This Wednesday, 15 July, is St Swithin's Day — the one day of the year when the entire British weather forecast allegedly gets decided in a single afternoon. The old rhyme is uncompromising: if it rains on St Swithin's Day, it rains for forty days; if it's fair, you get forty days of sun.
The legend goes back to St Swithun, a ninth-century Bishop of Winchester who asked to be buried outside in the churchyard, where the rain could fall on him and ordinary feet could pass over his grave. About a century later, on 15 July 971, the monks moved his remains to a shrine inside the cathedral — and, the story goes, the heavens opened in protest and didn't stop for forty days.
Is it true? The Met Office has checked the records and, in fairness to modern science, no St Swithin's Day has ever actually delivered forty straight days of anything. But if you live with a dog, you already run your life by a forecast of roughly this quality — the one where "just a quick trip out" is judged from the doorstep with a single suspicious sniff. So in the spirit of the day: here's your plan for both futures.
Plan A: forty more days of sun
If Wednesday stays fair, brace for the long haul of high summer. Four jobs:
- Adopt the seven-second rule as law. Back of your hand, flat on the pavement, count to seven — if you can't, the walk waits for a cooler hour. Sunny tarmac on a 25°C day can hit around 50°C, which is burn territory for pads. The full pavement playbook (surfaces, safe walk times, burn signs) is in this week's guide: How Hot Is Too Hot? Protecting Your Dog's Paws From Hot Pavements.
- Respect the shade audit. Your dog has already surveyed the property and knows the coolest square metre by the hour — the kitchen tiles, the hallway draught, the spot under the trampoline. Don't relocate them; they're working. (We wrote about that talent this week too: The Shade Finder.)
- Keep the water interesting and everywhere. A bowl in every room they use, refreshed often — dogs drink noticeably more when the water is cool and the bowl is where they already are. If the household bowl has seen better days, the Shiba Inu Ceramic Dog Bowl (£25, or £27 with their name on it) is a heavy, stable ceramic that doesn't skate across the floor mid-drink.
- Budget for the picnic tax. Forty days of sun is forty days of picnic blankets, and every one of them pays tribute in crusts and sausage-roll ends. If your dog's stomach keeps the receipts, this week's gut-health guide covers the daily probiotic routine — and if you'd rather they toasted the season legally, a can of Woof Dog Beer 0% (£2.99, alcohol-free, fizz-free) lets them join the barbecue without stealing from it.
Plan B: forty days of rain
If Wednesday turns grey, welcome to the other British summer. Three jobs:
- A waterproof that actually gets worn. The difference between a dog who walks happily in the rain and one who plants themselves at the door is usually kit. The Eco-Friendly Sarah Raincoat (£39.99) is the one we reach for: a proper waterproof inspired by the fishermen's raincoats of the Spanish Atlantic coast, made from recycled ocean plastic — so it's keeping water off your dog and bottles out of the sea in the same outing. It comfortably clears the £30 free-delivery line too.
- Build the towel station. A dedicated dog towel by the door, deployed before the shake redecorates the hallway. Rain-walk admin takes ninety seconds when the kit is waiting and ten minutes when it isn't.
- Have an indoor rainy-day rotation. Forty days of rain is a marathon of wet-dog energy with nowhere to put it. Sniffing games, treat hunts around the living room, and a rotation of proper enrichment toys keep brains busy when paws can't be — our enrichment guide has the full toolkit.
The either-way kit
Whichever forecast wins, the overlap is reassuringly small: paws that get checked and conditioned (warm pavements and wet ground are both drying — a £7 paw balm covers both futures), water always down, a weather eye on the pavement, and a dog who — let's be honest — will treat forty days of anything as forty days of opportunities, provided you're in them.
St Swithun asked to be buried where the rain could reach him and feet could pass over his grave. A man who wanted to stay out in the weather, among the walkers. Say what you like about the forecast — he'd have made an excellent dog owner.
Frequently asked questions
What is St Swithin's Day?
St Swithin's Day falls on 15 July each year. Folklore says the weather on the day sets the pattern for the next forty days — rain begets forty days of rain, sunshine forty days of fair weather. It commemorates St Swithun, a ninth-century Bishop of Winchester whose remains were moved into Winchester Cathedral on 15 July 971.
Is the St Swithin's Day legend true?
No — the Met Office has examined the records and no forty-day run of matching weather has ever followed a St Swithin's Day. But as a prompt to get your dog's summer kit sorted for both sun and rain, it works perfectly.
Should dogs be walked in the rain?
Most dogs are fine — and many are delighted — to walk in the rain, especially with a well-fitted waterproof coat for those that feel the wet and cold. Dry paws and coat off properly afterwards, and skip walks in thunderstorms or severe weather.