It’s no secret that I’m no stranger to being in front of the camera lens. And frequently I’m asked how my mom gets me to pose so well for a photo – and honestly, it’s quite simple…
….COOKIES!
I’d do pretty much anything for a taste of cookie!
So next time you want your dog to sit still for a photograph, make sure you have your pockets filled with cookies! Your dog will thank you! 
Last weekend I took a trip to the French Creek State Park – which would prove to be my first adventure on the Disc Golf Course.
A combination of frisbee and golf, the object is to get your frisbee into the provided targets at each hole.
Of course I was a natural – as I am with most things! *wink*
Aside from the goal of throwing the frisbee around the course, there was quite a bit for me to investigate on this adventure.
Being in the wilderness is one of my all time favorite things – but after a day of trekking around the course I was quite happy that this state park had a lake too.
Nothing like a dip in the water to beat the heat!
If you’re looking for a dog friendly adventure check out the French Creek State Park. The trails are pet friendly as is the boat rental. Also lots of camping areas that allow pets.
A couple of months ago a campaign with O2, a UK based mobile company, launched a campaign aimed at being more dog.
To dogs, life is one big adventure. They never stop playing and exploring.
I couldn’t agree more, which is why I think they picked me to make a little cameo appearance in one of their commercials! Check it out:
You can watch the full length version of my digging abilities in this recent blog post.
This isn’t the first time I’ve been on television – you can check out all my tv endeavors on my press page. And yes, I do sign autographs!
The main reason for my camping excursion to Cape May last weekend was to hit up one of the all year round dog friendly beaches, Higbee Beach. I’ve been to the beach a few times before (this was my first trip to Higbee), but every time I went it was either rainy or cold, and I never got to really have a true beach experience.
Be forewarned, my mom went a little photo crazy and took way too many photos of me at the beach – and I didn’t have the heart to leave any out of this post!
Even though the day started out a bit rainy, by the time my pal Shilah and I were ready to hit the sand the weather had cleared and at 70 degrees and a bit overcast it was the perfect weather for us dogs to be on the sand.
Now as a general rule of thumb I’m usually always kept on my leash when I’m away from home (aside from where I’m let off leash at the family farm). But since mom and dad knew that I wouldn’t get to fully enjoy the beach without being able to run, mom decided that I could be trusted enough to ditch the leash this one time. Now you’re probably thinking by the looks of this photo – that maybe it wasn’t the best idea.
But not to worry, I remembered all of my training and came running as fast as I could as soon as mom or dad called. After all, I didn’t want to loose my off-leash beach privileges!
Running free on the sand was one of the greatest experiences, I highly recommend it to all you dogs out there! But one other thing on my doggie bucket list was to touch the ocean too….
As you can see I was a bit hesitant at first – those waves are quite intimidating!
So instead I decided to build a sandcastle instead!
I even got to meet some new pals, like this short-legged (like me) Jack Russell. He was very fun to play with – until he peed on mom’s beach chair!
Just as I was getting back into my hole digging fun, mom said we need to take some family photos on the beach.
As you can see I was less than thrilled!
Even my pal Shilah got in on the action with some modeling shots!
I’m friends with that beauty right there!
After out mandated photo shoot I decided to coach Shilah on her first dip in the ocean.
Ultimately I had to show her the ropes, being that I’m much older and wiser!
Then as luck would have it I found a horseshoe crab that had washed up on the beach! (Not to worry, no horseshoe crabs were harmed – and this one was not living when I found him)
I found him quite intriguing as he didn’t smell like the groundhogs and bunnies I was used to hunting in my own backyard.
After Shilah and I full inspected and tasted our horseshoe crab friend, I started to get concerned that he might float back out to sea.
And as the waves started to take him back to the ocean I suddenly wasn’t too scared to brave the waves myself.
Ok well I was about as brave as you can be without your life vest on!
My trip to Higbee Beach was one of my favorite adventures of all time, and you can bet it won’t be my last!
Shilah and I were dog tired after our day in the sand, but we wouldn’t have it any other way!
Anyone else frequent dog friendly beaches? Tell us where it’s located in the comments!
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!
I started out my adventure by renting a paddleboard with mom. There’s nothing quite like gliding through the water on one of those!
This time I brought along my pal Shilah, for her very first boat ride in a motorized rowboat rental.
Dad also rented a kayak which I happily took a few laps around the lake in.
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.
Shilah had also never been swimming before, so I gave her a little coaching from the sidelines.
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!
Shilah almost got to assist in her first water rescue when Dad accidentally tipped his kayak, but luckily things didn’t get too crazy.
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:
Being on the lake with my friends was so enjoyable I just didn’t want it to end!
So when we landed back on shore I decided to practice some of my swimming skills.
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!
Did you know that I’m a member of a dog pack? My pack consists of a whole menagerie of dogs!
There’s Bella the Great Pyrenees and my pal Trooper the Australian Shepherd/Labrador Mix.
And Raisin the Great Pyrenees mix (on the right).
And then theirs Jack, the Yorkshire Terrier.
Jack, being the smallest dog in our dog pack is the ring leader (of course the small dogs always rule the roost)!
But when you get to know Jack, he’s really just a big softie! Aren’t they all!
What kind of dogs do you have in your dog pack?
Disclaimer: This review is brought to you by Ruffwear.
Lets face it, Summer is HOT! And when you’re a dog who’s covered in fur it can feel even hotter. So when I came across the Swamp Cooler Vest for dogs from Ruffwear it sounded like a great solution to keep us dogs cool in the heat. So when Ruffwear offered me up the chance to take their redesigned Swamp Cooler for a spin I decided to let my best friend Trooper test this one out. Trooper likes to tag along on the trail with the horses, but the summer (and his extra thick coat of hair) sometimes makes it just too hot for him to do so.
How does it work? Simply soak the vest with water, wring it out and put it on your dog! The evaporative cooling process will move heat away and bring cool moist air towards your dog.
The Swamp Cooler was redesigned this year with three distinct functional layers. The outer layer blocks the sun, and is highly breathable to assist in the evaporative process and keep air moving through the vest to cool the inner layers. The middle layer is the absorbent layer that holds the water after you soak it. And the comfortable inner mesh layer wicks water from the mid-layer to the dog’s body keeping them cool.
On an average day tagging along with the horses at the farm this is what Trooper looks like in the summer:
So when the Swamp Cooler arrived I was anxious to see if it kept my working buddy any cooler!
We started off by hosing the vest and wringing it out before strapping it onto Trooper.
Trooper is wearing the size medium, which fit him perfectly. I’d be curious if some of the smaller sizes would work on Dachshunds or not – our never ending quest to find products that accommodate our big chests and long backs can sometimes be a bit difficult.
I then gave Trooper strict instructions to run his little heart out after those ponies and report back to me if it kept him any cooler. I on the other hand hung back to guard the farm because my short little legs just aren’t made for keeping up on the trail!
Then off Trooper went with my ponies, wagging his little stubby tail the whole way!
When Trooper returned back to the farm he reported feeling much cooler. His tongue wasn’t hanging out as much, and it took him much less time to slow his heart rate back down. We both agree that this vest would be great to taking on the hiking trail, summer walks, or even just wearing outside in the backyard in hot weather – especially for dogs that work hard or have a thicker coat. The cooling features of this vest seem to last about an hour before it needs to be re-wet again, but as long as you bring a water bottle with you (or stop at a creek like Trooper sometimes does on his trail rides), you will always have a method of making it cool again for your dog.
Trooper and I highly recommend this product and hopefully you will be fetching your own Swamp Cooler from Ruffwear soon!
Disclosure: I received a Swamp Cooler from Ruffwear to review, all opinions are entirely my own.
The Goshen Country Fair is exactly what you think of when you picture a country fair. Livestock, carnival rides and games, music, blueberry pie, cotton candy, and dogs!
This past weekend I got to attend the fair for some good old fashioned hometown fun!
To kick off my adventure I checked out the Pet Show hosted by the SPCA which was open to family dogs who wanted to compete in categories like cutest puppy and best costume. This year I decided not to enter, but instead observe my competition for next year!
Plus it gave me a better spot to check out all the cute ladies!
After the pet show I wandered over to the 4-H livestock tents to make some new friends. The sheep were a little sheepish though, and it seemed no one was interested in being my BFF.
The cows proved to be a little more interesting – or at least their smell was quite intriguing to me! I’m trying to convince mom that I need my own cows on the farm now.
I then took some time to check out all the fun booths and fair items, and when mom started to zero in on a booth that was offering free nail trims – I decided it would be better if we checked out the carnival games instead!
I tried my paw at some of the squirt gun games – but alas my aim wasn’t quite up to par to beat the small child sitting next to me!
Dad even tried to win me a stuffed animal at the dart game – but it seems our luck had run out on the carnival games.
So instead we picked up some Goshen Homemade Doughnuts and decided to wait for the evening’s entertainment to begin.
They had live music and even a pie eating contest to entertain me while I waited for the big act of the night to take the stage.
The Kountry K-9 Show was just up my alley, as a group of rescue trick dogs performed some pretty cool tricks on stage. I was secretly hoping they might ask me to join them!
At the end of the night I waved goodbye to the ferris wheel, and felt grateful that dogs weren’t allowed on the carnival rides because I’m perfectly happy keeping all 4 feet on the ground!
Until next year Goshen Country Fair!
Disclaimer: This review and giveaway is brought to you by Chewy.
My pals over at Chewy.com recently offered me the chance to test out some of Nature’s Variety Instinct Rawboost Minis Treats in the chicken flavor. I’ve secretly always wondered what eating raw was like – as it seems to have become a trend within the dog community – and trying out these raw treats seemed like a great way to jump into it.
Mom’s a bit too “chicken” to let me eat all my meals raw, but with these Rawboost treats I can have a taste of raw meat without needing to eat my main meals raw. These Rawboost treats offer up real, all natural chicken and pure raw ingredients – in a freeze dried treat form.
These tiny treats boast only 2 calories per treat, perfect for us dogs that like to watch our figure, and they are a great size to use as training treats too.
Of course when I smelled that burst of raw chicken flavor I dropped everything and came sprinting over. Cricket better watch out, because when I smell chicken nothing is going to get in my way!
Nothing is ever truly free at my house, so mom made me work for my treats, but as you can see from the video below – I’d pretty much to anything for a taste of these scrumptious chicken bites!
You can fetch your own package of Instinct Rawboost Treats HERE.
And now for the best part – you too have a chance to win some goodies from Chewy.com!!
ENTER TO WIN!
Three winners will receive either a $50 gift certificate to Chewy.com, a $25 gift certificate to Chewy.com, or an August Treat Package from Chewy.com. Winners will be chosen by Chewy.com, giveaway ends August 31st.
Post a photo of your Cat or Dog enjoying their favorite summertime activity for a chance to win!! In under 50 words, tell us about your favorite summertime activity with your pet to win a special Chewy prize pack. Tag #teamchewy on Instagram and Twitter, or message us on Facebook to enter!
*By sending a picture of your furry family enjoying the summer months, accompanied by a brief description, you’ll be entered to be a featured pet as well as entered into the raffle for a special Chewy.com Prize package. The contest will run until September 30th and the winner will be contacted the first week of October.
Disclosure: I received a box of Rawboost treats from Chewy.com to review. All opinions are entirely my own.
On those hot summer days one of my very favorite things to do is to visit the Marshcreek State Park – home to my favorite lake. But what about on those rainy summer days? Well, I still like to visit the lake!
The day started hot and sunny enough, so I packed up my life vest (and my pal Shilah the Husky) and headed out to the lake.
I was surprised to find that the water was warm, as in bathtub warm! So I had no hesitation in jumping right in!
Shilah had a bit more hesitation with the water, would you believe she’s never been to a lake before! Not to worry though, I was able to coax her right in.
Just as I was starting to get warmed up a huge storm came through and dampened my chance to hop on a boat rental!
But after waiting out the heaviest of rain, I wasn’t going to let it spoil my fun, and it was back in the water for Shilah and me!
I even took to some good old fashioned dog paddling, because I of course had to show off my mad swimming skills to my pal Shilah!
What do you do on rainy summer days?