5 dog-friendly activities for you and your pup this summer

Summer is always a fun time if you want to hit the beach, bask in the sun, or just head to a nearby park with your dog. They love being outdoors and playing in the sunshine! Here are a few great ways to enjoy a few dog-friendly activities this summer.

Let the dog days of summer begin. . .

1. Head to the beach

Stuck in the office working on IT all day? Plan a little downtime with your four-legged pal and head to the beach.

Dogs love playing in the sand. Running in the water is a great way to let them burn calories. It also gives them something to do with all that pent-up energy from being in an apartment or house all day!

Plus, you’ll get to unwind, too.

While they might not have their slow-motion Baywatch run down yet, they’ll have fun with a ball or Frisbee. Just be sure to stand back when they shake off all that sand and beach water.

(Pro tip: You’re gonna need a bigger towel!)

2. Dig for buried treasures

Sitting in an office all day trying to improve your company’s cloud computing? Schedule a half day to go relax in a park and stare at the clouds.

We promise if you take your dog to a nearby park or field . . . they’ll dig it! (Get it?)

Dogs are natural diggers and they love dirt and sand. They actually make great excavators, and who knows? You might find a buried treasure.

Just be sure to fill in the mounds that your dog creates and keep the poop bags handy. That’s a treasure no one wants to dig up!

3. Head to the pool

Spending hours running virus checks? Don’t sweat it. Wrap up early, grab your best bud, and head to the pool!

Your pooch might be a natural swimmer. Whether they’re the next Michael Phelps or not is yet to be determined.

But we know this. Dogs love pools. And they’re not picky. You can buy a child’s inflatable pool and fill it with cool water and they’ll be happy. They can play, get their exercise, and spend hours wading or relaxing in the water.

But be forewarned: Take them out for a bathroom break . . . or they’ll put the ‘p’ in that pool.

4. Turn on the sprinklers

Tired of long days at work trying to learn new Office 365 features? Let’s call it a day, do a 180, and head back home. Then make your way to your backyard and hit those sprinklers!

Your dog may be smart enough to know the garden hose isn’t a snake, but it’s funny. They still seem to have a love/hate relationship with sprinklers. That is, they love when you turn them on and hate when you turn them off!

Fun with the sprinkler allows a dog to run and jump in the water . . . and they’ll enjoy the muddy mess they make. Just be sure to take into account some cleanup time after.

Unless you like muddy paw prints all over the house. (We’re not here to judge your sense of style.)

5. Cool down in the shade

Bored in yet another meeting about cost savings and pricing? On super hot days, work from home. Just be sure to crank up that ice cold A/C.

Your dog will love it as much as you do. And remember, like people, dogs can overheat. (They do wear fur coats year round.) To help them stay cool, let them unwind in front of the A/C or a fan.

Your cool canine likes breezes, too.

Dog-friendly activities for the win!

However you decide to spend the summer, you’ll have one lucky dog on your hands. Just ensure they don’t become a hot dog. Ample shade is important no matter where the day leads you!