Take Your Dog to Work Day

This past Friday was Take Your Dog to Work Day, but for me it was no different than any other day, because I work most days with my mom in her custom frame shop.

Ammo the Dachshund at Work

But, I decided to play the part anyway and instead of my usual sunbathing by the front door I threw on my glasses and helped mom with the picture framing.

Take Your Dog to Work Day // Custom Framing // Ammo the Dachshund

Take Your Dog to Work Day // Custom Framing // Ammo the Dachshund

Choosing picture frames is no easy task, but it’s a good thing I have a great eye for design!

Take Your Dog to Work Day // Custom Framing // Ammo the Dachshund

I picked out some colorful mouldings that would look super awesome on one of my Dream Big Prints.

Take Your Dog to Work Day // Custom Framing // Ammo the Dachshund

Take Your Dog to Work Day // Custom Framing // Ammo the Dachshund

I must admit, I worked pretty darn hard and I’m pretty sure I should get a raise. Please add 4 more cookies to my daily wages mom! Ammo the Dachshund

Bandit at the Devon Horse Show

I’ve been a regular at the Devon Horse Show, one of the oldest and largest outdoor multi-breed competitions in the United States, since I was just a wee thing. This year was no exception as I couldn’t pass up attending the most exciting night at Devon – the Grand Prix, where horses jump fences over 5 feet high!!

The Devon Horse Show 2013 // Ammo the Dachshund

Being at Devon it is customary to be rubbing elbows with some of Chester County’s social elite. Babies and dog are included in this mix….

The Devon Horse Show 2013 // Ammo the Dachshund

The Devon Horse Show 2013 // Ammo the Dachshund

After I did my fair share of obligatory tail wagging and butt sniffing, I settled in to watch one of Devon’s nightly exhibitions.

The Devon Horse Show 2013 // Ammo the Dachshund

And lo and behold that’s when the bandit showed up! Well technically he’s the One Arm Bandit, but he certainly had some exciting bandit tricks up his sleeve (even for one arm).

The Devon Horse Show 2013 // Ammo the Dachshund

The Devon Horse Show 2013 // Ammo the Dachshund

The Devon Horse Show 2013 // Ammo the Dachshund

photo by Chris Nichols curtsy of the Devon Horse Show Facebook Page

The Devon Horse Show 2013 // Ammo the Dachshund

photo by Chris Nichols curtsy of the Devon Horse Show Facebook Page

After watching the One Arm Bandit perform I had worked up quite an appetite – so I headed to the food stands to grab some dinner, and also did some shopping along the way.

The Devon Horse Show 2013 // Ammo the Dachshund

The Devon Horse Show 2013 // Ammo the Dachshund

Devon always seems to have quite the menagerie of items for sale – although this time I came home empty handed despite my protests to bring home this cute little dachshund topiary!

Now here is the part where I tell you all about watching the Grand Prix Jumping into the sunset with beautiful pictures of the fancy horses. But mom forgot to empty her camera and there was no more room to take any photos (I’m pretty sure it was filled to the brim with my cute mug). But luckily the Devon Horse Show Facebook Page had some beautiful shots from the evening (well maybe minus the really cute Dachshund that attended)…

The Devon Horse Show 2013 // Ammo the Dachshund

photo by Chris Nichols curtsy of the Devon Horse Show Facebook Page

The Devon Horse Show 2013 // Ammo the Dachshund

photo by Chris Nichols curtsy of the Devon Horse Show Facebook Page

Above is McLain Ward and his pretty horse Brewster, who won the $100,000 Wells Fargo Grand Prix of Devon. It was an exciting night, and I’m already counting down the days until next year’s event! Ammo the Dachshund

Popovich Comedy Pet Theater

Over the weekend my mom and dad went to a very special event (which I was not invited to – the nerve) called the Popovich Comedy Pet Theater. It sounded like so much fun that I thought I would share their adventure with everyone, even if I didn’t get to see it with my own eyes either.

Popovich Comedy Pet Theater // Ammo the Dachshund

The World Famous Popovich Comedy Pet Theater is a family-oriented blend of the unique comedy and juggling skills of Gregory Popovich, and the extraordinary talents of his performing pets. Each of the show’s 15 cats and 10 dogs were once strays, rescued from animal shelters. Now they love to show off onstage – by performing a variety of stunts and skits!

The event that my mom and dad attended also helped to raise money for the local SPCA by donating a dollar from every ticket to the shelter.

This amazing event featured lots of dogs and cats performing fun and exciting stunts, and they even had a whole act just with dachshunds!

Popovich Comedy Pet Theater // Ammo the Dachshund

Popovich Comedy Pet Theater // Ammo the Dachshund

Popovich Comedy Pet Theater // Ammo the Dachshund

I’m sad to have missed it myself, but glad that mom and dad were able to go and support the rescue animals. Mom even said it gave her some ideas to add to my own stunt dog act which I will be performing at the end of April to benefit the Coast to Coast Dachshund Rescue. You can read more about that HERE.

ammo the dachshund performing

ammo the dachshund goes to school

Jumping through my hoop

If you’d like to see if the Popovich Comedy Pet Theater will be in your area you can check out their tour dates HERE. Ammo the Dachshund

Images of the Popovich Comedy Pet Theater are via.

Mounted Games and Versatility with the Ponies

On Sunday we held another competition at the farm.

Ammo the Dachshund // Mounted Games Competition on the Farm

When we hold competitions, they typically aren’t what you think of when you hear “horse show”. No, you won’t see any fancied up ponies parading around an arena earning marks for good looks. Instead you’ll see handy ponies navigating obstacles in our versatility trail and top speed racers vying for a first place finish in our mounted games events. It’s totally my kind of event, which is why I volunteered my services to judge.

Ammo the Dachshund // Mounted Games Competition on the Farm

Ammo the Dachshund // Mounted Games Competition on the Farm

We had a variety of ages and skill levels attempt our challenging obstacle course, all of which were hoping to win the jackpot cash prize!

Ammo the Dachshund // Mounted Games Competition on the Farm

I put on my most serious face, and took to judging the riders with great scrutiny. Looking for those who worked well with their ponies, and navigated the obstacles with ease.

Ammo the Dachshund // Mounted Games Competition on the Farm

As you can imagine, it’s quite exhausting to use your serious face all day long.

Ammo the Dachshund // Mounted Games Competition on the Farm

And inevitably I had to take a short nap to regain my strength so I could score the mounted games portion of the day.

Ammo the Dachshund // Mounted Games Competition on the Farm

Scoring the mounted games events is quite difficult, because not only do you have to keep your eyes peeled for rule infractions, but you also have to keep a close watch on the finish line in order to catch the placings. It’s such a challenging job that I enlisted to help of several scribes.

Ammo the Dachshund // Mounted Games Competition on the Farm

Ammo the Dachshund // Mounted Games Competition on the Farm

Sometimes the riders come into the finish neck and neck and you really have to pay attention!

Ammo the Dachshund // Mounted Games Competition on the Farm

Ammo the Dachshund // Mounted Games Competition on the Farm

Don’t worry – I was on the job the whole entire time!

Ammo the Dachshund // Mounted Games Competition on the Farm

Ok, fine, there may have been a quick nap between races – but I swear that was it! Ammo the Dachshund

 

Our next competition on the farm will be held on Sunday, October 7th. If you are in the Chester County, PA area I hope you’ll consider coming out to compete or cheer on the teams! It’s always such a fun day! More details here.

Quiet Days on the Farm

Life on my family horse farm can be quite peaceful. I enjoy spending a lot of my time around the ponies – just quietly soaking in all the sounds and smells of the farm.

Iron Horse Farm - Farm Life - Ammo the Dachshund

Iron Horse Farm - Farm Life - Ammo the Dachshund

Iron Horse Farm - Farm Life - Ammo the Dachshund

Iron Horse Farm - Farm Life - Ammo the Dachshund

Iron Horse Farm - Farm Life - Ammo the Dachshund

Iron Horse Farm - Farm Life - Ammo the Dachshund

Iron Horse Farm - Farm Life - Ammo the Dachshund

Iron Horse Farm - Farm Life - Ammo the Dachshund

Yes – it CAN BE quite peaceful. But other days, there are groundhogs to hunt!

Iron Horse Farm - Farm Life - Ammo the Dachshund

Iron Horse Farm - Farm Life - Ammo the Dachshund

On these days, peaceful and quiet is not an option, as I’m sure you understand! Ammo the Dachshund

Beating the Heat – Canoeing down the Brandywine River

Last weekend I took an expedition down the Brandywine River via canoe. You may remember that I went on a similar adventure last summer.

Ammo the Dachshund - Canoeing down the Brandywine River

This time it was a much bigger family affair as even my Uncle Taylor came too while he was up visiting from North Carolina.

Ammo the Dachshund - Canoeing down the Brandywine River

Since we only have one canoe at the farm we had to make room for our extra passengers by adding some blow-up rafts and even a snow tube.

Ammo the Dachshund - Canoeing down the Brandywine River

It ended up being quite the adventure with frequent pit-stops to re-pump said rafts, a couple of spider incidents (with one wolf spider hitching a ride on mom’s leg – I screamed – but she brushed it off like nothing happened), and a nest of ants and their babies threatening to eat us alive when we accidentally tipped the canoe – all of which we had a good laugh about later.

Ammo the Dachshund - Canoeing down the Brandywine River

Ammo the Dachshund - Canoeing down the Brandywine River

All in all it was the perfect way to spend a hot summer day!

So what do you do to beat the summer heat? I’m thinking for my next canoe trip I’ll have to bring along some pupsicles! Yum! Ammo the Dachshund

The Inspector

ammo the dachshund inspecting at the farm

My pony friends recently got in a shipment of new equipment to use during their mounted games competitions on the farm!

ammo the dachshund inspecting at the farm

These brand-new items for the Windsor Castle Race looked pretty spiffy to me, but there is really no way to tell until Inspector Ammo makes his rounds.

ammo the dachshund inspecting at the farm

The traffic cones looked alright I guess, and would have gotten an A++ instead of an A if they smelled like dead animals instead of new plastic though.

ammo the dachshund inspecting at the farm

The polo balls were a bit tough to inspect because they were very difficult for me to pick up.

ammo the dachshund inspecting at the farm

Rolling them was a bit more effective – but just not as fun.

ammo the dachshund inspecting at the farm

I was distraught as to whether I should give them a passing grade for pony usage – especially since they didn’t come equipped with squeakers inside.

ammo the dachshund inspecting at the farm

But then I decided, what the heck, squeaker or not how can you not have fun with a ball! So go ahead ponies, have fun with your new toys – they passed inspection! Yipee!

Hurricane Irene

On Saturday evening Hurricane Irene made it’s way towards my home in Pennsylvania. I’ve never been in a hurricane before (after all I’m only 2!), so I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I knew enough to be a little scared, especially since mom and dad brought in all of our outdoor patio stuff, and mom weatherproofed the shop on Saturday morning.

Several hours into the storm we lost power, only moments after we heard of a Tornado warning for our area on the news. So into the basement we went to hunker down for about 20 minutes before the threat passed.

I of course used this time to practice my scary bark threats – you know – to tell Irene to get outta here!

ammo the dachshund hurricane irene

The next morning I woke to a still very windy and rainy mess outside – which meant I had to spend most of the day inside. If you can’t tell I was a little depressed. Mom and Dad tried to keep me occupied by playing scrabble with me (especially since there still was no power), but I really just wanted to go exploring.

ammo the dachshund hurricane irene

In the late afternoon the storm finally cleared, and we headed out for a drive to take care of the ponies (who weathered the storm just fine).

ammo the dachshund hurricane irene

I couldn’t believe how much the water had risen along the Brandywine, which runs just below the farm.

ammo the dachshund hurricane irene

ammo the dachshund hurricane irene

ammo the dachshund hurricane irene

ammo the dachshund hurricane irene

ammo the dachshund hurricane irene

On the way back we stopped by the shop to make sure that it fared the storm ok.

ammo the dachshund hurricane irene

Luckily there was no water damage even though many of the streets in town were flooded. But there was some wind damage to the awning out front. Mom says she hopes it’s not too expensive to fix, I told her I’d try to sell a painting to help pay for it!

ammo the dachshund hurricane irene

Power was out at both the shop and at home, so lucky for me I got to spend the evening playing board games with my family. The “Chester County” game continued on into the wee hours of the night.

ammo the dachshund hurricane irene

ammo the dachshund hurricane irene

Power at the house was out until mid-day Monday – which makes me very glad that I’m a dog, and I don’t require indoor plumbing!

 

P.S. I hope that all my friends weathered the storm ok and no one suffered any major damage. I’ll be searching for my groundhogs tomorrow to make sure they made it through the storm ok.

Napping at Work

Luckily for me my boss allows me to take naps while on the job. One of the many perks. (I also get belly rubs and snacks for free- it’s in my contract).

However, napping on the job can sometimes be an art. Sometimes getting comfy requires a little creativity. So today I’m going to share with you my helpful guide for getting your snooze on at work. (Use with caution – or at least when your boss isn’t looking)

This one I call the “watchful eye”, useful when wanting to nap, but still keep an eye out. You know, in case something important might happen.

 

This is the “Sneaky Snake”. Very handy around corners and tight spaces – not recommended for “non-hot-dog-shaped bodies”.

 

The “leg cross” is a favorite of mine.  Gives you an extra boost of luck. One can never be too lucky.

 

The “dog-bed crash” is always a good one. Always make sure to do a little “fluffing” first.

 

“Blankie Necktie” is great for when it’s a bit chilly out. Just don’t wrap up too tightly, you won’t be able to get out in case of fire.

 

The “crescent roll” is prefect for a busy day at the office. You’re free of cumbersome blankets, but still able to keep your legs nice and toasty.

 

Shoot. How did this photo end up in here? Pay no attention to this. Seriously. It was just an itch on my leg. I swear!

 

“The Cave” is the best. Dark enough for hibernation but not too dark that you miss a meal.

 

“Sunbathing” – definitely a must if you are looking a little pasty. Also perfect on a cold day, just don’t “bake” for too long. No one likes an overcooked hot dog.

 

And last but not least we have the “Hot Dog in a Blanket”. Why re-invent the wheel, classics never die.

 

If anyone catches me napping at work please know this. No. 1 If you have cookies and don’t wake me up for some I WILL hold a grudge. No. 2 Please don’t come to my place of work without cookies, I WILL hold a grudge. That is all.

xoxo

Ammo

 

 

Cider Doughnuts & Bubble Baths

I live in farm country. Right out my back door is rolling farmland, cows, horses, and the sweet smell of manure. It’s a dog’s dream really.

Chester County, PA is a hot spot for farmers – and the neighboring Amish in Lancaster County too.

Taking a drive in farm country is one of my favorite things to do in the fall. And that’s just what I got to do on Sunday!

ahhh the sweet smell of farm land

yuck! I think a bug flew up my nose!

When we arrived at our farmland destination I could smell livestock, apples & pumpkins! We were at Highland Orchards! Mom said the Orchard makes the best apple cider & cider doughnuts in the fall…..this was probably why the line wrapped around the building.

Apparently though, it’s not fall unless you wait in the line for a taste of warm cider doughnuts – unfortunately I had to wait in the car.

But the good news is I got a taste when we got to Iron Horse Farm, which is just around the corner from the orchard.

just waiting for my doughnut

oh no! Cricket's getting in on my begging act

come on I'm way cuter than her!

that's it just a little lower!

After doughnuts and cider I had a quick training session with my pal Minnow. We’re working on a super cool new act to debut at the Equine Extravaganza in a few weeks! I’m excited to show everyone when it’s finished!

Then it was back home for….BATHTIME!??

Oh wait, I forgot, I’m one of those strange dogs that loves to get baths! I pretty much jump into the tub everyday just hoping someone will come in and turn the water on for me…if only I had opposable thumbs!

mmmmm....all fresh and clean. can we do it again?

Well looks like I’ll just have to go looking for something stinky to roll in so I can get another bath! I’m thinking stink bugs….since we’re pretty much infested with them right now!

blog post header image from here.