Thanks to one of my readers I was introduced to the Purple Bone. They carry lots of fun and modern products for dogs, but I was particularly drawn to their fun mix of toys. And don’t worry, even though they are based in the UK, they do ship worldwide.
You can fetch these products and more from Purple Bone. 
Disclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post, nor do I own any of these products. Just wanted to share the latest thing I’m digging!
For Christmas my mom got some new photography gear – mainly some fun studio lights that we can mess around with.
Of course I volunteered my services immediately as super model while she practices getting better at using the lighting. I’m so helpful like that.
Only eventually I noticed that I wasn’t the only subject she was photographing (the horror!) as items for mom’s business began to take center stage.
Don’t worry though, because I know just how to get the attention back to me!
It’s called sad puppy eyes…and you could totally learn a thing or two from me in that department.
And when all else fails, flop on the floor and throw a temper tantrum. WORKS LIKE A CHARM.
P.S. want to shop for these fun photo mats and more, check out my mom’s online shop! And sorry, adorable photos of me aren’t included.
Bubble Wrap = Fun. I’m pretty sure we can all agree with that!
Have you bubble wrapped today?
Disclaimer: This post and giveaway is brought to you by the Savvy Dachshunds Boutique. All opinions are my own, and I only share products I think my readers will love.
Recently I was introduced to the Savvy Dachshund Boutique and their fun line of custom made clothing to fit the unique shapes of the hard-to-fit Dachshund shape. Now if you are owned by a Dachshund, then you probably know it can be such a pain to find outfits to fit our long bodies and big chests.
Well at the Savvy Dachshund Boutique you can order custom handmade clothing in your own dog’s size and a variety of fun styles.
This cute little wool tweed jacket I received was super stylish, and even though it’s probably not the ideal jacket for on the farm (since the hay and horse hair would stick to this in seconds), I couldn’t help but take it for a spin in the snow. Mostly because I look darn good in the snow with a tweed jacket on!
This coat would be fantastic to strut your stuff on your evening walk (and would be sure to make all the other pup’s jealous!).
And really, fireside lounging never looked so good when you’ve got on a tweed jacket!
The prices for jackets at the Savvy Dachshund Boutique range from $20 – $38, so you can be sure to get something special for your dog at a great price. They also come with a handy hole in the back to snap onto a harness or collar to make walking extra easy!
I also took this Navy Plaid Jacket for a spin. The inside is lined with soft fleece with velcro closures on the chest and belly and it even had functional pockets on both sides! I can’t decide if I want to stuff them with cookies or bully sticks – it’s a tough call.
This jacket even has a cute little matching snood. For $12 these fleece Snoods can be made to match any jacket you order and is a great addition to keep your little pup’s neck warm.
So if you’re looking for some custom clothing to fit your Dachshund be sure to check out the Savvy Dachshund Boutique and as a bonus you can use code 87879 for FREE SHIPPING on your order!
And now for the best part…
ONE LUCKY WINNER WILL WIN A COAT FROM THE SAVVY DACHSHUND BOUTIQUE
*coat will be the same style as the one pictured above
Here’s HOW TO WIN:
To enter use the Rafflecopter widget below. 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. Open to USA residents only. Winners must claim their prizes within 48 hours of being notified or prize will be forfeited. Good luck!
This post is sponsored by PetSmart®, and the BlogPaws Professional Pet Blogger Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Kennels, Crates, and Containment Systems for your pet, but AmmotheDachshund.com only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. PetSmart is not responsible for the content of this article.
Ok, full disclosure here, when I was a puppy I failed crate training. Yes, it’s true. I barked and cried and threw out all the stubborn dachshund tricks until my mom and dad caved. That was 6 years ago though, and although I may not be the perfect poster dog for loving my crate, I am learning that it’s not such a bad place to be after all.
As an adult dog I’ve learned that there are many benefits to crate training and I should learn to be one of the many #CrateHappyPets out there.
Reasons why you might need to put your pet in a crate:
Yet the number one reason that my mom and dad decided to take the plunge and FINALLY crate train me was to keep me from begging for food at dinner time! I guess my cute puppy dog eyes were becoming too much for them to resist!
Since I’m probably not the only dog out there that was/is resistant to crate training I’ve decided to share some of my tips on how I learned to love my kennel!
Ammo’s Tips for Crate Training an Adult Dog:
TIP 1: Pad your dog’s crate with something extra soft! If you have to, double up the dog beds, no dog wants to sleep on the hard plastic bottom of a crate. Simply switching out my crate pad for something extra soft made me want to take naps in there instead of anywhere else! For a bonus you can add a pet-safe heating pad, because that’s just icing on the cake!
TIP 2: Give your dog something extra special when they are in their crate. I love a toy stuffed with peanut butter (and if you freeze it, it lasts even longer – plus there is no risk of choking when mom and dad are gone). In the beginning my mom would let me chew on something tasty inside the crate (while the door was open) to get used to being in there.
TIP 3: Cover the top of your crate with a blanket or crate cover. Us dogs are den animals, and sometimes being snuggled up in a dark area makes us feel safe and secure.
TIP 4: Build duration in the crate slowly over time with routine. My parents started me out with the routine of going into my crate every evening at their dinner time. I started out by just being closed in for a minute or 2 a night, and built up to longer lengths over several months.
TIP 5: Practice your crate training in many different places. You can even play some crate training games with your pup to get them to look forward to going inside.
So hopefully my crate training tips have you all excited to get started with your pup too, now all you need is a crate!
Great news, my friends over at Petsmart® are having a SALE ON CRATES, KENNELS, CARRIERS, AND ACCESSORIES all this month, and you can grab one for a steal.
Petsmart carries many great brands like Petmate®, Martha Stewart Pets®, Top Paw®, Kong®, and Grreat Choice®. Personally I’m a big fan of the wire crates like these from Top Paw® – as I have been known to chew through a soft crate or two before I learned to love them!
Not sure what to buy? Check out this helpful Crate Buying Guide from Petsmart.
So don’t delay, grab a cart and head on over to Petsmart (or you can shop online) – these deals only last until March 31st!
Before you know it, you’ll have #CrateHappyPets just like me!
Do you have any crate training tips to share? Post them in the comments below!
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, my mom has a severe weakness for bags. She has bags for everything – she’s even been known to carry a bag inside a bag! Now that’s just crazy! So when I spotted these fun dog inspired handbags from Rebecca Ray Design I just knew I had to hide them from my mom. And the fact that they are having a spring sale….yeah, my mom shouldn’t be allowed to read this….
So if you have a mom that’s got a weakness for bags too, you can fetch these fun designs from Rebecca Ray Design.
Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post, nor do I own any of these items. Just simply wanted to share the latest thing I’m loving!
Disclosure: This post is brought to you by Chewy.com, but all opinions are entirely my own.
Now if you own a Dachshund are owned by a Dachshund then this might sound familiar to you. Picture this, you open your front door and your dog darts out after some scent or sound (or perhaps just the thought of all of the above) and no matter how many times you call them they won’t come. Frustrating right? Imagine how us Dachshunds feel with all that nagging!
So it seems the alternative to always worrying that your dog won’t come when called is to keep them safe and secure on a leash at all times. It’s not a bad option, but what happens if you drop the leash, it breaks, or your dog accidentally gets out of the house?
In my mom’s case, she was tired of having to always leash me just to walk out our front door and get into the car to go to work everyday.
So instead with a little help from some yummy treats, like these Blue Buffalo Wilderness Trail Treats from Chewy.com, mom has trained me to load into the car by myself. Or I guess depending on who you ask, I’ve trained my mom to give me a treat every single day for simply walking to the car (no one ever said dachshunds weren’t smart).
The key to the training method my mom has used with me is high value treats. High value just means it’s a treat that your dog LOVES. It has to be something your dog is willing to work for. These Blue Buffalo Wilderness Treats work great because they are nice and soft and meaty yet healthy enough that mom doesn’t feel guilty about giving me one everyday.
So in the beginning of my training mom kept me on the leash and put a treat in her hand. She’d lure me to the car every day with the goods and once she lifted me into the car I would get my reward. We did this EVERY SINGLE DAY for several weeks.
When I began to look forward to getting my treat in the car every morning (and seemed less interested in exploring the yard) mom removed my leash and continued to lure me to the car.
Another few weeks passed and mom stopped walking right next to me and instead went ahead of me to the car and cued me to come load up (and get my treat).
A few more weeks later mom stopped carrying the treats in her hand and instead left my Blue Buffalo Wilderness Treats in the car (the handy resealable bag is great for on-the-go-training). She also started allowing me out of the house in front of her.
And before she knew it I was running to the car (off leash) each morning and waiting to be lifted into my booster seat.
Now it’s not to say along the training route I didn’t occasionally try to wander off. But when I did mom was quick to retrieve me and return me to the car (without a treat reward for wandering). It didn’t take me long to realize that if I just went directly to the car I’d get a treat every single time.
The key here is routine, consistency, and very very yummy treats.
So if you’d like to give this training method a try, or if you simply want a great high-value treat to reward your dog with, I highly recommend the Blue Buffalo Wilderness Treats from Chewy.com.
Blue Buffalo Wilderness Treats:
How trustworthy is your dog off leash?
Disclaimer: My mom is not a professional trainer and these are just methods that have worked for me. They may not be suitable for all dogs and always exercise caution when allowing your dog off-leash especially near busy roads or dangerous areas. Happy Training!
I bet you didn’t know I LOVE party balloons. Well it’s true, I thoroughly enjoy channeling my inner attack dog and going after that sucker until it pops! Just see for yourself…
Does your dog love or loathe balloons?
Disclaimer: This post and giveaway is brought to you by U+ Naturals, and all opinions are my own. I only share products I think you and your dogs will love.
**Update** It appears that this company is unfortunately no longer in business.
A few weeks ago my new friends over at U+ Naturals sent me some of their Dog Paw Butter to test out.
Just like humans, us dogs get dry and cracked paws too, especially during the harsh winter. My paws were certainly no exception as they take quite a beating on the farm.
Luckily I now have a secret weapon to fight off those dry paws! The U+ Naturals Dog Paw Butter is made with food-grade ingredients and is certified organic by the FDA.
What’s inside:
So over the last few weeks I started applying the Paw Butter to my paws at night. The handy chap-stick style dispenser made it easy to put on, and the only challenge my mom found was keeping me from licking it off!
But the good news is that the ingredients are safe enough that they won’t harm me if I do get a lick or two. My Mom found wrapping me up in a blanket afterwards while I waited for my paws to dry helped deter me from licking it off.
And you know what, after using it for a little while my paws were already starting to look and feel a lot softer!
U+ Naturals not only makes Dog Paw Butter, but they also sell lotions and bath melts for humans too. So if you want to pick up something fun for you or your dog from U+ Naturals you can use code tinyammo to save 20% off your order!
And now for the best part….
TWO LUCKY WINNERS WILL WIN A BUTTER SET FOR YOU AND YOUR DOG!
*one dog paw butter, on 8oz Body Butter (for humans) in the scent of your choice, and one set of bath butter rose petal melts (for humans)
Here’s HOW TO WIN:
To enter use the Rafflecopter widget below. Winners will be chosen at random and you will be contacted via e-mail to claim your prize (and don’t worry we don’t share your e-mail with anyone). All the winners will also be announced on this blog post once the giveaway ends. Open to USA residents only. Winners must claim their prizes within 48 hours of being notified or prize will be forfeited. Good luck!
Disclaimer: this post is sponsored by U+ Naturals, but all opinions are entirely my own!
Customization is one of my favorite things. If you want something cool, then you might as well design it yourself! So when I stumbled across Good Dog Leash, I just knew I had to share their customizable leash options.
By choosing a handle and a coil you can piece together many different color combinations and lengths. How fun!
As a bonus the Good Dog Leash Company claims that their coil design is much safer to the alternative retractable zip leashes!
You can fetch these leashes and more from Good Dog Leash.
Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post, nor do I own any of these products. Just simply wanted to share my latest find!