Well the May flowers have arrived (after all the rain we’ve gotten!), and my warm weather adventures have really gotten under way.
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!
Now that I’m a big brother it’s my duty to teach Baby P all the important stuff. #1 on the life lesson list, how to dig a proper hole.
As you can see, Baby P was super excited to learn this life lesson. That’s my girl, she totally gets it. You just never know when you’re going to need to dig something, so always come prepared with those two little shovels on the bottom of your arms!
Dirt filled baths, and dirty finger nails are totally in our future.
Up next, how to navigate to the critters in the woods. We’ve got a whole lot of life lessons to get through this summer, so we better get started!
What other life lessons do you think I should teach Baby P?
Now that Spring is here my family has moved our activities to outside! I was so excited to show my sister all the fun stuff we can do outdoors, but then something terrible happened.
Baby P got to come outside, but she ended up INSIDE my dog pen!
Neither one of us was thrilled about the whole thing, and honestly I was a bit surprised it was her in the pen and not me. I mean after all she doesn’t eat things she shouldn’t, roll in smelly stuff, chew on sticks, or wander too far…….or wait…….maybe she does actually do some of those things.
Regardless, I devised a plan to free my very best friend….
Jail Break in progress. Don’t tell our mom, and hurry, grab a shovel and help us!
What sort of mischief do you think we should get into once I free P?
Now that I’m the coolest big brother ever, it’s come to my attention that to be EVEN cooler (if that’s even possible), that I need to practice my “nursery rhymes”. My sister likes when I “sing” to her, and she likes it even more when I dig holes. Well, this is perfect, because I have just the song to sing her in preparation of Spring (aka Groundhog season).
Heigh-Ho A “Cooler” Version by Ammo
I dig dig dig dig dig dig dig in my hole the whole day through
To dig dig dig dig dig dig dig is what I really like to do
It ain’t no trick to get groundhogs quick
If you dig dig dig with a paw or a pick
In a hole! In a hole! In a hole! In a hole!
Where a million groundhogs live!
I dig dig dig dig dig dig dig from early morn till night
I dig dig dig dig dig dig dig up everything in sight
I dig up groundhogs by the score
A thousand critters, sometimes more
But I don’t know what I dig ’em for
I dig dig dig a-dig dig
Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho
Heigh-ho, Heigh-ho
Heigh-ho
Holy Cow. You’re never gonna guess what showed up on the farm the other day. My eyes caught sight of it, and I could just hardly contain my excitement. It was….
….a GIANT, fantastic, amazing pile of screenings!
Of course I wasted no time at all getting ALL UP IN IT, because there really is only one thing you can do when a big pile of screenings shows up at your doorstep….
Today I wanted to let you know that you don’t have to worry anymore, Spring is just around the corner. Before you know it you’ll be laying in your backyard rolling in the green grass with your tank top on!
Don’t believe me? Here’s my tell tale signs that Spring is coming…
Ammo’s 5 Signs of Spring
Daylight Savings really messes with your time clock when you need to wake up to feed your ponies in the morning! (more sleep please!)
2. Your ponies start shedding like crazy (enough to make a new pony!)
Over the weekend mom and dad decided to put together a new piece of furniture they purchased.
Of course as you know, I’m never one to not help out when there is a project at hand. So while mom and dad were busy assembling furniture in the other room, I decided to help disassemble the empty boxes for them.
Mom and dad had a good laugh when I was done “helping”, although I’m not sure why.
And I still don’t understand why I was immediately plopped outside after my box destroying duties. Sometimes my skills just aren’t appreciated around here.
So make sure the next time you have a box destroying need you give me a shout! I’m happy to go where my expertise is appreciated!
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.
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.
So yeah…..there was that one time way back when that I got stuck underneath a shed in the Pocono Mountains.
Full disclosure here though, I MAY have been purposely under there in the pursuit of a rodent. And “stuck” might be a bit of a generous term when you consider the fact that I really didn’t want to come out from under the shed….I mean who else was going to get that rodent out from under there?
Don’t worry though, I eventually got “un-stuck”…..well mostly I just came out because it was time for my dinner!
(or any other scent your dog might prefer)
