ammo’s Lake School.

Ammo's Lake School

Being that Hank is a Miniature GoldenDoodle (Golden Retriever/Poodle Mix), it didn’t take much convincing for me to get him into the water.

Ammo's Lake School

Just in case though I coached from the sidelines, ready to swim Hank to safety if need be.

Ammo's Lake School

Thankfully he was a natural!

Ammo's Lake School

Although when he emerged it became apparent that there really wasn’t much dog hiding under all that fur!

Ammo's Lake School

So I did what any good dog would do, I let him borrow one of my life vests*! No drowning dogs on my watch!

*affiliate link

Ammo's Lake School

Swimming was one thing, but the true test of a lake dog is the boating. So we took to the docks for a boat adventure. Hank passed test number one with flying colors, making friends with the boat shop crew.

Ammo's Lake School

I led the expedition (as always) and things were going swimmingly for my pal Hank.

Ammo's Lake School

And after a dip overboard to cool off….

Ammo's Lake School

….Hank was officially a Lake Dog just like me!

Since Hank made my job super easy and passed my rigorous training with ease, it made it possible for me to divert my attention to ~~victim~~ trainee #2 of the day…

Ammo's Lake School

*affiliate link

….Baby P!

After we mastered wearing the uncomfortable but necessary life vest* (thanks to some helpful cheerios that mom packed), I am happy to report that Baby P also mastered my Lake School and survived her very first boating adventure. (with very minimal crying I might add). Although she still has a ways to go in the doggie paddle department, but we’ll get there!

So what do you think, should I open up my own Lake School? Likely we’d need sailor hats (and a captain hat for me) with really cool logos. Good thing I know a great graphic designer! 🙂

Kurgo Lifevest for Dogs Review & Giveaway

Posted on April 21, 2014 by Ammo

Disclaimer: This product review & giveaway is sponsored by Kurgo and contains affiliate links.

I don’t know about you, but I can hardly keep my tail from wagging with the thought that Summer is just around the corner!

One of my favorite summer activities is to spend time at the Marsh Creek Lake with my family – swimming, paddleboarding, and kayaking…..there are so many fun activities on the water to look forward to.

So when my friends at Kurgo sent me their Surf n Turf Life Vest for Dogs to test out I couldn’t wait to get my paws wet!

Kurgo Lifevest Review & Giveaway // Ammo the Dachshund

One of the perplexing problems with life vests for dachshunds is that it’s very hard to find ones the accommodate our deep chests. As you can see I’ve sort of maxed out the velco capacity in the front, but thankfully Kurgo’s vest comes with an extra long buckle so I don’t have to worry about it not staying on!

Kurgo Lifevest Review & Giveaway // Ammo the Dachshund

The Surf n Turf comes with lots of extra handles and hooks on the top so that you can easily grab a hold of your dog in an emergency or attach a leash to one of the hooks. As a bonus the back ring even doubles as a bottle opening, how cool is that!

Kurgo Lifevest Review & Giveaway // Ammo the Dachshund

The underneath buckles have plenty of length to fit dogs of all sizes and I liked how it didn’t have any extra bulk underneath which made it easier to swim in.

Kurgo Lifevest Review & Giveaway // Ammo the Dachshund

I really liked how padded and secure the Surf n Turf was as opposed to the vest mom and dad had purchased me a few years ago.

But you can’t truly give a review of a life vest without first hitting the water…..

Kurgo Lifevest Review & Giveaway // Ammo the Dachshund

So a couple weekends ago I hit up the Brandywine River on one of our unseasonably warm days for April.

Kurgo Lifevest Review & Giveaway // Ammo the Dachshund

I must admit that water was bit colder than I would of liked, because you may be surprised to know that I actually really enjoy swimming…..but especially when the water is really warm.

Kurgo Lifevest Review & Giveaway // Ammo the Dachshund

Even though it was chilly, I still braved the water because I’m an expert product tester and couldn’t give you guys my honest opinion if I didn’t take a dip in it myself!

Kurgo Lifevest Review & Giveaway // Ammo the Dachshund

The Surf n Turf held it’s own in the water and kept me happily floating ABOVE the water like it should. A little known fact about me is that as much as I enjoy swimming I won’t swim unless I’m wearing a life vest. One can never be too safe (no matter the size of the dog) and I feel much more at ease braving the waters with my vest on!

So if you’re looking for a life vest to keep your small, big or in-between sized dog safe around the water this summer I highly recommend the Kurgo Surf n Turf Life Vest.

You can even use code KURGO20WIN for 20% off your entire purchase at Kurgo!

And now for the best part…..

Kurgo Lifevest Review & Giveaway // Ammo the Dachshund

ONE Lucky WINNER will win Kurgo Surf n Turf Life Vest for their dog

Here’s HOW TO WIN:

For this giveaway I will be using, Rafflecopter. Winners will be chosen at random and you will be contacted via e-mail to claim your prize. Don’t worry, we never share your information! All the winners will also be announced on this blog post once the giveaway ends on 4/29/14 12AM EST. Open to USA or CANADA residents only. Winners must claim their prizes within 48 hours of being notified or prize will be forfeited. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don’t forget, today is the last day to enter my Penn + Pooch Giveaway!

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Kurgo, but all opinions are my own.

On the Lake with Friends

Posted on August 15, 2013 by Ammo

Adventures on the lake are quickly becoming my favorite thing to do in the summer. And at the Marsh Creek Boat Rental, where dogs are always welcome, there is a whole slew of fun to be had out on the water!

On the Lake with Friends // Ammo the Dachshund

I started out my adventure by renting a paddleboard with mom. There’s nothing quite like gliding through the water on one of those!

On the Lake with Friends // Ammo the Dachshund

This time I brought along my pal Shilah, for her very first boat ride in a motorized rowboat rental.

On the Lake with Friends // Ammo the Dachshund

Dad also rented a kayak which I happily took a few laps around the lake in.

On the Lake with Friends // Ammo the Dachshund

Since this was Shilah’s first trip to the lake I decided to let her test out the paddle board, which is one of my favorite rental choices.

On the Lake with Friends // Ammo the Dachshund

Shilah had also never been swimming before, so I gave her a little coaching from the sidelines.

On the Lake with Friends // Ammo the Dachshund

Eventually though I hopped aboard to show her how to man her lake vessel with style. She’s only one, so she has lots of learning to do still!

On the Lake with Friends // Ammo the Dachshund

Shilah almost got to assist in her first water rescue when Dad accidentally tipped his kayak, but luckily things didn’t get too crazy.

On the Lake with Friends // Ammo the Dachshund

Later I showed off my natural swimming skills, and it was enough to convince my pal to take her first dip too! You can see her showing off at the end of this video:

On the Lake with Friends // Ammo the Dachshund

Being on the lake with my friends was so enjoyable I just didn’t want it to end!

On the Lake with Friends // Ammo the Dachshund

So when we landed back on shore I decided to practice some of my swimming skills.

On the Lake with Friends // Ammo the Dachshund

I’ve gotten quite good at playing fetch in the water, mom even picked up this new floating buoy toy for me from West Elm (which mom bought before it sold out).

Sigh, I’m so sad that summer is coming to an end, but hopefully I’ll get to squeeze in a few more lake trips before it ends!