Dog Friendly Activities for Summer

With the Bank Holidays in sight and the promise of summer to come my thoughts are turning to all the fun activities there are to enjoy in the holidays. Today however, I’m focusing my attention on our four-legged friends  because they deserve a great summer too.

Our Golden Retriever, Polly, has made our lives better. She’s the bees knees. So it’s really important to me that she has a great life which means most of our free time is spent with her, and I wouldn’t want it any other way. So today, I thought I’d curate a post of fun things to do with your dog to make the most of your summer together.

Picnic together When packing goodies in your picnic basket this summer, pick up something special for your pooch too. A refreshing dog beer, perhaps? Don’t forget the frisbee!

Local dog events/festivals We have a local event called Hebden Happy Hounds with agility training, competitions with food and gift stalls. Events like these are a great day out for everyone, help support your local community plus you get to meet ALL the dogs. Polly got in the local paper last year!

Make homemade frozen treats There will be lots of summer days that call for indoor activities (hello British weather). If you like to bake, think about making something homemade for your dog too. In summer why not try making homemade frozen dog treats to cool your dog on a hot day.

Bring your dog on holiday with you I absolute LOVE that there are places nowadays that offer dog-friendly accommodation at home and abroad. Eurocamp for example, offers self catering accommodation with style, quality and comfort at over 180 locations across Europe set in beautiful locations – beaches, forests, lakes, cities and mountains. Time to get Polly a PETS passport!

Visit dog-friendly cafes On rainy days take your pooch for a Pupcake, dog ice cream or beer. Hebden Bridge has a fantastic cafe for humans and hounds called The Lamppost with indoor and outdoor seating. It’s a treat to know a dog-friendly cafe that isn’t bothered by muddy paws and wellies, and serves great coffee too.

Dog-friendly beaches Road-trip! Try visiting beaches in the UK you’ve never been to before so it’s a treat for you and your dog. Plan beforehand so you know which parts of the beach you can access and whether there is parking nearby. Lytham St Annes has a great dog-friendly beach close to parking AND a cafe that serves dog ice cream!

Get an outdoor paddling pool For those hot days when your dog needs cooling off after a long walk, treat them to an outdoor paddling pool with some suitable toys to play in. I could spend hours watching Polly near water, she’s hilarious!

Go wild swimming If you and your dog are confident swimmers why not invest in a wetsuit and try some wild swimming this year. Locally, we have Gaddings Dam and Lumb Falls but I’d love to try the Lakes District – a great way to cool down after a hot sunny day and to bond with your dog too.

Take in some culture I’m sure there are plenty of places in the UK that allow you to discover art with your dog but the one that springs to mind for me is Yorkshire Sculpture Park. As long as your dog is on a short lead, you can safely explore this open air gallery (not inside), and that’s another reason why I love YSP so much.

Indoor dog parks We are very lucky to have the largest indoor adventure park in the UK on our doorstep in Sowerby Bridge. With artificial grass, agility and fly ball equipment, tunnels, sensory equipment, and separate areas for puppies and small dogs, they have something for every dog.

What activities will you be doing with your dog this summer?

Disclosure: collaborative post