My favorite fall activities with dogs usually start with something simple: opening the door on the first genuinely cool morning after a long Arkansas summer.
The dogs notice it, too.
Suddenly, we can walk without racing the heat. We can sit outside because we actually want to sit outside. The backyard becomes somewhere to hang out again instead of somewhere to complete necessary dog business before retreating to the air conditioning.
Arkansas may still have a few 90-degree surprises in store for us, but I’m calling it: Bring on fall. 🍂
Take the long way home
One of the best things about fall dog walks is that we can wander again.
Take the longer route. Turn down the street you usually skip. Drive to a park you haven’t explored before. Or go absolutely nowhere interesting and let your dog spend five minutes sniffing one inexplicably fascinating patch of grass.
I think we humans sometimes get a little too focused on distance. Sometimes, I can look at a walk and think we barely went anywhere while my dog has apparently read the morning news, checked several neighborhood message boards, and investigated a developing situation involving a squirrel.
That counts.
That said, I do love having the right stuff ready to go. A leash I like holding, water that’s easy to carry, poop bags, something reflective as the days get shorter, and a comfortable setup in the car all make it easier to just grab the dogs and go.
Affiliate disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. #CommissionsEarned
I put our favorites in Let’s Go, Dog! 🐾🚗, an Amazon list of the dog travel gear and everyday adventure stuff we actually like.
The gear isn’t the adventure. It just makes it easier to say yes to one.
Fall activities with dogs don’t require going anywhere
Some of my favorite fall activities with dogs happen without ever leaving the backyard.
For example, scatter treats in the grass or leaves. Hide a favorite toy. Set up a few pieces of agility equipment. Bring out the flirt pole. Put some cardboard boxes on the lawn and see what happens. If your dog likes training, teach something with absolutely no practical value whatsoever.
Actually, I highly recommend teaching things with no practical value whatsoever.
At Poochie Garden, I spend a lot of time thinking about dog enrichment, and one thing dogs have taught me is that we can overcomplicate it. Sometimes, you don’t need a brand-new activity. Change the location, presentation, or rules of something your dog already enjoys, and suddenly it’s interesting again.
Fall does some of that work for us. The ground feels different. The air smells different. Leaves blow around, sticks are everywhere, and apparently every acorn also requires investigation.
Who am I to interfere with important scientific work?
Halloween activities with dogs should be fun
I love Halloween. I also think Halloween with dogs should depend heavily on what your dog considers fun.
If your dog loves dressing up, excellent. This is your time.
On the other hand, if your dog regards clothing as a personal betrayal, there are plenty of other ways to be ridiculous together. Take a picture by the pumpkins. Go for a walk to look at decorations. Wear the costume yourself.
I currently own an inflatable Bigfoot costume.
That’s really all I have to say about that. 😂
I’ve collected some of the Halloween finds we’ve enjoyed in Bring on Halloween! 🎃, including options for dogs who enjoy participating and plenty of nonsense that doesn’t have to go anywhere near the dog.
Also, Arkansas fall is a liar
Planning fall activities with dogs in Arkansas requires a certain amount of flexibility. Of course, you can leave the house on a beautiful, crisp October morning and discover by afternoon that summer has returned from the dead.
The calendar doesn’t matter to your dog, so I keep the warm-weather habits around for a while. Bring water. Look for shade, pay attention to the pavement and the sun, and shorten the adventure if it’s warmer than expected. On warmer days, water play can be another way to enjoy some outside time without pretending Arkansas got the memo about fall. We may still use cooling gear on a day when every store in town is trying to sell me a sweater.
And then, probably without warning, I’ll be digging out the dog coats.
Such is fall in Arkansas.
Stay home
Sometimes, though, the best fall plan is staying home.
Open the windows. Sit on the porch. Bring a dog bed outside. Give your dog a puzzle or lick mat and drink your coffee while they work on it. Watch the leaves fall.
Decorate if that’s your thing. It is very much my thing.
I’ve put some of my favorite seasonal finds in Bring on Fall! 🍂, but the dogs certainly don’t care whether I’ve achieved an appropriately autumnal aesthetic.
They care that I’m outside with them.
And maybe that’s the part I don’t want to rush past.
And if your dog would rather have a whole garden to explore, come spend an hour at Poochie Garden, or head out to your favorite local Sniffspot. Fall is a pretty wonderful time to explore together.
Take the picture
I have thousands of pictures of my dogs.
I still wish I had more.
Not better pictures. More ordinary pictures.
The blurry ones. The weird sleeping positions. The walk we’ve taken a hundred times. The dog sitting in the backyard on a completely unremarkable Tuesday. The moment that doesn’t seem important enough to photograph because surely we’ll do this again.
Take that picture.
The puppy discovering crunchy leaves this year won’t be quite that puppy next year. The dog in the prime of life will have another year of adventures behind them. Your older dog may walk a little more slowly next fall, and maybe you’ll walk a little more slowly with them.
Because that’s the thing about loving dogs. We get to watch them become so many different versions of themselves.
And we love every one of them.
There will be other Octobers. There will never be this October with this exact version of your dog.
So take the long walk if you can.
Let them sniff.
Sit outside together.
Put the ridiculous costume on yourself.
Take the picture.
And go spend this fall with your dog. ❤️🐾🍂
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Some products I share were provided through Amazon Vine for review, while others were purchased by me. My recommendations are based on my own experience with them.