The weather may still be cool and crispy, depending on where you live, but summertime is just around the corner. While some people might be planning their upcoming vacations abroad, others are brainstorming about fun short-term holidays, or daily outings and small road trips to take with their friends.\u00a0 But how many people make a puppy-and-me bucket list?\u00a0 Grab a pen and paper and start thinking of some fun things you and your canine pal and do together this summer.<\/p>\n
Try a new haircut!<\/strong> Maybe you\u2019ve already planned to add some sunshiny highlights to your hair, or to finally shave off the remnants of your winter beard. This time, add your dog\u2019s coat to the agenda too. In the warm summer months, your pup could do with an extra shave, so think of something funky he could sport, like the \u201clion cut\u201d or some brightly dyed poofs of hair. Next time you go in for a haircut, take your dog to have his own fun at the groomer\u2019s this season.<\/p>\n Watch an epic sunset.<\/strong> We are not talking about looking from the porch of your house, or walking to the park down the road.\u00a0 Plan an entire evening, by hopping into your car and getting out to a beach sunset, or the highest vista you can drive to.\u00a0 Set up a blanket, bring some snacks for you and doggy treats for your pup, and watch the sun sink below the horizon together.\u00a0 Learn a new trick.<\/strong>\u00a0 The daylight hours are much longer in the summer, affording you some extra time to bond with your furry best friend.\u00a0 If there is a trick you are trying to teach him, now is the best time to do it!\u00a0 You might want your pup to learn how to fetch you a cold beer from the fridge, or how to sing along with you while you strum a guitar at the beach. Have a water fight with your dog.<\/strong>\u00a0 If you don\u2019t have a pool to dive in, playing with hoses and water guns is the next best way to cool off!\u00a0 Get a super-soaker gun, and spray down your dog at the park, or bring a dog-owning friend, and have some two-on-two water fight battles! Soon everyone will be doused and happily cooled off together. (Note: While filling water balloons is a blast, be aware that these are hazardous for dogs. Water guns, buckets and hoses are safer options!)<\/p>\n Plan a pet-centered picnic.<\/strong>\u00a0 If you have a friend or two with a well-mannered dog, plan an early afternoon picnic at the park. Load up your baskets with water bottles, people food, and puppy delights for you and the canines to feast on. Imagine the game of Frisbee you could have with 2 or 3 adults and their dogs!<\/p>\n Get a new toy!<\/strong>\u00a0 Yes, we know being an adult is serious business, which is why blowing off steam with a fun new gadget or toy is good therapy for the mind.\u00a0 Treat yourself to that smart watch, or the GoPro camera you\u2019ve been eying, and while you\u2019re at it grab a new feature for your dog too!\u00a0 Whether it\u2019s a lifetime-warranty chew toy, or a vibrating bouncy ball to chase around, summer is a great time to clean out your closet, throwing out the old and finding something new to invest in.<\/p>\n Build a sand fort<\/strong>. Dogs are enthusiastic and efficient diggers.\u00a0 When you and your friends or family go to the beach, bring your dog along and set to building a deep sand-fort.\u00a0 The kids will love watching your pup pawing away big piles of sand, and then getting to hide in the sand cave.\u00a0 Then you can team up and have a sand castle-building competition with the leftover sand. Bringing dogs to the beach is a great way to enjoy the sunshine, and playtime for the whole family.<\/p>\n Take a camping trip<\/strong>.\u00a0 Many campsites will allow canine guests as long as they are on a leash at all times. One of the most idyllic summertime settings is a tent, a campfire, and a stunning view of a lake or the mountains.\u00a0 Some people feel uneasy about staying in the woods, and sleeping out in the wild, so bringing the dog is a great solution.\u00a0 Not only will dogs let you know if there is any danger, they will also keep other animals at bay, and will help you rest easy long after the campfire has died down.<\/p>\n Skip the walks, and go for a swim!<\/strong> On sweltering summer days, it\u2019s hard to be motivated to go for a walk with your dog. See if there is an aquatic center near you that allows dogs to get their exercise in a pool!\u00a0 If not, try to head to the nearest river, lake, or beach so you and your pup and splash in the water for an exercise alternative.<\/p>\n Watch a classic dog film<\/strong>. Whether you are in the mood for a cartoon, or a classic live-action film, it can be fun to host a movie night for you, your pet-owning pals and their pups. Choose a crowd-pleasing dog movie, and have everyone set up their chairs and blankets in your backyard or living room. These kinds of community gatherings become the reason why people miss summer when the seasons change!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The weather may still be cool and crispy, depending on where you live, but summertime is just around the corner. While some people might be planning their upcoming vacations abroad, others are brainstorming about fun short-term holidays, or daily outings and small road trips to take with their friends.\u00a0 But how many people make a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3502,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[15],"tags":[19,21],"class_list":["post-3501","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-training-and-behavior","tag-cats","tag-dogs"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.petrofile.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/woman-swimming-with-dog.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5xKys-Ut","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.petrofile.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3501","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.petrofile.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.petrofile.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.petrofile.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.petrofile.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3501"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.petrofile.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3501\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.petrofile.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3502"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.petrofile.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3501"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.petrofile.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3501"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.petrofile.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3501"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n