5 Cool, Calm Activities to Keep Your Dog Comfortable This Summer

A long walk feels like the obvious move on a hot day. It’s also one of the riskier ones.

Dogs can’t cool themselves the way we do. They have almost no sweat glands — panting is really their only real defense against heat, and it’s nowhere near as efficient as sweating. That means dogs can overheat faster than most owners expect, sometimes even on a “normal” walk if it’s humid or the pavement is hot underfoot.

So summer enrichment looks a bit different. Less running, more licking, sniffing, and chilling out — literally. These five activities use stuff you already have at home, and they’re built around keeping your dog engaged without raising their body temperature.

1. Frozen Treat Bowl

Fill a bowl with dog-safe fruits, vegetables, or treats, add a little water or broth, and freeze it. Let your dog work at it slowly as it melts.

This is enrichment in its purest form — licking and gnawing are naturally calming behaviors, and the slow melt means your dog stays occupied for a genuinely long time, not just a few minutes.

Tip: Use a wide, shallow bowl rather than a deep one. It melts more evenly and your dog can actually reach the contents as it goes.

2. Frozen Lick Mat

Spread something dog-safe and lickable — plain yogurt, mashed banana, a bit of peanut butter without xylitol — across a lick mat or even a flat plate, and freeze it.

Licking has a genuinely calming effect on dogs, both physically and behaviorally. It’s slow, repetitive, and doesn’t generate the kind of heat that physical activity does — which makes it one of the better options for a dog who’s restless but shouldn’t be running around.

Tip: No lick mat? A flat plate or even a silicone muffin tray works just as well — the texture matters less than the flatness and the cold.

3. Wet Towel Drag or Tug

Soak a towel in cool (not ice-cold) water, wring it out, and use it for a gentle tug or drag game.

This one’s better suited to higher-energy dogs who need some outlet but shouldn’t be sprinting around in the heat. The wet towel cools them slightly while they play, and the activity itself is far lower-intensity than fetch or a run.

Tip: Keep sessions short — a couple of minutes at a time — and always have fresh water nearby afterward.

4. Toy Refresh

Wash and clean your dog’s favorite toys. That’s it. Run them through the wash, scrub off the grime, let them dry.

It sounds too simple to count as enrichment, but it isn’t. A clean toy smells and feels different to a dog than a worn-in one, and that small bit of novelty is often enough to make an old toy interesting again — without buying anything new or doing anything strenuous.

Tip: Do this on a hot day specifically. It’s a zero-effort task for you and gives your dog something to investigate once the toys are back. Plus it dries quicker. 

5. Pup-arita

Blend bone broth or water with cucumber, or whatever fruit or veggie your dog already loves, and serve it in a glass or small bowl. Stick a plain dog biscuit on the rim — whatever you’ve already got in the cupboard — for the full effect.

Summer makes everyone a little more relaxed, and most of us are happy to grab a cold drink and sit in the shade. Dogs aren’t any different. This is the activity for that — sit together on the balcony or in a cool room and let your dog enjoy their own “puptail” while you have yours.

Tip: Skip anything with onion, garlic, or grapes — common ingredients that are toxic to dogs. Stick to plain broth and dog-safe produce.

Keeping It Low-Key Pays Off

Heatstroke in dogs isn’t rare, and it isn’t only a risk for extreme heat. Dogs can develop it during ordinary outdoor activity on a hot, humid day, sometimes after surprisingly little exercise. Flat-faced breeds, overweight dogs, seniors, and thick-coated breeds are at higher risk, but any dog can overheat if conditions are wrong.

None of this means your dog has to be bored all summer — it just means swapping running for licking, sniffing, and slowing down. Turns out that’s also the kind of afternoon most of us are looking for once it gets hot anyway.

Looking for more low-effort ways to keep your dog engaged? Download Woofin: Dog Activities on the App Store or Google Play — daily enrichment, bonding games, and light training, built for real life, not just perfect weather.