A couple weeks ago some of my out-of-town family came to visit. I had a blast going on adventures with them, and you may recall I even performed a daring water rescue of my Uncle Taylor.
See my uncle, he’s a bit of a daredevil. (or clumsy on the water, depending on how you look at it).
Camp Cloon Canine Equipment totally won me over recently with their awesomely fun and stylish gear for adventurous dogs! Um that’s me! This New Zealand based company ships their products worldwide so all adventurers can enjoy their goods. And after checking out their shop, I totally want to be BFF’s with their super model dog, Clooney the Cavoodle!
You can fetch these fun goodies and more from Camp Cloon.
Disclaimer: this is not a sponsored post, nor do I own any of these products. Just simply wanted to share the latest thing I’m digging!
P.S. Thanks to one of my favorite blogs, Dog Milk for the awesome find!
A few weekends ago some of my family from out of town came for a visit. Since I’m always up for a fun adventure, I decided to show them a good time with a weekend excursion on the river!
Just down the road from the family farm is the Brandywine River, which is the perfect place to do some river tubing on a hot day!
Since this wasn’t my first tubing adventure I got pretty brave and performed some dare-devilish (I was Evel Knievel for Halloween after all) stunts on the tubes by balancing on the edge!
I wasn’t the only one enjoying the river that day either, we even found this adorable turtle taking a dip!
As the sun started to set over the river I decided to trade in my tube for a canoe since it was getting a little chilly in the water.
I love to navigate the waters and I always have to stand at the very tip of the canoe (so I get to see everything first), even if it means that I might occasionally fall overboard. Not to worry though, I’m a pretty good swimmer!
Eventually we decided to park the canoe so we could take a swim in the river, which is also where I got to perform my very first water rescue!
Ok technically no one was ever really drowning, but how was I supposed to know that? I’m a Super Hero trained to save people, and when you’re a teeny tiny dog like me everything looks dangerous!
Thankfully everyone survived the rope swing, and I made sure my entire family made it back into their rafts for the remainder of the trip home.
Well, that is until we hit a river road block! “Everyone stay with your flotation device, keep your hands inside the raft, and do not drown!”
Phew! River Tubing is stressful for a Super Hero!
Do you think your dog would attempt to save you if you were drowning? (Don’t worry, I’m sure they probably would….unless there was an alluring groundhog hole nearby of course!)
You can grab a stylish life vest just like the one I’m wearing from my friends at Ruffwear*, or check out my Gear Page for a source guide of all my stylish gear!
I can’t believe that the summer is almost over. It makes me sad to see it go, but I’m glad I’ve been able to pack in so much fun. I can’t wait to share what I’ve been up to this past July!
First, I wanted to 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!
Barkbox is a monthly subscription service for your dog. Starting as low as $19 a month (shipping included) you can get a box of the finest treats and toys sent right to your front door every month! Choose from packages for small, medium, and large dogs and as a bonus 10% of their sales go to supporting rescue groups! You can check out just what goodies your dog could be getting every month by reading my reviews!
Ruffwear carries performance dog gear designed to enhance and inspire outdoor adventures for dogs and their human companions. Totally my kind of company that carries anything from dog hiking packs, harnesses, camping essentials and more! You can check out my review of their dog boots (that even work for dachshund’s too) as well as the Ruffwear Swamp Cooler to keep your pup cool in the summer and one of my favorites, the Ruffwear Front Range Harness!
If you would like to find out more about advertising with me, visit my advertising page. And thanks again to all of my wonderful sponsors, I couldn’t do it without you!
One of the great things about camping is getting to explore the great outdoors! While I had many fun things planned for my weekend outside, the rain kept me from most of them, but the good news is I still got to visit the Beltzville State Park with Shilah.
The fun thing about Beltzville is that they have a lake! I was super excited to visit the lake because they also have a pet friendly boat rental (similar to the local lake I visit in the summer), and I was secretly hoping it had some speed boats because Beltzville has a 45mph speed limit (my local lake is much lower).
Sadly because of the overcast day the boat rental was closed for the day when I arrived! But I wasn’t going to let that ruin my fun.
Especially since there were so many things in the lake that needed saving! If you didn’t already know, when I’m around water I become Mr. Lifeguard, trying to save any and everything from drowning.
I tried saving people.
I tried saving lost shoes.
(this particular rescue attempt was a success).
And I even tried saving my pal Shilah!
Although truth be told, nothing I tried to save actually needed saving. But life guard skills need to be kept in tip top shape, so it’s always best to practice as much as possible. (although paws crossed no one ever ACTUALLY needs my life saving skills, because I’m not sure I could really pull anyone in from the water, but that won’t stop me from trying!)
Visiting the Beltzville Lake was the perfect end to our camping adventure, and I can’t wait to go back again when the boat rental is open!
Don’t forget, this week I’m giving away an awesome life vest from my pals at Ruffwear (as seen on me in this post). It comes in a variety of sizes to fit any dog, and is the perfect accessory for water adventures. Don’t forget to enter!
Wondering where to get any of my great camping gear? Be sure to check out my gear page!
P.S. Special thanks to Shilah’s mom from Mrs. Dailey’s Classroom for sharing some of her camping photos with me (the ones not watermarked with my website)!
Disclaimer: This post and giveaway is brought to you by Ruffwear. All opinions are my own and I only share products I think my readers will love!
Every summer I enjoy hitting the lake, sometimes kayaking, most of the time Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP), and always practicing water safety by wearing a floatation device. While I’ve owned several life vests over the years, I’ve finally found one that fits me PERFECTLY, the Ruffwear K-9 Float Coat.
Being a Dachshund means that sometimes I have trouble finding harnesses, coats and even life vests that can accommodate my unique body type. Thankfully the Ruffwear Lifevest is adjustable in all the right places making it the best fitting one I’ve ever worn.
This floatation device has a sleek design making it slimmer fitting than any of the other vests I’ve tried, but don’t worry it’s still full of plenty of “float”!
This life jacket is not only a great design for Dachshunds, but it is also designed for dogs of all shapes and sizes. It even includes thoughtful details like a strong handle, optimally positioned to lift dogs out of the water, and reflective trim for enhanced visibility in or out of the water.
I enjoyed how the front of the vest was adjustable, but once set is easy to slip over your pup’s head, and the belly straps are also fully adjustable.
The design of this vest allowed me to have great free-flowing movement of my front legs, which is fantastic for swimming (and for all those occasions when you accidentally fall in!).
A fun little fact about me, while swimming might not be my #1 favorite thing to do, I do on occasion like to swim voluntarily, but I’ll only do so if I’m wearing a life jacket and the water is bath water warm!
I’m a big fan of the Ruffwear K-9 Float Coat, and I can’t recommend it enough for all those water loving dogs out there! It’s now my go-to summer accessory that I never leave home without.
You can fetch your own life jacket from Ruffwear for $79.95. (and incase you’re wondering, I wear a size XS and I’m 20lbs).
No purchase necessary. To enter use the Rafflecopter widget below. 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. Open to USA residents only. Winners must claim their prizes within 48 hours of being notified or prize will be forfeited. By entering you are agreeing to the terms & conditions set forth in the Rafflecopter widget (see below). Good luck!
Every year I go tent camping with friends during the summer. It’s a fun trip (filled with dog friendly adventures) that I look forward to all year long!
Especially since I get to spend all weekend with this lovely lady, my pal Shilah the Husky!
This year’s camping trip was a little different, because when I woke up on Saturday morning it was raining. And not just a little bit of rain, it POURED ALL-DAY-LONG!
The rain sort of put a damper on all the fun activities we had planned, but lucky for me mom packed my raincoat, and I wasn’t going to let the wetness stop me from having a good time.
The campsite we rented this year came with a bare-bones rustic cabin (although I always tent camp!), and thankfully the porch provided the perfect haven for lounging during the heavy rain.
Eventually we all started to get cabin fever though, and when the rain lightened up just a bit it was time to venture out for some outdoor fun (with our raincoats of course).
Even my camera crew dressed appropriately for the weather – so that I would have all these great pictures to share with you!
Our campsite had this neat stream that ran through it, and I quickly discovered my new favorite activity…..FISHING!
Consider my mind fully blown when Shilah’s dad actually caught a fish!
BEST DAY EVER! I love fishing!
And then when the fish we caught got released back into the water I couldn’t help myself from starting my own rescue mission. I mean he might drown!
I never did succeed, hopefully Mr. Fish was a good swimmer!
After a full day in the cold wet rain we all were a bit soggy, myself included.
So we had to make a trip into town to dry off, get food (for the folks that didn’t eat dog food), and make a walmart run for more rain gear!
After all my excitement in the rain I was pretty pooped. Thankfully my tent was nice and dry, and the perfect haven to rest up for another day of camping fun!
Stay tuned next week when I continue my adventures in the woods, where I even made a trip to the lake!
Wondering where to get any of my great camping gear? Be sure to check out my gear page!
P.S. Special thanks to Shilah’s mom from Mrs. Dailey’s Classroom for all the great photos of our soggy camping experience (the ones not watermarked with my website)!
Nashville was my main destination during this trip as I would be spending several days attending the BlogPaws Conference. In fact I spent so much time in Nashville that I decided to break it up into two posts today! So make sure you check back later today to read all about my adventures at BlogPaws.
One of the first things I did when I hit Nashville was to hit up the main strip on Broadway.
Live music can be seen and heard every day and night of the week in Nashville. It has become a hub for pop, rock, bluegrass, Americana, jazz, classical, contemporary Christian, blues, and soul music. It’s long been known as the “Songwriting Capital of the World” and songwriters from all over the world come to Music City to learn the art of songwriting.
Being that I was in Nashville, I had to break out a little country of my own with my plaid bandana – had I owned cowboy boots I would have totally rocked those too!
Nashville is known for not only it’s country music, but it’s delicious food too. Of course I’m never one to pass up a good piece of meat, so I popped into Jack’s Bar-B-Que as I had read they had a pet friendly patio in the back.
I didn’t realize you could access the patio from the back of the building, so I actually waited in line to get my BBQ inside with everyone else. No one seemed to care, and most people probably didn’t even notice I was there (I am short if you haven’t noticed).
Jack’s did not disappoint, and Mom and Dad seemed to be loving it too.
And in case you’re wondering, yes I did get to sample a bite or two!
After dinner it was time to wander down Broadway and checkout what goes on in Nashville in the evening….
As you can see I’m quite the expert in navigating a crowd.
As you saw I just HAD TO stop and take a few selfies with the street performers. This guy even wanted his own picture with me.
And you really can’t visit Nashville without getting a selfie with Elvis! I told him that he may be the King of Rock, but I was most certainly the King of Groundhogs. (he didn’t argue with that one bit)
After all that excitement I was happy to check into my hotel for a much needed rest. As you can see I brought all the comforts from home (as in my favorite toys).
My adventures in Nashville didn’t end there though, because I spent the next 3 days mixing and mingling at the BlogPaws conference while I was there. So make sure you check back a little later today when I share how I faired at my very first pet blogging conference…..complete with a red carpet event and everything!
P.S. Don’t forget, for you local Pennsylvanians, I’ll be at the Ryerss Family Fun Day this Saturday from 12 – 4pm with my friend Minnow the famous Painting Pony. Hope you’ll stop by and meet me! I’ll be performing some of my favorite tricks too!
If you’ve been following along with me on Facebook then you know I went on a super fun road trip last week to some amazing pet friendly locations. Yesterday I shared my first stop along the way, the National Mall, and today I’m going to share my next pit stop, the Shenandoah National Park!
The Shenandoah National Park is over 200,000 acres of protected lands that is home to deer, birds, black bears and more!
Within minutes of pulling into the park I had already seen a newborn deer cross the road in front of us with it’s mom, and if that weren’t exciting enough, you’ll never guess what I spotted next!
Oh yes, that’s right, I spotted a Black Bear! And not just one black bear, but I saw two….one of which had bear cubs with it (unfortunately my camera crew missed that shot!).
And in case you were wondering what I did when I spotted the bear….I just took it all in. No barking, not one peep, because I may have been safely in my car, but there was no way I was going to give that bear any excuse to eat me! I’m no dummy!
After all that black bear excitement I took a breather to eat my dinner overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains on Skyline drive. Best dinner ever!
After I finished up dinner I checked into my pet friendly accommodations at the Skyland Resort for the night.
My room for the night was pretty basic, but the views were so breathtaking.
Within walking distance of my accommodations was a nice little restaurant that had a pet friendly patio for “to-go” orders. I was lucky enough to eat dinner and breakfast overlooking the blue ridge mountains.
As a bonus there was a nice little bluff that was perfect for watching the sunset from.
After a restful nights sleep it was time to pack up and head out on my next adventure. But before I could hit the road, there was one last thing to do.
It had a few nice overlooks of the mountains, and was a relatively shady trail, which was nice on such a hot day.
As I headed out from Shenandoah I enjoyed taking in the scenery along Skyline Drive which runs 105 miles along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Shenandoah National Park. It’s the only public road through the park, and honestly makes a road trip that much better with it’s views!
And of course I had to stop to take a few selfies along the way!
The journey ahead to my next destination was long…
…but thankfully my meals came to me!
Make sure you check in on Monday where I’ll share my next big adventure in the Smoky Mountains and visiting the town of Gatlinberg!
What do you think your dog would have done had it spotted a black bear like I did?
Well I’m officially back from my week-long road trip! But before I share with you all the exciting things I did on my travels, I thought it would be fun to recap my May Adventures!
Before we get to all the fun, I wanted to 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!
Barkbox is a monthly subscription service for your dog. Starting as low as $19 a month (shipping included) you can get a box of the finest treats and toys sent right to your front door every month! Choose from packages for small, medium, and large dogs and as a bonus 10% of their sales go to supporting rescue groups! You can check out just what goodies your dog could be getting every month by reading my reviews!
Ruffwear carries performance dog gear designed to enhance and inspire outdoor adventures for dogs and their human companions. Totally my kind of company that carries anything from dog hiking packs, harnesses, camping essentials and more! You can check out my review of their dog boots (that even work for dachshund’s too) as well as the Ruffwear Swamp Cooler to keep your pup cool in the summer and one of my favorites, the Ruffwear Front Range Harness!
Wolfgang was created to celebrate the unique relationship between a dog and his people. They offer American-made leashes and collars for your pup using only the finest American leathers and textiles, plus a distinctive collection of wallets, belts, t-shirts and hoodies for you too. I personally love their collection of natural leather collars and leashes. You can check out all the fun goodies from Wolfgang by visiting their shop.
EzyDog makes a line of products encompassing the rugged outdoor lifestyle dogs love along with the comfort and style pet owners prefer. All EzyDog Products are designed to help both owners and pets get more out of the great outdoors. I’m currently digging their collection of life vests and rash guards – because summer is almost here! Shop EzyDog and get FREE SHIPPING on all orders over $75!
If you would like to find out more about advertising with me, click HERE. And thanks again to all of my wonderful sponsors, I couldn’t do it without you!
And that pretty much completes my May adventures! Now that summer is just about here, you better believe I’ll be heading out and about for even more fun in the sun! What are you looking forward to doing with your dog this summer?
My week long pet friendly road trip has taken me some amazing places thus far; 
