Over the weekend my best friend Trooper came over to spend the day with me.
It’s been a long time since we’ve spent the ENTIRE day together, so we had a lot of catching up to do.
Mostly we had a lot of snuggling to catch up on!
Boy did I miss snuggling with my best friend! 
Last week some farm machinery showed up on the farm, and along with it came some sand!
Word on the street was that the ponies were getting sand footing for their arena.
In translation…..HOLY COW I WAS GETTING A BEACH!
Trooper and I were quite intrigued by our newly found farm beach (as we dubbed it).
You may already know just how much I absolutely love the beach, especially running across it bay watch style.
And the fact that I can now run on the beach and also hunt groundhogs at the SAME PLACE……seriously I think I’m in heaven.
Once the arena farm beach was officially finished Trooper and I got to be the first ones to test it out.
And seeing as how it’s a pretty big arena farm beach, we both agreed that we should share our new sand with the ponies too.
Blitz and Boomerang seem to be just as thrilled with the new farm addition. Boomer even took a celebratory bay watch run just like me….
So what fun things do you think I should do in my new farm beach?
Ever since I was 8 weeks old my buddy Trooper has been the dog I looked up to. He came to the shop with me everyday, where he was in charge of “training” me for the first year or so of my life. I like to think that I got my sassiness from Trooper himself, and I’m pretty sure these videos of a young puppy Trooper (before I knew him) hanging out at the shop totally prove my point!
P.S. Isn’t it amazing how much lighter Trooper’s coat was when he was a puppy? Now everyone just thinks he’s really old with his mostly black coat with bits of gray. (he’s only 7)
Summer is quickly coming to an end (how sad), and although there is lots to look forward to in the fall I’m still going to miss all the summertime fun. So I’ve been packing in as much excitement as I can!
I’ve been spending time with my favorite pony, Minnow, while he munches on the last bits of summer grass.
That Minnow is always trying to hog the camera with his cheesy smiles!
I’m also squeezing in trips to the hardware store – to help mom and dad finish up all our summer projects around the house.
I’m also taking as many trips to the lake with mom and dad that I can. Pretty soon it’ll be much to chilly on the water for me!
Mostly I’m just enjoying the warmth…..all before I have to break out my cool weather wardrobe!
What are you going to miss about the summer once it’s gone?
Over the weekend I decided to lend a helping paw and help my pal Trooper on the continuing work on his soon to be new farmhouse home.
While progress on Trooper’s new home is moving along, this weekend’s goal was to continue tiling.
Trooper and I knew just what to do to help too! We started a wrestling match to make sure that all the tile was nice and secure.
And good news, it held up just fine to our playtime antics.
There’s still lots more work to do, and mom says we better learn how to grout soon because it’s going to be a big big project!
Don’t worry though, I’ve already started taking notes!
What sort of projects did your pup help you with this weekend?
Before we get to the recap of all the exciting adventures I’ve been on in August, 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!
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And now onto my August Adventures…
I took my new Park It Mat on a shopping trip to the hardware store!
I got kicked out of the clean plate club when mom and dad’s new dishwasher arrived.
I took my new gal pal, rescue pup Maya, to the lake for her first paddleboarding lesson.
I got to help mom frame my very own birth certificate!
Trooper and I got our zoomies on in the basement of the new farmhouse.
I shared some cookies with my good buddies.
I shared a throwback to my very first introduction to hunting underground.
I showed off my awesome chewing faces.
I watched a movie in the park.
I announced my next big appearance.
I spent an awesome day at the beach.
I made friends with my new napping partner.
I took the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and even donated too.
I shared how my mom helps me and Trooper overcome shop dog boredom.
I offered moral support when my ponies got a visit from the dentist.
Wow, I’m always amazed looking back at how much I can pack in to 30 days! What sort of adventures have you been on in August?
This week on the farm the horses were due for their dental check-up. Trooper and I of course were on hand for moral support.
Because who in their right mind likes to go to the dentist? Especially when you have to wear this type of contraption on your face!
Trooper always tries to be Mr. Helper, offering to hold supplies – mostly towels. That dog has an unhealthy obsession with towels if you ask me! I didn’t have the heart to tell him that they aren’t necessary tools for a dental exam.
I on the other hand just like to wait and see if there are any loose pony teeth, because I hear the tooth fairy will shell out double for horse teeth!
One thing can always be certain after a visit from the horse dentist though…..
….Trooper and I will be sure to brush our teeth extra well to avoid having to visit the dentist ourselves! Those tools look scary!
As you may have already seen on my Facebook page, last week I was nominated by one of my fans for the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Never one to back down from a challenge, I accepted, putting my own little spin on it….
Yup, that’s right, I cheated and used warm water. But I did also donate to ALS, because that’s how I roll!
I decided to call out my pal Crusoe the Celebrity Dachshund to follow in my footsteps (in a dog friendly way) and he accepted my challenge!
Crusoe cheated too (using lukewarm water), but he was gracious enough to donate to ALS as well.
It seems my Dog Friendly ALS Ice Bucket Challenge encouraged lots of others to become involved too, generating a whole new batch of Dog Friendly #icebucketchallenge videos. My video even made it into this article posted by Time Magazine last week.
Even though I’m no stranger to “ice”, I’m very glad my challenge video ended in a warm bath instead of something like the photo above!
As much fun as it was to participate, it was even more fun to know that my donation (and video) helped to spark even more donations. After all, that’s the whole point anyway! So if you’d like to spread the word and get your dog involved too create a dog friendly ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and post a link in the comments section or on my Facebook page. You can even put your own spin on the challenge, here’s some ideas to get you started:
-Have your dog lick an ICE cold popsicle
-Get your dog to wear a raincoat and use warm water (bonus points if your dog needed a bath anyway)
-Get your dog to take a dip in a kiddy pool on a hot day
-Let your dog take a sip of cool water out of a hose
I can’t wait to see what you all come up with! And don’t forget, it makes an even bigger difference if you donate too, any little bit helps!
Summer is quickly coming to an end (how sad) so I knew I had to squeeze in a fun adventure to one of my favorite places before it was over. So over the weekend I hopped in the car and drove 2 hours to the Delaware State Park Beaches for a day of fun in the sand!
The cool thing about this area is that they have specific beaches that are pet friendly all year round any time of the day. Most of the pet friendly beaches were also open to fishing vehicles as well.
As soon as I hit the sand I went into frantic running mode. Something about that warm sand between my toes just makes me want to run around like crazy!
After I had enough time to get my crazies out, mom brought out a special surprise for me!
My August Barkbox! Which arrived in the mail just in time for my trip!
What happened next was pretty inevitable – as I couldn’t wait to tear inside to see what fun goodies were shipped to my door this month.
My ability to quickly destroy the box my goodies come in every month is an art I have been perfecting. Did you that Barkbox also offers special allergy boxes (to dogs that have sensitivities to certain foods) as well as the tough chewer boxes. All you have to do is e-mail support@barkbox.com to get your pup signed up for a specialty box.
So I bet you’re wondering what was inside my Barkbox!
Well I was thrilled to see that this month’s theme was all about setting sail on the high seas – how appropriate for my day at the beach!
Here’s a few of the goodies I received, I’ve already devoured the entire package of Lobster Roll cookies (they were delish) – they were perfect for snacking on at the beach.
After opening up my Barkbox I had some fun in the sand with my new Lobster toy. With a tough outer fabric and the ability to float mom had no problem letting me get him nice and sandy since she knew we could rinse him off in the water.
Playing with my Barkbox wasn’t the only thing I did on my beach day adventure, I also did a little sun bathing…..and basically getting as sandy as I possibly could!
I also dug a HUGE hole, but alas didn’t find any fun critters to hunt under there.
I even broke out my beach ball for a game of fetch (well until I popped it!)
And just when I thought I couldn’t possibly get any sandier, dad helped to bury me in the sand!
Later in the day while I was practicing my bay watch run, I noticed that I had a new beach neighbor.
Her name was Lola and she had the most gorgeous beach babe smile. This sweet rescue dachshund came to bask in the sun all the way from Massachusetts!
Lola really knew how to work it, and had the beach babe hair toss totally down.
Well sorta.
After all my exciting beach day adventures I was pretty pooped (in a good way).
As we packed up to head home, dad pulled out one of my other Barkbox goodies, this Muddy Buddy Dog Mop.
After all my fun in the sand I knew what that meant, I was just thankful my new mop thwarted a dip in the ocean for me (it was a bit too cold!)
Beach days are the best, and hopefully it won’t be too much longer before I’m back digging my paws in sand again.
And if you’re looking to fetch your dog some fun Barkbox goodies just like mine, you can use code AMMO5 to save 10% off your subscription!
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Barkbox, but all opinions are entirely my own!
Disclaimer : This is a sponsored post and giveaway brought to you by Best Bully Sticks.
Sometimes being a shop dog can be really hard. Like when all you want to do is play in a giant pile of bubble wrap but mom says there is real work to be done!
But when there is real work to be done at the shop, mom has a secret weapon (especially for days when all I want to do is play in bubble wrap)……Gullet Sticks from Best Bully Sticks!
Gullet Sticks are made from 100% beef esophagus, and a little softer than bully sticks making them ideal for smaller dogs.
These 6 Inch Braided Gullet Sticks from Best Bully Sticks are long-lasting dog chews that are an excellent source of glucosamine which aids in joint health.
So when mom needs to get some work done at the shop she slips me one of these Braided Gullet Sticks from Best Bully Sticks to keep me occupied (and out of the bubble wrap).
Don’t worry, even though I’m supposed to be the meet and greet committee at the shop door, my gullet stick chewing faces have become quite entertaining to the customers!
And as a bonus I’m cleaning my pearly whites too! Yipee!
Best Bully Sticks is great because not only do they carry a whole array of dog chews you can feel good about feeding, but they have the best prices on the web. And when you go through dog chews like I do, that’s important!
And now for the best part….
ONE LUCKY WINNER will win a 25 Pack of 6″ Braided Gullet Sticks from Best Bully Sticks! ($35 value)
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 8/26/14 12AM EST. Open to USA residents.WORLDWIDE readers may also enter and if you win you can choose a shelter or rescue in the USA to donate the prize to! Winners must claim their prizes within 48 hours of being notified or prize will be forfeited. Good luck!
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post by Best Bully Sticks, but all opinions are my own!
P.S. Don’t forget, today is the last day to enter my giveaway for a birth or adoption certificate of your dog from My Happy Park!