A couple of years ago I took to the air (just like Snoopy only not quite as dramatic) and went for my first single engine plane ride! I had a blast looking at everything below turn into tiny little specs….just like ants….or rodents to be hunted!
I can’t wait for my next plane ride! Has your dog ever flown before?
You can read all about my plane ride in 2012 and how I took to air with ease!
As many of you may already know (via Instagram and Facebook) I packed up and headed out on a little road trip this past weekend in celebration of my mom’s Birthday!
Just a little weekend getaway, we didn’t travel far (staying in my home state of Pennsylvania), but boy did we pack in as much as we could!
My first stop was a cute little flea market in Kutztown, PA. You might recall I’ve been here before, and while it’s usually much bigger in the warmer months it was still fun to browse around at.
I even had my eyes on this electric face off hockey game – which unfortunately mom and dad wouldn’t let me bring home since I already have way too many toys!
Next stop was the Kutztown University Bookstore (since mom and dad went to school there). I waited in the car while mom and dad shopped, and I’m still a little bit peeved they didn’t bring me back one of these fun KU dog jackets.
After spending some time in Kutztown, we headed up towards the mountains and stopped in at Centralia. For those of you that don’t know Centralia is the site of an underground mining fire that started in 1962. The now long since abandoned town still continues to burn underground, and remnants of the broken highway and burning can still be seen today.
Unfortunately most of the area was still pretty snow covered, so it took me a bit of hiking to find some remnants of the fire destruction.
Most of the old highway has been vandalized over the years – but it’s still an interesting site to see.
I’m pretty sure my middle name should be explorer, because it’s one of my favorite things to do!
After my visit to Centralia we headed further North to my accommodations for the night in Dushore, Pennsylvania.
The Endless Mountains Motel was full of log cabin charm – and I even had my very own fireplace! Looks like I wouldn’t be needing all the jackets I packed after all!
The next morning I kissed my new bear friend from Dushore goodbye and headed off to the Ricketts Glen State Park for some hiking!
While most of the hiking trails at Ricketts Glen were closed due to the snow and ice, that didn’t stop me from finding some safe trails to spend the day exploring.
Don’t worry the conditions weren’t quite as extreme as this photo may make it seem (it was a posed photo), and most of the trails we hiked were pretty flat.
After sufficiently wearing myself out with several hours of hiking I was ready to make my way back home.
But before we pulled into my driveway mom and dad made one last stop at Cabelas – the super store for all outdoor adventure activities. And not to be forgotten, the mecca of all hunting dog toys! Which seriously, am I not a hunting dog…..where was my shopping bag full of toys?
And to make things worse, mom and dad even got to see one of these furry fellows up close and personal in the Cabelas wilderness display.
After we all got home I had fun reminiscing with my family about all the fun we had had (despite this being the best photo we took of the three of us!) and I can’t wait to go on a weekend road trip again!
Have you taken your dog on any fun road trips recently?
P.S. I’ve been nominated as Best Pet Blog of 2014! And if you have a second and don’t mind voting for me I’d be forever grateful! You can vote once per email! Just click this link and then scroll down to the Best Pet Blog section, check off the grey circle under Ammothedachshund.com, and scroll to the bottom to enter your email. Thanks for voting!
Disclaimer: This product review & giveaway is sponsored by Furlocity.
Truth be told I’ve never spent the night at a kennel or boarding facility, and honestly I hope to never have to be apart from my family! But I do know that sometimes this just isn’t possible and I’d like to think that should it come to that I’d be staying in one of the fanciest facilities for dogs! Finding those top notch places just got a little bit easier with Furlocity!
Furlocity is a first-of its-kind online marketplace for the pet accommodations and veterinary services industry. Pet parents can now simply visit Furlocity’s website to search, compare and instantly book their favorite trusted pet care facility all in one sitting. Furlocity isn’t only about pet boarding though, they also have a platform to help pet parents easily find and connect with pet care services and accommodations.
In just three easy steps, pet parents can visit Furlocity’s website, compare several of its pre-screened listed pet care facilities and book a stay based on their needs. Through Furlocity, pet parents can even create free pet profiles and upload vaccination/medical records to save time and streamline the check-in process, and also earn rewards towards free or discounted nights each time they book a stay.
Right now their selection of cities in small, but they continue to expand the areas covered.
Pet boarding, veterinarians, and even pet-friendly hotels can all easily be searched for through their website. Each business includes a write-up, photographs, and the best part – reviews by real people. You can even book hotel rooms and stays for your pet at a boarding facility right from the Furlocity website.
So next time you’re looking for pet accommodations make sure you checkout Furlocity! You may even end up in a swanky pet friendly hotel like me!
And now for the best part….
ONE Lucky WINNER will WIN a One-Night Stay in any pet boarding facility on Furlocity
Here’s HOW TO WIN:
For this giveaway I will be using, Rafflecopter. We only use the information you provide to contact the winners and we never share it – so not to worry. 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 on 2/11/14 12AM EST. Boarding facility must be within the USA. Open to readers world-wide. Winners must claim their prizes within 48 hours of being notified or prize will be forfeited. Good luck!
Don’t forget to enter my Chewy.com Giveaway!
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Furlocity, but all opinions are entirely my own.
As you know last week I left for a fun Thanksgiving road trip with my family. With over 1500 miles of driving this would be one of my longest road trips to date!
Not to worry though, because Trooper and I are excellent travelers and we can nap in the car for hours and hours.
Trooper even snores!
Despite our excellent traveling skills, we did make a few pitstops for dinner and a couple bathroom breaks.
And then finally after about 14 hours of driving from Pennsylvania to South Carolina we reached our destination. When we awoke the next day I wasted no time in hitting up the beach on Isle of Palms. This time of year the beaches are open all day long to dogs.
Trooper and I had a lot of energy to expel so we ran and ran to our hearts content.
I even made friends with a few dachshund mixes that were staying right next door to my beach house!
Even though we were a bit farther south, it was still chilly enough in the morning that I preferred the extra warmth of my coats.
The cool weather didn’t stop me from venturing into the cold water though!
One of my favorite things to do on the beach is to “rescue” crabs from the ocean. I drag them ashore from the sea and then I’m off in search of my next crab that needs saving.
My new favorite thing on the beach though…..bird watching!
Well ok, maybe more like bird chasing.
Seriously, bird chasing = the most fun ever!
With a close second being wrestling with my best buddy Trooper on the beach!
By the end of our trip I was becoming such a beach loving dog that I’ve decided when I’m rich and famous I’ll be purchasing a vacation house right on the beach.
I miss it already!
Check back tomorrow when I recap my adventures in the town of Charleston!
Last year for Thanksgiving I headed south to North Carolina to visit family. My road trip was so much fun that I’ve decided it was time for another adventure this Thanksgiving. So today I’m on my way (with Trooper too) to Charleston, South Carolina for a couple of days of fun with my family!
I’m sure my days will be filled with lots of adventure, I’m especially looking forward to playing on the beach with Trooper! Don’t worry, when I return I’ll be sure to fill you in on all the fun I’ve had, but in the meantime I’ll be sure to post pictures of my road trip on Facebook and Instagram as I travel.
And if anyone knows any fun dog-friendly adventures in and around the Charleston, South Carolina area post them in the comments section!
I’ve meticulously packed my bag with everything I might need for my trip. You can check out what I typically pack for a road-trip, and I always make sure to store the phone numbers for emergency vets in mom’s phone as well as bringing along my DIY Pet First Aid Kit.
I was also super excited when just in time for my trip my November Barkbox showed up at my door.
Packed full of goodies perfect for a Thanksgiving feast of my own I could hardly wait to dig right in!
Mom even set aside these Turkey chews for Trooper and I to have on Thanksgiving day!
Of course she let me have a little goodie before the trip to wet my whistle – even the dental chews were mighty tasty.
So if you want to pick a little goodie from Barkbox for your furry friend, you can get $5 off any new BarkBox subscription with code AMMO5
Disclosure: I received a Barkbox in exchange for my review. But all opinions are my own and I really think they’re great!
Disclaimer: This review and giveaway is brought to you by Sleepypod.
One of the benefits to having a small dog is the ability to easily travel with them. So when Sleepypod, makers of all the things necessary to travel with your small pet, offered me up the chance to test out their Sleepypod Air Travel Bag and Sidekick Bike Rack I couldn’t wait to get riding!
The Sleepypod Air has all the bells and whistles needed for a comfortable and safe travel experience for your pet. The Air can even be used to safely transport your pet in the car (by attaching the bag with a seatbelt), and is also airline approved. It comes in 5 yummy colors (jet black, dark chocolate, orange dream, glacier silver, and strawberry red), I chose the orange dream color because I thought it might reflect the light/sun more (I thought black might get hot if I was biking in the sun), and plus, who doesn’t love some color!
The Sleepypod Air is also an airline approved bag that can easily adapt to under -seat storage requirements set by different airlines. The Sleepypod Air is a great bag for Dachshunds as it is one of their largest travel bags. The ends of the bag can compress from a length of 22″ to 19″ and all the way down to 16″ so it can easily fit under airline seats when needed. It even folds up completely flat when not in use (so once you reach your destination it won’t take up much room in your own suitcase).
Now I haven’t tested the Air in the actual AIR, but I decided for my first adventure with it I would take it for a spin with the Sidekick bike attachment designed to work with several of Sleepypod’s pet carriers.
Before setting out on my maiden voyage bike ride I had to help Mom and Dad install it. The Sidekick is designed to be a stable base to hold a Sleepypod pet carrier on your bike.
We followed the handy directions on how to install the Sidekick and with a little supervision from yours truly I was soon ready to take it for a spin. It helps to note that it works best on bikes that contain additional eyelets on the front wheels, but have no fear if your bike doesn’t have any (mine didn’t either), Sleepypod sells additional attachments to make it work on ones without them.
Once installed on your bike the Sleepypod Air easily attaches to the rack with a few buckles that are already included with the bag.
Now I’m a bit on the large side when it comes to fitting comfortably into the Air. Weighing 18 pounds I’m a bit over the recommended weight limit for dogs of 15 pounds, but I was still able to lay down in the bag and I could even turn around in it if I really wanted to.
When it came time for my first bike ride Mom and Dad weren’t sure how I would like it. If you know me, then you know I’m not exactly thrilled about being in confined spaces like crates. But for a few weeks leading up to my ride Mom had been hiding treats in the bag around the house to convince me that it wasn’t a scary place to be.
So when I was finally zipped inside and off on my ride I was quite comfortable. The mesh lining on top of the bag is quite see-through and breathable so it helped me feel less confined. I didn’t even mind when mom made a few quick turns with the bike.
Check out the video below of me enjoying my first few rides with the Sleepypod Air and Sidekick.
Since I’m a larger dachshund my weight was a little hard for mom to handle on the front of her bike (making steering a little more difficult), but I told mom she needs to start lifting weights anyway! I’m sure you could probably install the Sidekick on the back of a bike too, making it much easier to ride with a little bit heavier of a dog. I may end up helping mom install mine on the back of our bike – just so she stops complaining that her arms are sore after our bike rides…..what a wimp!
I can’t wait for the many more bike rides that are sure to be in my future with the Sleepypod Air & Sidekick!
And now for the best part…
ONE Lucky WINNER will WIN a Sleepypod Air!
(winner chooses color)
Here’s HOW TO WIN:
For this giveaway I will be using, Rafflecopter. We only use the information you provide to contact the winners and we never share it – so not to worry. 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 on 11/5/13 12AM EST. Open to US Residents Only. Winners must claim their prizes within 48 hours of being notified or prize will be forfeited. Good luck!
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Sleepypod, but all opinions are entirely my own.
Most of you know that I’m all about safety. I wear a seatbelt in the car and have used the k9carfence, I wear a life vest when on the water, and I even wear a stunt helmet when performing tricks! So when I came across this new safety harness for dogs from Sleepypod I was intrigued.
Clickit is the first dog safety harness to incorporate three-points of attachment to absorb force in a frontal collision by dissipating energy and keeping the dog in the car seat during an impact. Clickit can also be used in the cargo area and includes a d-ring on the back of the vest so it can be used as a walking harness.
Check it out for yourself in this crash test:
You can pre-order the Clickit from Sleepypod HERE.
I stumbled across the TreatToob from Paww and within minutes I was drooling. This new product allows you to bring high-value treats (think peanut butter, liverwurst, even pureed food) on the go. The TreatToob is made of soft yet rugged food-grade silicone, and it dispenses virtually any squeeze-able treat.
Simply unscrew the cap and fill it with your dog’s favorite mushy treat, then flip open the hinged cap and squeeze. This is great for training as it allows you to reward your dog with something that they really love. Also it means that I can have peanut butter wherever I go!
You can fetch the TreatToob for $8.95 HERE.
As the weather gets even warmer I look forward to more nights out on the town with my mom and dad. Being a small dog means I can easily be taken lots of places, and outdoor dining is no exception.
Being a small dog also means I can easily fit under the table – which is the best place to be when you’re hoping for table scraps! Yum!
Check out one of my previous outdoor dining adventures HERE, where I met a pretty cute motorcycle babe!
The weather has warmed up quite a bit here in Pennsylvania, and it has me itching to get out and about with my mom and dad. Typically when it is nice out I love to go on long walks with my family, but this year I’ve been dying to go on a bike ride too! So I decided to round up some of my favorite bike baskets made just for dogs – so that your furry friend never has to be left home!
Check out these neat bike basket options from Hunter K9!
1. Wicker Pet Bicycle Basket: Maximum weight 13lbs – dimensions 15″ W x 11″ D x 9.5″ H – Fetch it for $60
2. Doggy Ride Coccoon Basket: Maximum weight 16lbs – dimensions 10″W x 14.5″L x 15″ H – Fetch it for $106
3. Pet Rider Bicycle Seat: Maximum weight 24lbs – dimensions 14″ long x 12″ wide- Fetch it for $79
4. Sporty Dog Pet Bicycle Basket: Maximum weight 14lbs – dimensions 13″ W x 10″ D x 10″ H- Fetch it for $60
Remember to always keep your pet safe by having him to wear a harness and seatbelt attachment when riding in a bike basket. Many of these options include safety devices with them as well.
Any of my readers ride in a bike basket? Which brand do you use? Do tell!