DIY Dachshund Cork Board

When I came across this DIY project on pinterest, it inspired me to create something similar for all the dog (and dachshund) lovers out there! So I enlisted the help of my mom and whipped up this fun DIY project…

DIY Dachshund Cork Board via Ammo the Dachshund

DIY Dachshund Cork Board

This project can be made using any dog shape (not just a dachshund), so have fun, be creative, and create something unique!

DIY Dachshund Cork Board via Ammo the Dachshund

Materials:

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Step 1: Adhere your cork onto a piece of cardboard using glue or a spray adhesive to make it a bit sturdier.

Step 2: If you would like to make a dachshund cork board download and print my dachshund shape, then cut it out. Otherwise you can print out a photo of your own dog (making sure to enlarge it) and cut out around the shape.

DIY Dachshund Cork Board via Ammo the Dachshund

Step 3: Using a sharpie trace around your stencil on your cork board.

DIY Dachshund Cork Board via Ammo the Dachshund

Step 4: Cut out your cork board shape using an exacto knife.

DIY Dachshund Cork Board via Ammo the Dachshund

Step 5: Place your frog tape in a striped pattern along the cork.

DIY Dachshund Cork Board via Ammo the Dachshund

Step 6: Paint onto the cork between your tape with acrylic paint, when it’s dry peel away the tape.

DIY Dachshund Cork Board via Ammo the Dachshund

Step 7: Cut a strip of ribbon to be used as a collar and staple or glue it to the cork on the back.

DIY Dachshund Cork Board via Ammo the Dachshund

Now you’re ready to hang your cork board up and enjoy!

DIY Dachshund Cork Board via Ammo the Dachshund

I’ve now got the perfect place to pin photos of all my girlfriends! Ammo the Dachshund

Let’s Get Tricky! Teach your Dog to Play Dead

One of my most popular tricks is the Play Dead trick. Guaranteed to make children giggle and adults oooh and ahhh – it’s a favorite that’s sure to win them over!

Most all of my tricks are taught and mastered with the help of clicker training, so before beginning you might want to read up on how to introduce your dog to a clicker*.

*Disclaimer: this post does contain some affiliate links

Ammo the Dachshund // Lets Get Tricky // Teach Your Dog to Play Dead

Teach Your Dog to Play Dead

Every great dog should know how to play dead – if only to be used as an ice breaker at parties, to scare the ground hogs in the backyard, and to generally just make you look totally awesome.

What you need: A handful of small training treats*, clicker

Step 1: To start your dog should already know how to lay down on command. Place a few treats in a fist and place your hand on the ground in front of your dog as you ask them to lay down.

Ammo the Dachshund // Lets Get Tricky // Teach Your Dog to Play Dead

Step 2: As your dog sniffs the treat tilt your fist up and over the top of your dog’s head, encouraging them to lay on their side. You may need to gently push your hand into your dog to entice them to lay on their side. Click and Reward your dog as soon as their side touches the ground.

Ammo the Dachshund // Lets Get Tricky // Teach Your Dog to Play Dead

Step 3: Continue asking your dog to lay on their side with treats in the fist of your hand until you can ask them to lay on their side with just an open palm (treats removed) – then click and reward.

Ammo the Dachshund // Lets Get Tricky // Teach Your Dog to Play Dead

Step 4: Once your dog is laying on their side consistently you can begin to add a verbal and visual command to it. Point your finger at your dog and say Bang, Bang – if your dog doesn’t immediately flop on their side you can then use the open palm of your hand to remind them what to do, click and reward. Slowly begin waiting longer and longer to show them what to do with the flat of your hand until they offer laying on their side on their own. Jackpot treat your dog when they get it right.

Ammo the Dachshund // Lets Get Tricky // Teach Your Dog to Play Dead

Step 5: When your dog is consistent in laying on their side when you ask you will need to add a release word. Part of the appeal of a play dead trick is that your dog will “remain dead” until you tell them to come back alive. So after asking your dog to play dead, wait a few seconds and say OK (before your dog gets up on their own) to release them and then click and reward. The key is to time this right before your dog gets up on their own. Gradually begin asking them to stay on their side longer and longer until you are certain they will not get up until you give them the verbal OK.

Ammo the Dachshund // Lets Get Tricky // Teach Your Dog to Play Dead

Congratulations! Your dog can now play dead! You can now bring laughter and smiles to everyone!

Ammo the DachshundDisclaimer: The Let’s Get Tricky blog feature is designed to provide general information, instruction, and techniques that may not be suitable for everyone. Please note that we are not liable for any of your activities while attempting to teach your dog the techniques listed on this blog. Please train responsibly.

 

Learn how to teach your dog to high-five!

Birthday Week: DIY Pet Birthday Bandana

Birthdays call for celebration, and what better way to celebrate than a spiffy new bandana to let everyone know it’s your Birthday!

Birthday Week // DIY Pet Birthday Bandana // Ammo the Dachshund

And because I want everyone to celebrate with me, here’s a tutorial I created to help you make your own pet a celebratory bandana.

Birthday Week // DIY Pet Birthday Bandana // Ammo the Dachshund

DIY Pet Birthday Bandana

Materials:

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Birthday Week // DIY Pet Birthday Bandana // Ammo the Dachshund

Step 1: Using a ruler and cutting utensil, cut a bandana sized piece of fabric out of your material. We used a bandana I already had as a template, but you can also measure your pet’s neck and add about 4″ to be able to tie it. You might also opt to sew the edges of your bandana to prevent fraying before moving on to step 2.

Birthday Week // DIY Pet Birthday Bandana // Ammo the Dachshund

Step 2: You will need your HOORAY! stamp for this part (my mom carved mine, find out how to carve a stamp here or find out how to purchase one here). Use your sponge brush to apply screen printing ink or acrylic paint mixed with Textile Medium to the stamp.

Birthday Week // DIY Pet Birthday Bandana // Ammo the Dachshund

Step 3: Stamp your fabric in several places, re-applying paint after each one. Then allow to dry.

Birthday Week // DIY Pet Birthday Bandana // Ammo the Dachshund

Adding another color can add to the overall effect.

Birthday Week // DIY Pet Birthday Bandana // Ammo the Dachshund

And when you are all finished you will have a spiffy new bandana that’s perfect for celebrating my Birthday with me.

Birthday Week // DIY Pet Birthday Bandana // Ammo the Dachshund

Happy Birthday to me! Only 3 more days until I’m officially 4 and get to open all my presents!

 

My HOORAY! stamp was inspired by a post on Squirrelly Minds.Ammo the Dachshund

DIY: Build Your Own Agility Jumps

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For those of you that follow me on Facebook, you probably know that I recently have started taking agility lessons. While being an agility loving Dachshund isn’t a new concept, some might think that due to my short legs and long back that agility might not be the sport for me. But lucky for me, my mom believes that being active and fit are more important to keeping me healthy in the long run than making me sit on the sidelines. Agility might not be for every dog out there, but for me it is one of those things that keeps me motivated to run my little tushie off and keep the middle of my “hot dog” from touching the ground.

ammo the dachshund diy dog agility jumps

So with my start into the World of agility, mom decided to help me build a set of my very own agility jumps for the back yard. Lucky for you I made sure we documented the entire process so that you too can build your own backyard set!

DIY: Build You Own Agility Jumps

The following step-by-step tutorial will show you how to build two jumps for your dog for about $40 in materials (we did most of our shopping at Lowes).

ammo the dachshund diy dog agility jumps

Materials:

  1. Two 10′ pieces of 3/4″ PVC pipe (this will make 4 jump poles)
  2. Three 10′ pieces of 1″ PVC pipe
  3. Eight PVC “T” connectors for 1″ pipe
  4. Twelve PVC end caps for 1″ pipe
  5. Tape measure
  6. PVC pipe cutter (a circular saw or hand saw can be substituted)
  7. Sharpie (or item to mark the pipes with)

*You will also need to either purchase or make your own jump cups for this project. We opted to buy our own jump cups.*

ammo the dachshund diy dog agility jumps

It’s also helpful if you have a supervisor for this project on hand – if you do not have one I’m happy to lend my services for a nominal fee, you know where to find me.

ammo the dachshund diy dog agility jumps

Next you will need to make some cuts in the 1″ PVC pipe. After measuring and marking your cuts with a sharpie, you can use a pipe cutter or a circular saw to make your cuts.

ammo the dachshund diy dog agility jumps

Cuts to Make on 1″ PVC pipe:

  1. Eight 12″ pieces
  2. Four 1 3/4″ pieces
  3. Two 50″ pieces
  4. Four 30″ pieces

*make sure you are only making your cuts for these out of the 1″ PVC pipe (you will cut the 3/4″ pipe to make the jump poles later)

Next you will start the assembly process – if you prefer to make your jump really secure you can use PVC pipe glue to attach the pieces, but we opted to forgo the glue and just tightly assemble each piece. This way the pieces can be disassembled later or put away for the winter.

Assembly:

ammo the dachshund diy dog agility jumps

1. Create the feet of your jump by slipping the 12″ PVC pieces into the top and bottom ends of your “T” connectors. Then add an end cap to each end of the pipe.

ammo the dachshund diy dog agility jumps

2. Next add the 1 3/4″ PVC pieces to the open end of the “T” connector.

ammo the dachshund diy dog agility jumps

3. Then add another “T” connector to the ends of your 1 3/4″ pipe, make sure they face in the directions pictured above.

ammo the dachshund diy dog agility jumps

4. Add the 50″ PVC pieces in-between your two “feet”.

ammo the dachshund diy dog agility jumps

5. Place your 30″ PVC pieces into the open “T” connector and then add an end cap to the top of each pipe.

ammo the dachshund diy dog agility jumps

At this point your jumps are nearly complete, but you will need to add jump cups to them. You can purchase a set of jump cups* for $19 for a set of 10 (make sure you purchase the 1″ pipe size). After you have your jump cups you will need to measure the distance between the jump cups to determine how long your jump poles need to be. In our case this was 49 3/8″ wide.

ammo the dachshund diy dog agility jumps

So out of the 3/4″ PVC pipe you purchased cut 4 pieces at 49 3/8″ (or the measurement you took between the poles after attaching your jump cups).

After making your cuts for your jump poles, you might decide to paint the poles. According to the AKC Agility Rulebook, jump poles must be striped for visibility, so who was I to argue with adding a bit of color!

ammo the dachshund diy dog agility jumps

After taping off some stripes on my poles with painters tape and newspaper mom let me choose the color I wanted from the cans of spray paint we had in the basement.

ammo the dachshund diy dog agility jumps

After a few coats of flashy blue paint, my jump poles were looking mighty fine. (You can also stripe your poles with colored electrical tape).

ammo the dachshund diy dog agility jumps

And then after letting them dry overnight, they were finally finished, and they were glorious!

ammo the dachshund diy dog agility jumps

Oh and don’t worry, I only jump a 4″ height for practice – but I had mom and dad make me an extra jump rail for when Trooper comes over to practice with me.

ammo the dachshund diy dog agility jumps

Putting my new agility jumps to the test was the best part though!

ammo the dachshund diy dog agility jumps

Look at me, I can fly! 

 

I’ve created this handy PDF for you to download that has all the instructions you will need to make your own set of DIY Dog Agility Jumps. Happy Jumping!

 

*These jumps are intended to be used for backyard fun. If you plan to build jumps for competition use make sure you build your jumps to rulebook specifications.

 

Disclaimer: To the best of our knowledge this equipment is entirely safe, however, we are not liable for any damages or injuries you or your dog may sustain from following these instructions. Use your best judgement when building equipment for your dog – and be safe!