Your Dog Deserves a Summer Routine — Here's Ours
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How to Prep Your Dog for Outdoor Adventures This Summer
Summer means longer days, open trails, and your dog firmly planted at your side for all of it. But before you lace up and head out, a little prep goes a long way — especially when you're dealing with hot pavement, biting bugs, water, and the kind of red dirt that gets into everything.
Here's how we get Sunny ready for adventure season on Kauai, and how you can do the same wherever your summer takes you.
1. Protect Their Paws Before You Go
Your dog's paws take the brunt of every adventure. Hot sand, volcanic rock, asphalt baking in the sun — all of it adds up. Before you head out, apply a paw balm to create a protective barrier between their pads and whatever terrain you're tackling.
Think of it like putting on sunscreen before a hike. You wouldn't skip it, and neither should your dog.
A good paw balm softens and seals the pad, reducing cracking and protecting against heat and rough surfaces. Apply it right before you leave so it has a few minutes to absorb before they start walking.
2. Clean Their Paws Before You Get Back in the Car
Dirty paws are part of every good adventure. What comes home on them — allergens, pesticides, dirt, and bacteria — is worth cleaning off before it ends up in your car, your house, and your dog's mouth.
A quick paw clean before you load up removes what they've walked through before it becomes a problem. This is especially important for dogs who already deal with seasonal allergies or itchy paws. That post-adventure clean isn't just about dirt — it's about removing the environmental triggers that cause your dog to lick and chew in the first place.
Our Paw Kit makes it easy to do right at the trailhead or beach parking lot — gentle enough for daily use, effective enough to actually do the job, and none of the harsh chemicals you don't need.
3. Don't Skip Bug Protection
Summer trails are beautiful. They're also full of things that bite.
Ticks, fleas, and biting insects are most active during warmer months, and dogs nose-deep in tall grass or brush are prime targets. A clean, plant-based bug repellent applied before your hike gives an added layer of protection — especially important if you're in areas where chemical treatments aren't your first choice.
Our Bite Back Bug Repellent is clean and plant-based — no DEET, no synthetic fragrance, nothing you'd feel uncomfortable putting on an animal who grooms themselves. It's designed for real outdoor use, not just a light walk around the block.
Apply it to the coat, avoiding eyes and mouth, before heading into any grassy or wooded areas.
4. Keep Their Coat Fresh Between Baths
Adventures are messy. Full baths every day aren't realistic — and honestly, over-bathing can strip the coat of the natural oils that protect it.
That's where a dry shampoo earns its place in your routine. A few shakes into the coat, a quick brush-through, and your dog goes from post-hike to presentable without the full production of bath time.
It's also a lifesaver on travel days, rainy mornings, and the in-between days when they definitely need something but you don't have time for everything.
5. Make Bath Day Count
When you do give a full bath — after a long beach day, a muddy trail, or a swim — the product you use matters. Liquid shampoos are fine, but a shampoo bar is genuinely easier to use, especially on the underside of your dog where liquid tends to run off before it even lathers. You get better coverage, less waste, and no plastic bottle to throw away when you're done. Each bar is good for 4–8 baths, so it goes further than it looks.
After the bath, finish with a leave-in conditioning mist to lock in softness and leave their coat smelling clean and fresh. Our ʻAlohi Fur Mist is lightweight — spray it on after the bath, let it air dry, and that's it. It softens the coat, reduces frizz, and leaves a light, clean scent.
It's the finishing touch that makes the whole routine feel complete.
Built for Real Life on Kauai
Our dogs swim in the ocean, run red dirt trails, and spend more time outside than inside. We built Besdee's product line around that life — clean, intentional formulas tested on Sunny, our Goldendoodle and Besdee's most honest product tester.
If it holds up here, it'll hold up anywhere.
Don't see something you're looking for? Send us an email — we're always looking for inspiration for new products.
The Summer Adventure Routine at a Glance
- Before you go: Paw Balm to protect pads from heat and rough terrain
- Before you get in the car: Paw Kit to clean off allergens, dirt, and bacteria
- On the trail: Bite Back Bug Repellent for protection against biting insects
- Between baths: Dry Shampoo to freshen up without over-washing
- Bath day: Shampoo Bar for a better clean with no plastic waste
- After bath day: ʻAlohi Fur Mist to condition, soften, and finish
Simple. Clean. Ready for whatever summer throws at you.
Shop the full adventure routine at mybesdee.com