Your best friend loves autumn as much as you do. Though many think of summer as the time to be outside, fall is where the real outdoor adventures begin. As the holidays near, and the leaves turn brown, there are tons of reasons to be outside this fall. Here are four of them.

Raking With Rover

There is a lot to do in the yard in fall. Make sure your dog is getting outside too. Apples need picking, plants need pruning, and leaves needs raking. Dogs absolutely love it when their humans include them in the yard work. And there’s nothing your mutt loves more than to put a glitch in your leaf-raking efforts. Try raking all the leaves in the yard into one big pile and see what your dog wants to do with it; make sure to take a picture right before he lands in the pile!

Pumpkins With The Pooch

If allowed, take your dog with you to the pumpkin patch, and let him try his paws at getting out of the corn maze. Let him follow his nose to the perfect exit, especially if you’re the one who is lost. After you both have survived the maze, go after the beautiful orange gourds. After the pumpkins are hollowed out try using the pulp or seeds to make healthy dog treats. Pumpkin is great for dogs to eat (but not if it’s that molding jack-o-lantern on your neighbor’s porch that he so desperately wants to sniff!) You can share your treats with other dog owning humans (while sipping your pumpkin spice latte of course), or hand them out on halloween, but only to the dogs who have costumes!

Halloween With The Hound

If trick or treating is in the cards (and why wouldn’t it be?), make your dog a costume too! Just be sure he can still see clearly and move freely. You may consider a dog and human set that go together–just as you and your best friend do perfectly in every season not just fall. Get creative so you can have the coolest costumes in the neighborhood. Think: Harry Potter and the 3-headed dog, Daenerys and her dragon, Princess Leia and an Ewok, and the fox and the hound.

Coming up with an official costume contest for your neighborhood will add some fun and incentive!

Camping With The Canine

Fall is a great time to go on a camping trip with the whole family. The weather is cooler and the leaves are changing. Dogs enjoy the great outdoors too, and it is important for city dogs to spend time with their paws in the dirt. They love it when their humans take an intentional break from their phones and screens. So, spend some quality time connecting with your dog in nature by hiking, relaxing by a bonfire, chilly plunges in the lake, and cuddling in the tent. If your dog loves you as much as you know they do, they’ll love just tagging along with you.

Fido and fall go hand in hand (or paw). So, though summer brought the heat and sunshine, autumn is a chance to get outside, and closer to your dog. The cooler weather will make strenuous outdoor activities more enjoyable, and the beginning of the holiday season is a perfect time for creative fun with furry family members.