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.
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! 🙂
Disclaimer: This post is brought to you by RedBarn Products. All opinions are my own, and I only share products I think you and your pets will love!
Just as I have for the past 8 years, I took a trip to the Devon Horse Show at the end of May. Only this year I got to bring along my sister too! I guess technically she got to go last year as well (inside mom’s tummy), but I feel like when you can’t actually see the ponies – it doesn’t really count!
While I always love sniffing new smells and seeing all the pretty ponies, sometimes Devon can get a little overwhelming for a small dog such as myself. It can get VERY crowded, especially in the evenings – and even on Grand Prix night (when the horses jump super super big fences for the chance to win big big money). Usually mom would end up carrying me around (all 20lbs of me!) when things got a little crazy, but this year we had a different option!
Rewind to a few weeks before the Devon Horse Show, and mom decided that I needed to learn how to ride in the bottom of my sister’s stroller!
Arguably it’s not my favorite place to be, but since these Bully Slices require some intense chewing effort on my part I was able to relax enough that mom could push me around the driveway.
Made with natural beef these chews are a natural source of protein and antioxidants too. I enjoy snacking on them everywhere, from work to home, and even on my adventures.
So how did I fair at the Devon Horse Show when the crowds got bigger? Well the first struggle was convincing my sister that my training chews were for me and not her!
While I did ride around in the bottom of the stroller for a little bit, I still have some work to do to be extra comfortable in there. But it’s a start!
I much preferred to chew my bully slices under a shady tree at Devon anyway!
You can snag your pup some Bully Slices from Redbarn Products they even come in some really fun flavors like French Toast, Peanut Butter, and Vanilla. And be sure to check out my full review on their products too!
Hopefully by this time next year I’ll be a real pro at riding under that stroller!
Do you think your dog would enjoy a stroller ride?
It’s that time of year when it seems I find myself visiting the hardware store almost every weekend. Mom and Dad are always coming up with projects that need to be done around the house in the Spring. Mom says it’s the perfect place for me to tag along and practice all my “behaving in public” skills, as I inevitably get a little rusty over the winter.
I beg to differ on the “rusty” part, I mean just look how good my sit/stay is!
I’ve also got the healing next to the shopping cart down too!
And my self control (even when I smell critters in the garden center) is pretty good too (well most of the time!).
As you may know, I’ve got a 9-5 job working at my mom’s custom frame shop. While I’d totally love to not have to work at all….we all know the business would totally fall apart without me.
My mom always says we need to work smarter not harder, so that we have more time for the adventures that we love. (and well, so I have more time to play fetch and practice my dog agility at work).
So I picked up a little trick on my own to help us get done our work faster…
I’ve started grabbing the printouts when they come out of the printer and bringing them to mom. And if you visit my shop and you’re lucky, maybe I’ll even bring you your receipt (mom says I still need to practice not drooling on the paper first before I master that one).
As many of you may know I’m a big fan of learning, and ever since I was a wee pup my mom has been taking me to classes and clicker training me just like my Trick Pony friends.
Since learning is a never ending adventure I’m always up to pick up a new skill, and lately mom has been helping me to perfect my fetching skills.
See I wasn’t born with those amazing retriever traits, and while I do enjoy chasing after a good toy, I’m not great about actually bring said toy back! (the video above is proof of that)
But that’s ok, armed with a few simple tools my mom helped me learn what it means to play a real game of fetch!
What You Need:
Yummy Treats (These came in my Barkbox* this month, but you can also snag them in the Barkshop* with code AMMO for a special surprise at checkout!)
A Fun Fetch Toy
Something to Target (I used a scrap of mat board from the frame shop, but anything flat and large will work)
Clicker (not pictured, but you can snag one off amazon*)
To teach this trick your dog needs a basic knowledge of clicker training. You can check out this website for a basic tutorial on clicker training, or grab yourself a beginner clicker training book*. And they should also have a basic knowledge of how to pick up an item with their mouth.
*affiliate links
How to Teach Your Dog to Fetch:
At a close distance ask your dog to touch the target with their feet. Click and reward each time their feet touch the target. If your dog doesn’t already have a cue to “target” you may have to let them accidentally walk across the target so you can click and reward them each time their feet touch your mark. Practice this close to your dog, then move the target to different spots and areas further from you to strengthen your dog’s knowledge of this task.
If your dog already has a basic knowledge of how to chase an item and pick it up then you can move onto step 3 once they have mastered targeting. Otherwise you should teach your dog to pick up an item with their mouth first.
At a close distance to your target toss a toy for your dog to get. Once they pick it up with their mouth ask them to touch their target again. When they hit the target WITH the toy in their mouth, click and reward. Repeat this at a close distance until your dog has mastered the idea. Continue to repeat this until you can toss the toy further and further away.
Congratulations! Your dog is now great at playing fetch the proper way (by returning the toy to you!) Much more fun isn’t it?
Disclaimer: this post is brought to you by Chewy. All opinions are my own, and I only share products I think you and your dog will love.
Raise of paws, who likes having their nails trimmed? Raise of hands, who likes trimming their pet’s nails? Just as I thought, no one.
It’s a necessary evil though, because having long nails can cause your pet to walk irregularly which can lead to skeletal problems. And we all know that us dachshunds don’t need any more reasons to have back trouble!
Now if your dog has black nails like I do, I’m sure you spend your life in constant fear of cutting them too short and hitting the quick (a soft cuticle rich in blood vessels and nerves that grows in the center of your dog’s nail). If you nick that tiny little quick your dog will scream out in pain, and yes, there may be blood!
My mom used to trim my nails at home, but over the years I got progressively worse at having them trimmed – so she started to take me to the vet to have them done every few months. Then a few months ago she decided it was high time I got better at having my nails done, so she set out to condition me to actually enjoy having them done!
Interestingly, this new nail trimming method was not with the traditional nail clippers, but instead with a dremel!
Over the past 2 months my mom has been working with me to make me more comfortable with the use of the dremel on my nails. While I wouldn’t say I LOVE it, I tolerate it. It saves me from having to make more trips than necessary to the vet or groomer, saves my mom money, and keeps my nails at a healthy length. It’s a win – win!
So since I’m sure you’re all curious just how my mom trained me to be better about having my nails trimmed, here’s how she did it….
Starting with the nail file, mom used it EVERY SINGLE DAY for 3 weeks to get me used to having my feet and nails handled. She started by picking up a foot and gently sanding my nails for just a few seconds at a time.
Each time I didn’t resist she would use the clicker and then reward me with a small (but yummy treat).
The great thing about these chews is that not only do I love the taste, but they’re also helping to clean my teeth while rewarding me for having my nails done at the same time!
After several weeks of practice with the nail file, mom moved onto the dremel. This time she “sanded” my nails without even turning it on. Again, each time I didn’t resist on a nail she would click and reward me. At the end of the session I’d get my jackpot treat, a Natural Balance Dental Chew.
After another week or so it was time to turn on the dremel. Using a low speed to start she’d do just a few of my nails, making sure to reward me quickly for not resisting at all.
Now once you start using the dremel with it on it’s important to note that you can’t just quickly sand your dog’s nails down in one sitting to the desired length, even if they are ok with it. The quick inside grows with your dog’s nail. So my mom likes to only work on sanding my nails once a week to allow time for the quick of my nail to shorten after the last trimming. (see diagram above for more details)
How short should you keep your pet’s nails? According to the American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation they should be short enough that they don’t touch the ground when your dog is standing on a flat surface, but long enough to aid the dog when climbing up a hill or digging.
Hear that mom? I need them for digging!
While I still have a ways to go to get mine back to the ideal length, I’m happy to say that after weeks of practice I’m now much more tolerant of having my nails done by dremel. While I very much wish I had gotten a video of the “before”, here’s how good I am at it now…
How is your dog about having their nails trimmed? Have you ever trimmed your pet’s nails with a dremel? Do tell!
Handy Tip: If your dog is resistant to even having their feet touched start without the nail fail and just reward them for letting you touch their feet without pulling away. Also, using a treat that your dog goes crazy over helps too, the better the treat, the more willing they will be to try.
Disclaimer: This post is meant to be informative, but please keep in mind, what works for me may not work for your own pet. Please consult an expert if you are unsure about how to train your pet. Use caution when using a dremel around your pet, and we are not responsible for any injuries that may occur.
Disclosure: This post and giveaway is brought to you by the Dog Agility Shop. All opinions are my own and I only share products I think you and your dog will love!
Us dogs are powerful, muscled beasts (well when we’re in proper shape), and I’ve always been one to believe that the greatest service you can do for your dog is to help them keep in shape! As hard as it is to “feel the burn”, I’ve always believed that being the ideal weight will help keep us dogs from getting injuries, health problems, and even back issues (especially important for us dachshunds). Which is also why I’m so excited to tell you about a product to help keep your pup well muscled from my friends at the Dog Agility Shop.
Introducing the Wobble Board! The Wobble Board from the Dog Agility Shop is a 22″ wide board that sits about 3.5″ off the ground.
The attached wooden ball to the underside keeps the board “wobbly”. It’s even painted with silica (sand) on the surface for added traction.
The Wobble Board has lots of great benefits for your dog:
Improves your dog’s reaction and control
Improves balance
Improves sensory & body awareness
Helps strengthen the bond with your dog through interactive positive training
Builds confidence in your dog or puppy
Can be use to introduce your dog to contacts and dog agility equipment that will move
Can be used to rehab after an injury (torn ACL, sprains, etc)
Builds muscle and strength
With Trooper as my coach, mom used some yummy treats to lure me onto the Wobble Board.
Once I was confident enough to put all 4 paws on, she used the treat to lure me around on the board to get my core really working! But to really get the full effect of how the Wobble Board works, you’ll have to watch me in action…
I’ve actually been using the Wobble Board a couple time a week, and it’s going to be great in the winter months especially when it’s a little too cold to run around on the farm. I’ll use this to keep fit indoors!
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It’s been a while since I shared much about my ongoing agility training. The fact is, I actually haven’t been to any training classes since last year, mostly I blame it on my mom because her schedule got too hectic to take me.
But even though I may not be taking regular classes, that doesn’t mean that I’m not doing a little training on the side, because….
Agility is a great way to keep me muscled and fit, plus it’s fun too! Early this Spring my mom decided to move all my agility equipment out to the farm so that we’d have more room to practice. And you know what, I completely forgot to share with you this fun little video of me running the agility course in the horse arenagiant sandbox.
Obviously I was a bit rusty, but not too bad! I’ll just have to keep up with even more practicing.
If you’d like to find out more about how much fun agility is for you and your dog, you can check out some of my old posts.
Disclaimer: this is NOT a sponsored post, but it does contain some affiliate links.
It’s no secret that I am OBSESSED with holes. After all, my breed was originally bred to go down holes and hunt down badgers.
And go down holes I do! My mom has had to pull me out of many ground hog holes around the farm over the years, and because of my affinity to go hunting whenever I feel like it I now wear a GPS tracker whenever I’m on the farm. While my tracker gives mom piece of mind, she’d still prefer my escapades kept me a little closer to the barn, which is why she decided to dupe me!
So I decided to share how my mom made me a DIY Fake Rabbit Hole so all you other dogs out there won’t get tricked like I did!
Here’s what you’ll need:
Rabbit Scent (or any other scent your dog might prefer)
Step 1: Choose a spot to dig a hole about 2 feet deep. Make sure you choose a spot where no one could fall in it (placing a marker when it’s done is helpful too). A spot near a bush or tree makes it more believable to your dog as well.
As you can see just the sight of a hole was enough to get me interested!
Step 2: Mix your Rabbit Scent with some water in a spray bottle and mist it into the hole. You can make it stronger by foregoing the water if your dog doesn’t seem interested.
Step 3: Tie a paper towel to a string and mist with the rabbit scent. Drag the towel to and from the hole to leave a scent trail for your dog to follow.
Trooper and I picked up on the rabbit scent trail right away.
But only one of us really cared…..I’m pretty sure you can guess who!
Well I feel pretty silly getting tricked with a fake hole, but I did have a really good time digging to my hearts content. So fake or not, I don’t regret it one bit. Well except for the fact that it landed me in the bath a few hours later!
Do you think your dog would be tricked by a fake scent hole?
*Be advised that fake animal scents can attract other wild animals as well. So be aware of where you are putting it, and make sure to supervise your dog especially if they are out at night.
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:
Your pet becomes injured and needs to be on crate rest
Traveling in a carrier by plane or the need to be crated in a hotel to keep pets out of trouble
Great for pets with separation anxiety when you leave home
Dog agility events where there is a need to kennel pets between events
Pet safety and keeping them out of areas that are hazardous
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!
(or any other scent your dog might prefer)
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.
