12 Fall Activities to Do With Your Dog Before Winter Hits

The best season for dogs is short. Here are the outdoor adventures, seasonal treats, and cozy rituals worth prioritizing before it gets too cold.

Fall is objectively the best season to own a dog. The heat is gone, the bugs are dying off, the trails are empty because everyone's back at work, and your dog finally has the energy for longer adventures without overheating. It's also painfully short — depending on where you live, you get maybe 8-10 good weeks between "too hot" and "too cold." Here's what's worth doing before winter shuts everything down.

Outdoor Adventures

1. Hit the Trails Before They Get Muddy

The window between summer heat and fall rain is prime hiking season. Trails are dry, temperatures are comfortable (50-65°F is ideal for most dogs), and the changing leaves make everything more photogenic. If you haven't taken your dog hiking yet, fall is the time to start.

A few things change from summer hiking (which we covered in our summer hiking safety guide):

Alice and I have been hiking together for 8 years. Our favorite fall hikes are the ones where we leave early, hit the trail by 7am, and have the whole mountain to ourselves before the weekend crowd shows up.

2. Apple Orchard Visits

Many orchards are dog-friendly (on leash). The fallen apples are a natural treat — dogs can eat apples safely (just avoid the seeds and core). Dodo discovered windfall apples last fall and spent 20 minutes rolling one around with her nose like a soccer ball. Check individual orchards for their pet policy before going.

3. Beach Season Round Two

If you live near a coast, fall is actually better beach weather for dogs than summer. The water is still warm from months of sun, but the air is cooler so your dog won't overheat running on sand. Most beaches also relax their "no dogs" rules after Labor Day. Alice's favorite activity is chasing waves — she won't go in past her chest, but she'll sprint along the waterline for an hour straight.

4. Leaf Pile Diving

This sounds silly but it's genuinely one of Dodo's favorite things. Rake up a big pile of leaves in the backyard and let your dog launch into it. It's free enrichment, it's hilarious to watch, and it makes for great content if you're into that. Just check for sticks or debris first — you don't want a sharp branch hidden in there.

5. Outdoor Dining Season

Patios are still open but not sweltering. This is the sweet spot for bringing your dog to brunch — cool enough that they're comfortable lying under the table, warm enough that you're not freezing. I bring a LoveWag mat for Dodo to lie on at restaurants. It gives her a defined "spot" and keeps her off dirty patio floors.

Seasonal Food & Treats

6. Pumpkin Everything (That's Actually Good for Dogs)

Plain canned pumpkin (not pie filling) is genuinely good for dogs — it's high in fiber and helps with both diarrhea and constipation. You can:

I add pumpkin to Dodo's dinner 2-3 times per week in fall. It's cheap, healthy, and she goes crazy for it.

7. Bone Broth Season

Homemade bone broth is a perfect fall project. Simmer beef or chicken bones for 12-24 hours, strain, and freeze in ice cube trays. Pop a cube into your dog's water bowl or pour it over kibble for a warm, savory meal topper. Alice gets a broth cube on her dinner every night from October through March. It's especially good for senior dogs with joint stiffness — the collagen and glucosamine in bone broth supports joint health naturally.

Cozy Indoor Activities

8. Nosework Training

When the weather turns and outdoor time gets shorter, nosework fills the gap. Hide treats around the house and let your dog find them using their nose. Start easy (treats in plain sight) and gradually make it harder (inside closed boxes, behind furniture, in another room). A 15-minute nosework session tires Dodo out more than a 30-minute walk because it's so mentally demanding.

9. Teach a New Trick

Fall is perfect for indoor training projects. The weather keeps you inside more, and your dog has post-summer energy to burn. Some tricks worth teaching:

We taught Dodo "place" in October last year and it's now one of our most-used commands — especially when we have guests over.

10. Update Their Wardrobe

If your dog wears coats or sweaters (Dodo does because she's small and has a single coat that doesn't insulate well), fall is when to buy them. Sizes sell out fast once it actually gets cold. A good dog coat should cover from the base of the neck to the base of the tail, have a chest panel, and be waterproof for rainy fall walks.

Prep for Winter

11. Vet Checkup Before the Holidays

Schedule your annual vet visit for September or October. Clinics get slammed in November-December with holiday boarding requirements and end-of-year insurance deadlines. Getting in early means shorter waits, more appointment availability, and you'll have updated records if you need to board over the holidays. Check our puppy vaccination schedule if your dog is due for boosters.

12. Stock Up on Rainy Day Supplies

Before winter hits and you're stuck inside for weeks, build your indoor enrichment arsenal:

Our dog enrichment ideas post has 15 options that cost nothing or almost nothing.

The Bottom Line

Fall with a dog is genuinely special. The energy is different — your dog is more comfortable, more willing to explore, and more fun to be around when they're not panting in the heat. Take advantage of it. The hiking, the patios, the leaf piles, the apple orchards — all of it disappears in a few weeks. Winter is long. Fall is not.

More seasonal content: hiking with dogs in summer, how much exercise does a puppy need, and dog enrichment ideas.