On hot days there really isn’t anything else better than hitting the pool to keep cool.
Lucky for me my sister loves pool days too, so I’ve got a best friend to keep me company while we float around.
And with one mention of watermelon by mom…..our hot summer day is complete!
What do you do to beat the heat?
P.S. In case you are wondering, my spiffy life vest is made by Ruffwear and available on Amazon.*affiliate link
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.
First there was Shilah, who I introduced to the water and her first paddleboarding experience.
Then there was Maya, who had her first dip and also took to the paddle board under my supervision.
And then there was Hank! The latest victim trainee in 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.
Just in case though I coached from the sidelines, ready to swim Hank to safety if need be.
Thankfully he was a natural!
Although when he emerged it became apparent that there really wasn’t much dog hiding under all that fur!
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
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.
I led the expedition (as always) and things were going swimmingly for my pal Hank.
And after a dip overboard to cool off….
….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…
*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! 🙂
I bet you can tell by my excited zoomies here that I recently got to go on a lake day adventure!
And yes, I brought along my favorite little sidekick, Baby P! Of course she met the lake and powered right in (girl after my own heart)!
In fact, she acted like the cold water didn’t even bother her!
I was slightly worried she might just start swimming away…..without me!
So I had to jump in too. Just so she knew I wasn’t a total wimp.
After my fun in the lake I met a new friend. I was so excited to play with him I could hardly wait.
Only neither of us could get it together properly and he ran one way and I ran the other way, and our fun playtime ended up with both of us confused and lost. Sigh.
After all that fun in the lake I started to get a little chilly. My towel wasn’t quite doing the trick but that’s ok, because….
…rolling on your back in the sun always fixes everything!
What’s your dog’s favorite thing about a lake day?
January was a little bit of a quiet month for me. It’s always a time to recharge after the busy holidays and spend a little time getting some much needed R&R. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t still have some fun!
Before we get to my adventures though, let me give a shoutout to my special sponsors & affiliates! 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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Ruffwear – Free Shipping on all orders over $75 at Ruffwear! You can check out my reviews of some of their great gear including my favorite harness & life vest!
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And now it’s time for my January adventures…
I helped my sister out when she was in desperate need of a tissue.
I shared some grand memories from my Christmas!
I got dapper for the very first wedding shower I attended!
I helped my baby sister celebrate turning 5 months old.
I shared my adventures on the beach with my dog squad.
I shared a fun little guessing game…which turned out to be a lot harder than it looked!
I created a brand new challenge called American Barn Warrior….and I was the champion!
And that brings us to February! I’m still waiting on a BIG BIG snowstorm for this year….it better happen soon, before it’s spring!
Which one of my adventures was your favorite this month?
When my sister was about 3 weeks old my cousins came to visit from the south. That little white dog is my cousin Sharkie, and the bigger dog on the right is my newly rescued cousin, Scout. And of course you know me and Trooper!
Since it’s rude not to take your guests on fun adventures when they visit you, of course I had to take them to the river for some swimming fun!
And don’t worry, my sister came along for the fun too. Although she was much too young to join in the water activities.
Trooper and Scout became fast friends and took to the water in no time. Especially Scout who I think may be part fish.
Now I tend to be a little more reserved with my swimming, and I usually don’t like to swim unless I have my life vest* on. But unfortunately this was a spur of the moment trip and I forgot to pack it! (Same with the other dogs who have life vests too).
While mom always keeps a watchful eye on me when I’m around the water, she had to watch my sister too.
*affiliate link
So my pal Trooper stepped up to keep a watchful eye on me when I finally decided it was so hot that I had to test out the water.
What a great pal, making sure I got to shore safely each time.
Next time I’ll be sure to pack my life vest, but it’s good to know I’ve got friends that will help me out!
Does your dog like to swim?
A couple weeks ago some of my out-of-town family came to visit. I had a blast going on adventures with them, and you may recall I even performed a daring water rescue of my Uncle Taylor.
See my uncle, he’s a bit of a daredevil. (or clumsy on the water, depending on how you look at it).
When I’m not busy saving him from drowning, I’m just as much a daredevil as he is!
See, I know how to have a good time on the lake…..and keep up with the best of them! (P.S. did you see my super model strut across the paddle board?)
Is your dog a daredevil too?
Yesterday I shared some of the adventures my pal Shilah and I had during our annual camping trip (once the rain cleared), and today I’ve got even more to share!
One of the great things about camping is getting to explore the great outdoors! While I had many fun things planned for my weekend outside, the rain kept me from most of them, but the good news is I still got to visit the Beltzville State Park with Shilah.
The fun thing about Beltzville is that they have a lake! I was super excited to visit the lake because they also have a pet friendly boat rental (similar to the local lake I visit in the summer), and I was secretly hoping it had some speed boats because Beltzville has a 45mph speed limit (my local lake is much lower).
Sadly because of the overcast day the boat rental was closed for the day when I arrived! But I wasn’t going to let that ruin my fun.
Especially since there were so many things in the lake that needed saving! If you didn’t already know, when I’m around water I become Mr. Lifeguard, trying to save any and everything from drowning.
I tried saving people.
I tried saving lost shoes.
(this particular rescue attempt was a success).
And I even tried saving my pal Shilah!
Although truth be told, nothing I tried to save actually needed saving. But life guard skills need to be kept in tip top shape, so it’s always best to practice as much as possible. (although paws crossed no one ever ACTUALLY needs my life saving skills, because I’m not sure I could really pull anyone in from the water, but that won’t stop me from trying!)
Visiting the Beltzville Lake was the perfect end to our camping adventure, and I can’t wait to go back again when the boat rental is open!
Don’t forget, this week I’m giving away an awesome life vest from my pals at Ruffwear (as seen on me in this post). It comes in a variety of sizes to fit any dog, and is the perfect accessory for water adventures. Don’t forget to enter!
Wondering where to get any of my great camping gear? Be sure to check out my gear page!
P.S. Special thanks to Shilah’s mom from Mrs. Dailey’s Classroom for sharing some of her camping photos with me (the ones not watermarked with my website)!
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).
And now for the best part…
ONE WINNER WILL WIN A RUFFWEAR K-9 FLOAT COAT!
Here’s HOW TO WIN:
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!
Read our full list of Terms & Conditions for this giveaway.
By now you probably know that hanging out at the lake is one of my favorite things to do in the summer. I love it so much that whenever I can I like to bring my dog friends to the lake with me too. You might remember a few summers back when I introduced my gal pal Shilah to the lake when she was just 1 year old.
Well it seems my gal pals keep getting younger and younger (*wink*), and this time I brought along my new friend Maya the rescue pup to the lake.
It was a bit more of an overcast type of day, and I was a bit worried we might get rained on, but you know what…..when you go to the lake you gotta expect to get wet!
This time I decided to rent a double kayak with my mom and dad. Since the water was a little cooler I didn’t feel like getting as wet so a kayak seemed to be the way to go.
Maya started out on the kayak too so that she could get her sea legs.
And it didn’t take long for her to take the obligatory accidental lake plunge. Don’t worry Maya, we’ve all been there!
But Maya didn’t let a little dip in the lake discourage her, she hopped right back on and even tried her paw on the paddleboard too.
She even got brave enough to take a purposeful plunge later on in the day (which my camera crew totally missed!)
And incase you’re wondering, life guard Ammo was on duty the whole time and I kept a watchful eye on my young puppy friend.
Needless to say I was very glad she figured out the whole swimming thing on her own, because I was much too comfortable to perform any daring rescues!
I’m pretty sure it’s safe to say that this won’t be Maya’s last time on the lake.
After all, how could you not come back with a view like this!
Before we get to the recap of all the exciting adventures I’ve been on in July, 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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Ruffwear carries performance dog gear designed to enhance and inspire outdoor adventures for dogs and their human companions. Totally my kind of company that carries anything from dog hiking packs, harnesses, camping essentials and more! You can check out my review of their dog boots (that even work for dachshund’s too) as well as the Ruffwear Swamp Cooler to keep your pup cool in the summer!
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Kurgo is devoted to helping people get out & safely enjoy the world with their dogs. They carry high-quality, innovative products that last at reasonable prices. They even offer a lifetime guarantee. You can check out my review of the Kurgo Surf n’ Turf Life Vest.
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If you would like to find out more about my advertising rates, click HERE. And thanks again to all of my wonderful sponsors, I couldn’t do it without you!
And now onto my July Adventures….
Things got exciting real fast when I got attacked by a Killer Toad!
I shared the fun adventures I had with my pal Shilah camping in the Pocono Mountains.
Shilah and I went hiking in Glen Onoko Falls.
I celebrated the 4th of July.
Shilah and I tested out my new favorite hiking leash, the Ruffwear Roamer Leash.
I celebrated my Super Mom-Mom’s 90th Birthday!
I headed to New York with my ponies to go camping.
I tried to fend off the barn cats from stealing my new Blanket Dog Bed.
I shared my favorite indoor/outdoor dog toys.
I went swimming at the lake with my favorite pony Minnow.
I had a date with the bathtub!
I tested out an indoor dog potty!
I went shopping for home improvement.
I shared some easy DIY Dog Art.
I performed some water rescues at the pool.
I tested out some fun martingale dog collars.
I shared what startled me at nap time.
I told everyone why I love being a kid magnet!
I helped train my ponies.
Wow! It’s amazing all the exciting stuff I seem to pack in each month. I still have lots to fit in before the summer is over though!
What sort of adventures did your pup go on in July?