Ahhh, summer. We’re all excited and ready for the nice warm weather and to enjoy the outdoors! Our dogs often enjoy spending extra time with us as well. In our summer guide for dogs, we’ll be looking at some of the best ways to help your dog have fun this summer, too!

Fun with Water

If your dog loves water, then summer is the perfect time to take advantage of the weather and play some fun water games. Ideas include:

- Spraying the hose or using a sprinkler if your dog likes to chase and chomp water

- Fill a kiddie pool for your dog to splash around in the water

- Drop toys or treats in the pool or bucket of water for your dog to “bob” for rewards!

If you play any water games with your dogs, please also watch them and keep an eye out for “water intoxication.” It’s best to play water games for a short period of time to avoid your dog ingesting too much water. https://www.firstaidfordogs.co.uk/news/water-intoxication-also-known-as-hyponatremia

Dig Box

If your dog loves to dig, then make them a sandbox! Sand or small gravel is best to keep your dog from getting muddy by digging in dirt. A kid’s sandbox or plastic pool is a great option to hold the substrate. Once your dog’s dig box is filled with sand, bury treats and toys to encourage them to dig and let them have fun!

Hide and Seek

Start by sneaking away when your dog is distracted or having a friend hold your dog. Hide somewhere and call your dog! Not only is it a great way to play with your dog, but it also is a great game to practice your dog coming when you call them. If you have a friend, you can take turns calling your dog while the other one hides to make the game efficient!

Hide and seek can also be played by hiding your dog’s toys around the yard for your dog to find them. Start with one toy until your dog has learned the game and then start hiding even more! You can give your dog a cue such as “find it” to tell them it’s time to start the hide and seek game with their toys.

Bubbles

Playing with a bubble machine or blowing bubbles for your dog can be a fun game! Your dog gets to chase and chomp the bubbles - plus it’s a good excuse for us humans to get to blow bubbles, too! Bubbles aren’t just for kids anymore!

Make an Obstacle Course

For the energetic dog in your life, try making a fun obstacle course! For this activity, please follow any guidelines from your dog’s veterinarian about exercise for your individual dog (and don’t put stress on the joints of growing puppies). Jumps can be made by setting a broomstick on a brick (and this keeps it nice and low, so it’s safer). Other obstacles can be made for a dog to jump onto a platform. A set of chairs covered with a blanket can make a fun tunnel!

Summer Treats

Besides fun outdoor, summer activities, you can help your dog enjoy the summer with some delicious and cool treats! One option is to make “pupsicles” for your dog by freezing dog-safe fruits or other foods in a paper cup or ice cube tray. You can visit our list of dog-safe fruits here: https://inpupswetrust.com/blogs/news/safe-fruits-for-dogs.

Play around with what your dog enjoys best! There are so many activities you can do to help your dog enjoy summer and have fun - which means you can try them with your dog and find their favorites.