Strolling through falling leaves, crunching pine cones under foot, and visiting a pumpkin patch are just a few autumn time activities we love. This fall, share the joys of autumn with your new puppy by trying these fun autumn activities for your puppy! VISIT A PUMPKIN PATCH, PICK APPLES, OR GO ON A HAYRIDE Ready to […]
Strolling through falling leaves, crunching pine cones under foot, and visiting a pumpkin patch are just a few autumn time activities we love. This fall, share the joys of autumn with your new puppy by trying these fun autumn activities for your puppy!
Ready to dive into our fun autumn activities for your puppy? Certain activities only come around once a year. The autumn season brings with it the beauty and natural splendor of Mother Nature transitioning her landscapes before Old Man Winter descends. Don’t miss out on enjoying the colorful autumn vistas in your area. There are plenty of fun outdoor opportunities for you and your puppy to marvel at the turning leaves and fresh air.
Our personal favorite outdoor activities for you and your puppy include visiting a (dog-friendly) pumpkin patch, going to an orchard for some autumn apple picking, and enjoying a hayride through the rolling hills of Texas or your suburban neighborhood. Don’t laugh, you’d be surprised at what’s happening in your neck of the woods this October!
You don’t have to go to a pumpkin patch or apple orchard to bond with your pooch in the fresh air this autumn. If you can’t find a dog-friendly hayride, orchard, or pumpkin patch, why not create a fun, play haven in your backyard? Raking the fallen leaves on your yard into big piles can transform your backyard into a puppy playground. You can use the leaf piles to play hide and seek with your puppy, hide his favorite toy in the leaves for him to find, or just plain jump into the piles with your pooch!
Playing with your puppy at home like this can be a great option if your puppy is younger and not completely trained. You won’t have to worry about his conduct with strangers or the possibility of him sprinting off when you’re safely at home in the yard with him.
Our next fun autumn activities for your puppy are all about exercise! Depending on the opportunities in your area, you might like to participate in a local 5K race for charity. Charity races are often dog-friendly (for dogs on leashes). And since walking is just as acceptable as jogging, you can get great exercise and fresh air with your puppy without any pressure to place well in the race.
We recommend bringing a puppy carrier or alternative option to carry your puppy if he gets tired during the 5k distance, which is 3.1 miles, especially if the route is on pavement. The great thing about entering a charity race is that you’ll be supporting a worthy charitable cause. And if the distance is too much for you or your puppy, no one will hold it against you if you duck out of the race.
A fun way to get into the Halloween spirit this autumn is to enter your puppy into a pet costume contest. This can be a great activity for new puppy parents who live in urban areas and therefore don’t have access to pumpkin patches or have backyards to play in with their pooches. Your local craft store, pet store, veterinarian clinic, and even supermarket may have pet costume contests!
For extra bonding and creativity, consider making your own pet costume for your puppy. This can also provide an added layer of protection to avoid Halloween puppy hazards, because by making the costume yourself, you can avoid using materials that could tear off and choke your puppy. In our opinion, some of the best puppy costumes have been fun Halloween hats, superhero masks and capes, and other non-restricting costumes that won’t trip or bother your dog.
Another idea on our list of fun autumn activities for your puppy is baking together! This fun way to bond with your new puppy is all about making tasty treats! Homemade doggie treats are easy to throw together, and your puppy will love tasting the healthy ingredients as you go. Quality time in the kitchen with your fur baby is also an opportunity to get a few extra minutes of basic puppy training into your day. You can do this by asking your puppy pal to “sit” and exercise a moment of patience before you reward him with a lick of peanut butter–yummy!
Everyone at Petland Texas unanimously agreed that the all-time best doggie treat recipe for autumn is Peanut Butter & Pumpkin Dog Treats. We can’t boast that this is our recipe, just one we happen to love because our dogs do! We cherry picked this dog treat recipe from All Recipes, a fun website for every recipe under the sun.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 25 treats
Ingredients
Whole Wheat Flour (2 ½ cups)
Though you could use all-purpose flour, we recommend whole wheat flour since it’s packed with nutrients and fiber that are healthy for your puppy (and you!)
Eggs (2 large eggs)
The protein from eggs is healthy for dogs and will add the right kind of extra protein that growing puppies need.
Pumpkin Puree (Canned) (½ cup)
When picking out canned pumpkin for these dog treats, be sure to get “pumpkin puree” and not pumpkin pie filling, as the latter contains added unhealthy ingredients like sugar. Pumpkin puree is strictly cooked and mashed pumpkin with no other ingredients.
Peanut Butter (2 tablespoons)
Dogs go bonkers for peanut butter! It’s easily their favorite treat. Just be sure to get a natural peanut butter with no added sugar or sugar substitutes like Xylitol, which can be harmful to dogs.
Salt (½ teaspoon)
Salt is perfectly safe for puppies as long as it’s used in moderation, so pay attention to the quantity of salt that’s called for in this recipe, and refrain from adding more even if it doesn’t taste “salty enough” for you.
Cinnamon (½ teaspoon ground cinnamon)
Cinnamon can be healthy for dogs in moderate quantities, so follow the measurement called for in this recipe. Cinnamon contains anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that are healthy for both puppies and humans.
Water (1 teaspoon, or according to preference)
In this recipe, water is optional, but will help the dough to be easier to mold as you knead it prior to cutting the dough with a cookie cutter.
Instructions
Those are our fun autumn activities for your puppy! From everyone at Petland Texas, we wish you and your new puppy pal a lovely fall season and happy & safe Halloween! If you’re on the lookout for your next puppy, or have a puppy-shaped hole in your heart that you would like to fill this autumn, stop in any of our Petland Texas locations to meet the new arrivals!
