The leaves have changed, the weather is cooler, but that didn’t stop me from doing one last “summertime” activity that I love!
Just before my 7th Birthday I hit up my favorite lake one more time before I need to break out my winter wardrobe.
It may have been overcast, and much chillier than I’m used to on the lake, but it was still fun!
I just made sure to wear my tank top and life vest……and put my face in the wind a little more cautiously. Because goodness knows I DID NOT want to fall in that cold water!
And when the wind got a little strong, my dad was there to scoop me up for a ride in the kayak. Yay for dads!
Sadly, it’s time for me to say farewell to the lake until next year (well at least to paddleboarding on the lake). Until we meet again lake!
What things is your dog going to miss now that the weather is cooling down?
Disclaimer: This post and giveaway is brought to you by Ruffwear. All opinions are my own and I only share products I think my readers will love!
Every summer I enjoy hitting the lake, sometimes kayaking, most of the time Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP), and always practicing water safety by wearing a floatation device. While I’ve owned several life vests over the years, I’ve finally found one that fits me PERFECTLY, the Ruffwear K-9 Float Coat.
Being a Dachshund means that sometimes I have trouble finding harnesses, coats and even life vests that can accommodate my unique body type. Thankfully the Ruffwear Lifevest is adjustable in all the right places making it the best fitting one I’ve ever worn.
This floatation device has a sleek design making it slimmer fitting than any of the other vests I’ve tried, but don’t worry it’s still full of plenty of “float”!
This life jacket is not only a great design for Dachshunds, but it is also designed for dogs of all shapes and sizes. It even includes thoughtful details like a strong handle, optimally positioned to lift dogs out of the water, and reflective trim for enhanced visibility in or out of the water.
I enjoyed how the front of the vest was adjustable, but once set is easy to slip over your pup’s head, and the belly straps are also fully adjustable.
The design of this vest allowed me to have great free-flowing movement of my front legs, which is fantastic for swimming (and for all those occasions when you accidentally fall in!).
A fun little fact about me, while swimming might not be my #1 favorite thing to do, I do on occasion like to swim voluntarily, but I’ll only do so if I’m wearing a life jacket and the water is bath water warm!
I’m a big fan of the Ruffwear K-9 Float Coat, and I can’t recommend it enough for all those water loving dogs out there! It’s now my go-to summer accessory that I never leave home without.
You can fetch your own life jacket from Ruffwear for $79.95. (and incase you’re wondering, I wear a size XS and I’m 20lbs).
No purchase necessary. To enter use the Rafflecopter widget below. 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. By entering you are agreeing to the terms & conditions set forth in the Rafflecopter widget (see below). Good luck!
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?
I’m no stranger to the lake, and one of my favorite warm-weather activities is to go Stand Up Paddleboarding (aka SUP) with my mom and dad. So over the weekend we hit up our favorite lake and boat rental – Marsh Creek Lake.
I enjoy the paddleboard more than any of the other rentals (kayak, motorized rowboat, sailboat) because the paddleboard puts me the closest to the water – and I do in fact enjoy swimming when the water is just the right temperature.
Most of the time I end up taking a dive into the water when mom and dad drift too far apart. I think I channel my inner herding dog (thanks to my pal Trooper) and I worry a bit when my “pack” gets too far apart. So I’ll dive into the water and swim to dad to make sure he’s still ok.
When we finally get further out on the lake it’s enjoyable just to lay around on the paddleboards and soak in the sun. After all summer is almost here – and I gotta work on my tan!
As much as attention as I tend to draw on the lake – you would think that it’s pretty rare to see dogs out on the water.
But in actuality I tend to see quite a few dogs when I head out, like this pup Kahula, who’s owner has an awesome go-pro setup on their board and posts amazing instagram photos of their paddleboarding adventures.
So if you’re looking for a fun summertime activity to enjoy with your dog I highly recommend paddleboarding. You can check with your local boat rental to see if they allow dogs on their rentals (as I’ve found most do) and even if the paddle board isn’t for you there are lots of other rentable water vessels! Just make sure your pup wear’s it’s life vest! Mine is from my friends at Kurgo.
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!
Convenient top grab handle for easy resuce by hand or boat hook
Front float assists in keeping dog’s head above water
Pros:
Definitely helps keep me afloat much better
Handle makes it easy for mom or dad to rescue me out of the water
Front float helps keep my head above the water – which is a bonus because I hate getting water in my ears
It’s comfortable to wear
Bright color makes it easy to spot me floating in the water
Budget friendly price
Cons:
Sizes run smaller then the chart online – so a small is a bit too small for me and I probably should have ordered the medium. So when in doubt choose the next size up
Doesn’t have a d-ring attachment for a leash
Overall I’m very happy with my new vest, I definitely feel safer and enjoy swimming a lot more, I just wish I had gotten the medium so it fits me a little better.
I was not paid or perked to write this review, product was fully purchased (thanks mom) – links do connect to my affiliate amazon shop.
Don’t forget to vote for me in the Petties for the category of Best Blog Design. Your votes get me closer to winning $1,000 for one of my favorite pet charities!
Last week I took a short stay-cation in my hometown of Downingtown, Pennsylvania. While I didn’t actually travel anywhere exotic or new I did get to have a whole bunch of brand-new adventures. I hope you’ll come along for the ride with me this week, as I have lots to share!
Visiting the lake isn’t new to me, as I’ve been known to zip around on a motorized row boat with my mom and dad, but SUP was something I have never done before.
I was so excited when I saw the paddleboard come out that I couldn’t wait to hit the water, especially on this super hot day.
I did end up swimming A LOT while I was on the water, sometimes by accident because I was standing too close to the edge while some turbulent water knocked me in, and sometimes because I wanted to take a trip over to visit dad in his canoe.
Luckily I do know how to swim, and my new life vest kept me even more afloat – and made it easy for mom and dad to scoop me back onto the board.
I’m pretty sure I was the talk of the lake that day and I enjoyed waving at all the other people out enjoying the cool water.
This may have been my first time paddleboarding, but it certainly won’t be my last! Especially if this heat wave in Pennsylvania keeps up!
Tips for Stand Up Paddleboarding with your Dog
Before visiting a lake rental spot make sure that they allow dogs on their rental boats and boards
Make sure your dog has a properly fitted life vest – keep a leash attached to it so you can quickly grab your dog should they go overboard accidentally
If you have never been on a paddleboard yourself, practice paddling on the lake without your dog first, it will be much harder to maneuver the board with a dog on it too
Allow your dog to get used to the board near the shore first with you standing in the water
Be prepared to get wet – very wet (but that is the point isn’t it?)
Don’t bring a dog paddleboarding that doesn’t know how to swim, it is pretty likely that at some point they will go overboard especially if it is windy out
If your dog has a strong herding instinct it is best to have only one “member of the pack” out on the lake at a time, otherwise your dog will be upset when his “pack” isn’t close together, causing him to jump overboard or panic
Have as much fun as possible!
And the icing on my cupcake…..according to Shape Magazine I burned 500 – 700 calories every hour I was out paddleboarding (although mom says she’s pretty sure they mean it’s her that’s burning those calories), but regardless it’s also apparently the new “celebrity trend” – with paddleboarders like Jennifer Aniston and Kate Hudson testing them out too.
So considering I’m probably just as famous as those big celebs (right?) then it must be the super cool new thing to do! Not to mention I look awfully sexy doing it! *wink*
So what do you think? Is your next big adventure going to be paddleboarding with your dog? Or do you just enjoy living vicariously through me? Or better yet – have any suggestions of new adventures I should try?
Make sure you stop by the blog tomorrow to hear all about my adventures on my very first airplane ride!
from amazon just in time for my paddleboarding adventure.
