Summer activities with the dog

Summer means warmth and vacation. And while warmth isn't always your dog's cup of tea, vacation and time with you are always high on the wish list – along with some great summer activities.

If it is indeed summer and hot, then you must first of all respect that your dog's activity level is lower than usual during the day. It is quite normal for him to seem lazy and prefer to lie down and relax in the shade. Therefore, you should always make sure that your dog has plenty of water and access to shade.

Fortunately, not every day is a heat wave here in Denmark, and even though there are hot days, the evenings are mostly cool, and this is when you should activate your dog if he is lazy in the heat during the day.

• Do foraging exercises in the garden or on a walk: Now that the grass is tall, it is more challenging for your dog to forage for food. Throw dinner out into the tall grass and let your dog use his nose to find the food. You can also do foraging exercises by hiding the food in small buckets in the shade around the garden, and you can vary this according to the level of difficulty.

• Fill a small swimming pool with water: If your dog loves water, he will love to soak in the pool on hot days.

• Play in the swimming pool: The swimming pool can also be used for good activities, such as fetching balls in the water - or put treats in the water and let him find them himself (and eat them)

• Go for long walks: Let your dog benefit from the fact that you have time off and that you have time to go for some long walks with plenty of time for the dog, where it can really "read the newspaper" and sniff through it.

• Take it to friends and family: In the summer we are mostly outside, and if you are going to a barbecue with friends, for example, take the dog with you. Dogs also get activated by joining in our activities if they are not used to it. And a new garden to sniff in is never a bad idea either.

• Teach your dog to swim: If you don't already have a water dog, you can spend the summer teaching it to go in the water (on dog-friendly beaches). Because when the water is warm in the summer, and we also want to go in, it's easier to get the dog to join in and make it understand that it's not dangerous. Reward it with lots of treats and praise - and remember to take it at the dog's pace. Some dogs jump into the water, while others need more time and persuasion to put their paws in.

• Shake yourself: If your dog is at the beach and in the water, it's a good idea to teach him to shake himself on command - because then you'll have lots of days when your dog is wet. Start by giving him the command "Shake yourself" (or whatever command you want to use) when your dog shakes himself after a swim. Praise and reward right after your dog has shaken himself. The more times you do this, the more your dog will understand that he should shake himself on command, and if you and your dog are good at being consistent in training, your dog may shake himself on command after the summer holidays.

• Find the family: If you are on vacation with your family, you can teach your dog to find the family. You can either teach it the names of the family and let it search for you – or you can do it the other way around and play hide and seek with the dog. Here, one person holds the dog while the rest hide. One by one, you call the dog (only once) and then the dog has to work and use its nose to find you. A fun game for both dog and human.