Fall is a beautiful time of year with all the changing colors and fun activities to enjoy. With cooler temperatures, increased wildlife activity, and changing vegetation, it also doubles as one of the best seasons for enrichment for dogs.
Here are 10 fall activities that you can easily include your dog in.
Always be sure to check online and/or call ahead of time to ensure the facility is dog-friendly, and always keep your dog leashed.
1. Navigate a Corn Maze
Find a dog-friendly local farm that hosts corn mazes in the fall.
Rather than navigating the maze on your own, allow your dog to take the lead! Take ample time letting your dog sniff around and see if they can naturally help you guide the way through.
The combination of new scents, problem-solving, and navigating an unfamiliar environment make for an enriching experience.
2. Visit a Sunflower Field
Sunflower fields make for some of the most beautiful photo backdrops.
Find a local dog-friendly field and enjoy an afternoon among the flowers. Take time to stroll and sniff, and capture stunning photos.
3. Wander Through an Apple Orchard
Spend a day at the orchard with your dog, picking apples and wandering through the rows of trees.
Let your dog enjoy "picking" the fallen apples from the ground. Plus, you'll have a stash to bring home and use in your own homemade dog treats!
Always monitor your dog closely. Do not allow them to eat the full apple as core and seeds can be toxic, and excess apple consumption may cause gastrointestinal upset.
4. Bake Homemade Halloween Dog Treats
Spend a weekend getting cozy, making homemade dog treats.
Use fall-inspired ingredients like pumpkin, turkey, sweet potato, and apple, and even get creative with dog-safe food dyes.
Check out our fall-themed cookie cutter set!
5. Visit a Pumpkin Patch
Take a stroll through a dog-friendly pumpkin patch.
Let your dog "pick" their own pumpkin (whichever one they sniff, pick up, and/or show most interest in) to bring home and carve, paint, or decorate for your porch!
6. Admire the Fall Colors on a Scenic Hike
Head out to a national park or other parks with dog-friendly trails for you and your furry friend to explore.
The changing colors make for a beautiful backdrop for photos, and the increased wildlife activity combined with various smells to take in make for an enriching experience.
7. Turn Your Hike Into a Scent Game
Looking for ways to make your hike more engaging? Here is one of my favorite ways to turn a casual walk or hike into an instinct-driven game.
As you're walking, drop a scented dummy or favorite toy along the trail. Continue walking for a few yards before turning around and encouraging your dog to find it using their nose.
This is one of the activities shared in our enrichment deck through A Practical Guide to Instinctual Enrichment, along with 100+ other activities that show you how to incorporate scent, movement, and problem-solving into everyday life.
Always follow the rules of the trail. Keep your dog safely leashed at all times. Pro tip: A long line can give your dog a little more freedom to work while still keeping them under control.
8. Try Barn Hunt
If your dog loves search and scent games, Barn Hunt may be a sport they will thrive in.
This sport challenges dogs to use their nose to locate live rats safely contained in tubes, hidden throughout a hay bale course.
For more information and a sneak peek at our first barn hunt experience, check out this post.
9. Build a Leaf Pile Treasure Hunt
A simple enrichment game that can be done right in your backyard!
Grab a rake and gather a large pile of leaves, then hide your dog's favorite toy or a scented dummy.
Release your dog and let them sniff, dig, and search to uncover the hidden object.
10. Cozy Up Around a Campfire (Or Plan a Weekend Camping Trip)
With cooler temperatures, a good fire and camping trip make for a great weekend getaway. Or, if a camping trip sounds too daunting, buy a tent and have a campout in your backyard!
Spend the day exploring hiking trails, or engage in some backyard enrichment games if you're camping at home. Then, spend the evening cozying up with a warm blanket next to a fire with your dog and roasting marshmallows/sharing dog-friendly treats.
Here's a fun dog safe smores recipe to try!
My enrichment guide has 100+ activities to pick and choose from!
Final Thoughts
Whether you're exploring a new trail, getting lost in a corn maze, searching through a pile of leaves, or cozying up around a campfire, there's no shortage of ways to enjoy the season.
So grab your dog's leash, a cozy blanket, and maybe a pumpkin or two and create lasting memories with your furry best friend.
