Sunshine and heat waves come with a whole lot of warnings for dogs, but there are plenty of ways to entertain your four-legged friend safely in the summer. 

Following our 2019 Summer of Fun for Dogs competition, we’ve compiled our favourite ideas for fun things to do with your dog in the summer.

One of the best ways to keep your pups entertained at home during the summertime is fun with water.  Beach days, paddling pools, dips in the lake, and water toys are great ways to get your doggies to cool off. Better yet, it gives your pup a chance to expel some energy from days stuck indoors. Here are some of Poppy’s Pals enjoying a splash-tastic summer…

Archie, our Summer of Fun champion, enjoys dips in his local lake and beaching it on trips to the seaside.  He also likes to give back during the summertime and helps his pup parent, Stephanie Elizabeth, compete in the Battersea Muddy Dog Challenge.  At Poppy’s Picnic, we love to hear about how our customers and their pups give back - well done Archie!

Next is Kai, who loves water activities almost as much as we love his videos. Kai’s pup parent, Keri Hankins, says ‘Kai loves flopping about like a seal in his pool.’ He also stays cool wallowing in mud puddles. Although, we think Keri might not be as thrilled about the mess he brings back home with this activity!

Another brilliant way to help your dogs cool off during the summer months is with creative tasty treats.  We loved some of the ideas Poppy’s Pals shared with us so much, we couldn’t keep these ones to ourselves. 

Dog mummy, Amy-Leigh Norris, feeds her pugs homemade healthy doggie ice-pops ‘to cool down and keep the pugs entertained,’ and honestly we wouldn’t mind a bite of one of these delicious treats, as well!

Poppy’s Top Tip: When making your own DIY puppy treats at home use natural, healthy ingredients like dog-friendly fruits and freshly-squeezed orange juice.

Suzy Challoner entertains her two Frenchies during the hot summer with licky matts. We love this idea.  Why not try adding your pup’s favourite Poppy’s Picnic Mince to their licky matt to keep them entertained and eating at a healthy pace for their digestion. 

Poppy (the Dachshund) enjoys ice cube treats he gets from his pup parent, Becky Hughes. This one is simple and easy to do. The dogs think they are getting a special treat as well, so it’s a win win! Poppy of Poppy’s Picnic and her daughter, Slipper love ice cubes rubbed over their paws and tummy, too. You can add ice cubes to water bowls, as well. Try adding a mixture of berries and peanut butter for an added boost of flavour - just be sure the peanut butter you are feeding your pups does not contain Xylitol as this is poisonous to puppy tummies. 

Finally, who says that you can’t stay active while indoors? 

Wimbledon champion Amber is the perfect example of how you can stay active without overheating. We expect to see her on the courts next year! This idea came from our own Deborah Howe and we love it because it keeps the humans active as well as the dogs. 

Archie is back showing us that you can throw a fab party indoors that is sure to entertain your dog and all their paw buddies. We love this idea and I’m sure his mum put together some delicious tasty treats for the lot. A very happy birthday to the good boy.

We loved hearing from Poppy’s Pals.  Share and tag us in your posts on Facebook or Instagram as we would love to hear from you! Stephanie Elizabeth, our winner of the Summer of Fun for Dogs contest, won a £50 cash prize and a popular hamper for her pup Archie. Remember to follow us and look out for ways you can win and save on Poppy’s Picnic award-winning raw dog food.