Gloucestershire is a county of dog lovers so it's no surprise that this year's calendar is packed with events that are just as fun for the four-legged members of our community as their owners.
We've fetched nine things to do with your dog in Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds in 2025, from diving in at the famous Cheltenham lido dog swim to competing for best in show at one of the county's best dog-friendly festivals.
Follow Forestry England's new interactive dog walking trail
For the 'ultimate forest dog walk', head to Gloucestershire's Forestry England sites at Mallards Pike or Westonbirt Arboretum to follow the new Wallace and Gromit-themed Forest Walkies trail.
With lots of bonding activities for owners and their pups, the new attraction features stimulating challenges and puzzles to solve along the way. See if your dog can sit and wait for 30 seconds or give you a high-five — and don't miss the photo opportunity at the end. Cheese, Gromit!
Have your pup show their Pride!
Get the rainbow bandanas ready! Everyone is welcome to show their support for Gloucestershire's LGBTQ+ community at Pride in Gloucestershire's annual events — including four-legged members of the family.
Pride in Cheltenham returns on Saturday 17 May 2025, along with its much-loved dog show — featuring a 'Twinsies Tails' category for owners and dogs dressed to match! Better yet, there's a second chance to secure a win at Pride in Cirencester the following month, as it hosts the dog show for the first time on Saturday 14 June 2025.
Treat your dog at Cheltenham Food & Drink Festival
While humans can revel in good food and wine, Cheltenham Animal Shelter is on hand to make this year's Cheltenham Food & Drink Festival a fun day out for dogs, too.
Pop by the stall to hear about its important work rescuing and rehoming animals in Gloucestershire, with raffles to win prizes and dog treats for hungry pooches. And don't miss the Festival Dog Show on Sunday 22 June 2025, for the chance to show off your dog's best tricks and waggiest tail.
Take the dog to a boutique family festival
Just over the county border in the Oxfordshire Cotswolds, Park Fair is returning to the Great Tew Estate for another three days of boutique shopping, feasting and wellness activities from Friday 20 to Sunday 22 June 2025.
Promising entertainment for the whole family, kids will love whirling round on fairground rides and dancing at silent discos, while grown-ups can find a moment of zen in the wellness village or raise a glass in the wine bar — with dogs sure to make a beeline for the Sausage Pit and Puppuchino Bar!
Enjoy a day out at one of the Cotswolds' best dog-friendly attractions
Many of the region's best family and cultural attractions welcome dogs, from the woodland trails of Painswick Rococo Garden to hopping aboard the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway, or even coming face-to-face with exotic creatures at Cotswold Wildlife Park.
Check out SoGlos's round-up of the best dog-friendly attractions in the Cotswolds for days out that the whole family — four legs or two! — can enjoy.
See dogs at work at the Cotswold Show and Food Festival
Taking over the sprawling Cirencester Park with arena attractions, family entertainment and a food hall packed with local producers, the Cotswold Show and Food Festival is always a highlight in Gloucestershire's country show calendar — and it's free for dogs to tag along, with the event planned for Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 June 2025.
Watch police dogs from Gloucestershire Constabulary during a thrilling demo or participate in stimulating gun dog scurries, ideal for energetic working breeds. The Waggy Tails Fun Dog Show gives family pets the chance to shine, too, with prizes for the best junior handler, scruffiest dog and fastest boneo eater!
Have a go at agility or flyball at the ultimate festival for dogs
Dubbed 'the dog-friendly festival for everyone' but especially fun for people with four-legged family members, DogFest is coming to Blenheim Palace on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 July 2025.
Have a go at all kinds of activities, from taking on obstacles in the agility ring to the doggy relay race, flyball. Water-loving pups can dip and dive in the pool, while there's also the chance to join a big dog walk around the grounds or seek out a breed meet-up to socialise your dog with others of its kind!
Compete in the Moreton Show dog show
Proudly sponsored by Cotswold RAW for over eight years, the Moreton Show offers plenty for dogs and their owners to do when it returns to the showground on Saturday 6 September 2025.
As well as shopping for canine-related goodies across the trade stalls, show off your dog's good looks or obedience skills at the Companion Dog Show — or let your terrier loose in the ring for the terrier racing event! Discover even more country pursuits, from vintage tractor parades to show jumping, arena eventing and more equestrian action.
Dive in at doggy swimming events
Take the plunge into Cheltenham's lido for a co-swimming session with your dog, with the annual Sandford Parks Lido dog swim taking place before it closes for the season on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 October 2025.
If you don't fancy diving in, Cotswold Country Park and Beach is also hosting doggy swimming events in its lagoon, inviting pups to run, jump and splash about in the water — while their owners watch from the shore — on the last Saturday of every month during its opening season.
