High summer has arrived, the tennis is on, and the dog has firmly decided they're coming along to everything. This is the season of the day out — the picnic in the park, the slow café morning, the long warm afternoon where the dog is less of a pet and more of a plus-one. Here's how to make a dog-friendly summer day out genuinely lovely for both of you, with a simple kit list and a few honest pointers.
Plan the day around the heat, not the clock
The first rule of a summer day out is timing. The middle of a hot day — roughly 11am to 4pm — is for shade and rest, not for marching across open ground. Aim your walking and activity at the cooler ends of the day, and treat the hot hours as picnic-blanket-and-snooze time. Before any walk on warm pavement, do the five-second test: press the back of your hand to the ground and hold for five seconds. If it's too hot for your hand, it's too hot for their paws, so stick to grass and shade. (Our full guide to keeping a dog cool in hot weather covers the heat side in detail — worth a read before the next warm spell.)
The summer day-out kit list
A good day out runs on a small, well-packed bag. Here's what earns its place:
- Water and a bowl. Carry more water than you think you'll need, plus a travel bowl or wide bottle they can drink from. Don't rely on finding a tap.
- Shade. A patch of tree cover, a parasol, or a spot you already know is covered. Claim the shady side of the bench before someone else does.
- Paw aftercare. Hot ground and long days are hard on pads. A natural balm like the CALM & CARE Paw Balm (£7.00) keeps them supple — and, made with lavender and chamomile, doubles as a calming rub for an overstimulated dog at the end of a big day.
- A stable bowl for home base. If your day out is really a long afternoon in the garden, a heavy Shiba Inu Ceramic Dog Bowl (£25.00) set in the shade keeps cool water available and stays put when an excited dog barges past it.
- The picnic toast. No summer gathering is complete without the dog joining in. A can of Woof Dog Beer 0% (£2.99) — an alcohol-free, fizz-free beef-and-gravy treat drink — lets them clink in spirit while you have yours.
- A carrier for the small ones. If your dog is small, a structured, ventilated carrier means they can rest in shade rather than be carried in the heat, and travel calmly on the train or through a crowd. See our guide to the best dog carriers and travel bags.
Where to go (and how to do it well)
The park picnic
The classic. Pick a spot with reliable shade, lay a blanket the dog can settle on, and bring a long line if you want them to lounge near you off the main lead in an open space. Keep grapes, raisins, chocolate and anything with the sweetener xylitol firmly out of reach — all are toxic to dogs — and bring their own treats so they're not begging the whole picnic.
The café morning
More and more UK cafés and pub gardens welcome dogs, and many will bring out a water bowl on request. Go earlier in the day when it's cooler and quieter, choose a shaded outdoor table, and bring something for the dog to chew or settle with so they relax rather than fixate on every passing crumb. A calm dog at a café table is mostly a tired, watered, shaded dog.
The day watching the tennis
If your summer day out is actually a summer day in — windows open, the tennis on, friends round — the dog still wants to be at the centre of it. Keep the room cool with curtains drawn on the sunny side and air moving, put their water bowl somewhere they won't have it knocked over in the excitement, and let them have the cool floor. The strawberries are yours; the Woof Dog Beer is theirs.
A quick word on dog-friendly summer safety
Three things keep a summer day out happy rather than stressful: water, shade and never leaving a dog in a parked car (even for "just five minutes" — on a 22°C day a car can pass 47°C within the hour). Learn the early signs of overheating too — heavy panting, drooling, very red gums, a wobbly walk — and if you see them, get the dog into shade, offer cool water, and call your vet. Most days will never come close to that. A bit of planning is all it takes to make sure of it.
That's the whole secret of a dog-friendly summer, really. Bring the water, find the shade, pack the small comforts — and let the dog be the plus-one they've already decided they are. Free UK delivery on orders over £30 makes it easy to get the day-out kit sorted before the next warm weekend.
Frequently asked questions
What should I pack for a day out with my dog in summer?
The essentials are plenty of water and a travel bowl, a shade plan, paw aftercare for hot ground, their own treats, and waste bags. For small dogs, add a ventilated carrier so they can rest in shade; for a garden day, a heavy, stable water bowl set in the shade. Pack more water than you expect to need.
How do I keep my dog comfortable at a summer picnic?
Choose a shaded spot, lay a blanket they can settle on, keep cool water available, and bring their own treats so they're not tempted by picnic food — and keep grapes, raisins, chocolate and xylitol well out of reach, as all are toxic to dogs. Visit in the cooler morning or evening rather than the midday heat.
Are dogs allowed at UK cafés?
Many UK cafés, pubs and their gardens welcome dogs, especially at outdoor tables, and lots will bring out a water bowl on request — but it varies by venue, so check ahead or look for a dog-friendly sign. Go earlier when it's cooler and quieter, and bring something for the dog to settle with.