It’s just a few days before Christmas and you forgot to get your dog a gift, for shame! But not to worry, with my simple (and free) DIY you can whip up a special gift for your pup in under 5 minutes!
Materials:
Tissue Paper (use leftover paper from your packages or you could even use newspaper)
Tape
Dog Cookies
Small Dog Toys (I picked up some from the Dollar store, but you could easily use some of your dogs toys that are already laying around the house)
Directions:
Starting with one of the larger items, wrap it in a single layer of tissue paper and secure with a piece of tape. Using another layer of tissue wrap up a few cookies ontop of the first item and secure with tape. Continue in this fashion until all of your items are wrapped up in a different layer. When you are finished you should have a nice little package that your dog will enjoy tearing into on Christmas morning!
Make sure you always supervise your pet with the Prize Ball, and do not allow them to eat any of the paper.
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!
So I might be a little behind on the internet craze with the music video, What does the fox say, but I’ve totally been singing along to it’s catchy tune since last week. So catchy in fact that I dug out my “fox” costume and had a little fun.
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!
Over the weekend I took my very first trip to the Fair Hill International Event, one of the most prestigious international three day events in the world, this is the ultimate test of a horse and rider. Through tests in dressage, endurance, and stadium jumping the horse and rider teams work together to show that they can compete in the most demanding and highest levels of equestrian sports.
But before I could attend the event, I had to go on my very first school bus ride!
Trooper tagged along with me on this adventure, and we were both pretty excited about taking the bus to the event grounds from the parking lot.
I can only imagine how exciting it must be to take the bus everyday to school! Those lucky kids! I even sang the wheels on the bus during the ride just to make it even more fun.
Once in the park I quickly made my way to the arena, because the real reason I came to the Fair Hill International was to cheer on my friends from the Chincoteague Pony Drill Team!
Made up entirely of Chincoteague Ponies (and the only one in the world), the drill team performs at events to choreographed music. It was great to see my friends again, as I had not seen them since I went to Chincoteague a few years ago so that my pony friends could frolic on the beach.
After I said goodbye to my friends I was ready to check out the other events at the Fair Hill International. (Above is me pictured with Misty’s Icicle, the only cremello colored pony in the Misty family line of ponies)
Of course my number one mission was to RIDE A PONY! But since most of them were busy competing I settled for this cardboard cutout of one instead.
And here’s what I would look like if I was a world class eventer like the riders that were competing at Fair Hill! Dashing right?
Next up I hit up the Dog Agility area, where they very nicely let me try a practice course – which was the first time I tried a course outside of my weekly classes at the Dog Training Center. I was a little distracted by all the smells on the course (and the fact that some of the obstacles seemed a bit different than what I was used to), but I did complete all the obstacles!
You may have heard my pal Trooper crying in the background of the video – he was utterly convinced that the course was going to eat me up if he wasn’t out there to protect me – or better yet, herd me around the scary obstacles. Oh Trooper, such a silly boy.
Next I headed over to watch some of the show jumping on the hill with the other dogs. You might not be able to tell from this photo, but almost every person came to the event with a dog. Great Danes, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Greyhounds, Jack Russells, Labradors, and I even spotted a few Dachshunds among them.
Watching the show jumping was quite spectacular as the horses soared through the air, but I have to admit, the Fair Hill International really wore me out!
I’m already counting down the days until next years event though!
Make sure you check out some more photos and video of the Chincoteague Pony Drill Team at the Painting Pony Blog.
For those of you who follow me on Facebook I’m sure you have been on the edge of your seats waiting for me to share all my adventures from this past weekend at the Yuengling Oktoberfest event in Bethlehem, Pennyslvania.
Well after obtaining my special Puppy Pass (for VIP Dachshunds only) I was excited to attend my very first Oktoberfest!
I was super excited to see some fellow germans at the Oktoberfest – I felt right at home immediately!
I had fun touring around the event, everything smelled so wonderful, especially the sausages and beer!
I quickly began to make new friends – the german ladies loved me, what can I say I’m a handsome guy!
Even the children couldn’t keep their hands off me!
I had fun soaking up the culture, and after watching some german dances I was definitely ready for the main event – the Dachshund Races!
The Dachshunds came from all over to race, and there was even a few other super heroes in the mix besides myself!
I even got to meet one of my Facebook friends, Super Dash, who came sporting a bowtie his mom made him from my DIY Bowtie tutorial!
There were dachshunds big and small – some twice my size, some half my size, but everyone came for one reason – to race for the title of Champion!
With over 40 Dachshunds competing I knew it was going to be pretty tough to beat them all. But after winning a few of the preliminary heats I was pretty confident I could make it to the top. And after showing off a few of my favorite tricks I was clearly the crowd favorite to win when I made it to the final race!
Just watch what happened yourself….
If you had trouble telling what happened – it’s because mom’s camera skills were not so stellar. She said it was difficult to film me and call my name/shake cookies at the same time. Excuses, excuses.
Regardless, I won 3 preliminary heats, beating out some really fast weenies – and earning myself a spot in the final against 2 other super fast dachshunds. The final race was run and I came in at a photo finish with a dachshund named Tucker – who had me beat in size by a lot! So the judges decided to re-run the race, just me and Tucker.
I like to think I won that final race, but since it was so close to call the judges said Tucker won by just a nose!
Even though I didn’t win the coveted Champion title, reserve champ still came with some pretty nice perks. I got to take home this hand-blown glass dog bone from the ArtsQuest Glass Blowing Studio and these yummy handmade cookies from Whisker Biscuits.
Not only that but I also brought home not one, but two dachshund cakes from the Vallos Bakery! (too bad mom says they are only for human consumption).
Even though I can’t say I’m the Dachshund Races Champion it still feels pretty great to be Reserve Champion. After all, I am still faster than a speeding bullet!
On Sunday I’m packing a bag and heading to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania for their annual Oktoberfest! Not only do I plan to mix and mingle among fans of my german heritage, but mom and dad have also entered me into the Dachshund Races.
It’s been a number of years since I’ve put on my running shoes and raced, but the last time I did I came in as the reserve champ! So I figured it was time to lace up my sneakers again and get to training so that I have an even better chance at winning this time.
It’s Birthday Week, which means I plan to celebrate BIG! So this year mom helped me whip up the perfect party accessory, a PINATA! Keep reading to find out how you can make your own piñata for your dog.
Supplies:
Thin Cardboard (cereal boxes work great)
Tape
Scissors
Pencil
Tissue Paper
String
Small dog cookies
Step 1: Trace the shape of your piñata onto two pieces of cardboard. We chose to use a dachshund shape, but this could work for any dog shape. The more simplified the shape is the easier it will be to create a piñata. Then cut both of them out.
Step 2: Cut several strips about 3″ wide out of a thin cardboard (cereal boxes work great), then begin to edge one of your dog shapes by taping the strips along the edges.
Step 4: When you have edged your shape all the way around the dog, make a hinged door at the base of the dog. You will also want to make sure you section off some of your dog shape so that the cookies will stay in one area (and not fall into the legs) like the picture above. When you are all done you will want to add your second dog shape to the other side and tape into place.
Step 5: Cut several strips of tissue paper out and fringe the edges of them with your scissors.
Step 6: Wrap the tissue paper around your dog and tape into place. You can alternate colors by overlapping them.
Step 7: Tie a string through the door of your piñata, you can use a small stick to keep it from pulling through. Then cover the base of your dog in tissue paper and tape several pieces of dummy string (that won’t do anything when pulled) to the underside. It helps to use a less sticky tape like washi tape, or simply rub scotch tape on your clothing before attaching to the piñata.
Step 8: Fill your piñata with small cookies and tape shut with a small piece of slightly sticky tape.
Step 9: If you want your dog to be able to open the piñata themselves then you may want to tie some cookies to the ends of your strings. Otherwise you can pull the string for your dog.
Step 10: Hang your piñata for your dog to enjoy! Make sure you always supervise your dog while playing with the piñata and do not allow them to eat the string!
I had a blast with my Birthday Piñata, just check out the video below:
The TooferMe Multifunctional Dog Leash is a kickstarter funded project for a dog leash that claims to do it all. Need a harness, no problem. Need to walk two dogs or more at once, no problem. Need to tie up your dog, no problem.
Check out the video below to see just how this leash works:
You can fetch your own TooferMe Leash for about $29.
This is my sunroom, my favorite room in the whole house. (Don’t mind the easter eggs and the snow outside – this was taken earlier this year). I spend a lot of time in here, since it’s got the best view! See that ottoman in the middle, well I also spend a lot of time on that sunbathing. Which is also the reason why mom decided that the fabric needed to be changed (on account of my “sometimes” muddy paws).
Now I’m no stranger to furniture restorations, I’ve helped mom repaint chairs, and dressers – but this would be my first fabric recover!
So mom broke out the tools, but that’s not really how this Dachshund rolls – especially when you have some built-in tools of your own…..
And thanks to me, about an hour later I was looking at my brand-new ottoman!
Covered with a charcoal grey sunbrella fabric, mom says it’s designed to take a bit more of a beating than what was previously on it.
As long as these paws are still allowed on the furniture than it’s A-OK with me!
