Dogs on trails

[ceeotters]

Hi. I'm new to the forum. In fact, I'm not even in Arizona yet. My husband is moving to Safford in a couple of weeks and I'll be coming out in the fall. We live in the NW and I really don't want to leave the best weather of the year for, well, the worst. Anyway, are there hikes where the dog can go off-leash? We've got the expando leash if necessary, but it's so much easier to just let him go. But we don't want him getting eaten or messing up nature.

[Pellegrino]

Hi Ceeotters

Welcome to HAZ. I don't blame you one bit for hanging out up there this summer, as a matter of fact, can I come hang with you ??

I don't hike with my dog much, I haven't exercised him enough and feel bad talking him on long treks. I don't want to wear him out and he'd probably go 'til he dropped just to please me. I do see a lot of dogs on the trails and they are rarely leashed. I love dogs so I don't care, but be prepared for people like me to talk to or pet the dog.

I'm sure you'll get more solid replys in regard to the rules and regs but just thought I'd tell ya what I see.

[evenstarx3]

Not many places I know of where dogs are legally allowed off leash, though I know it's done. Think a lot depends on how dependable your dog is and if you're willing to risk a possible hefty fine; also, don't forget.....rattlesnakes and scorpions :!:

[Randy]

Ceeotters:

Welcome to the Furnace, heheheh :twisted: But take heart, just south of Safford is Mt. Graham, the highest mountain in Arizona...from relief (all you Humphries hikers were gonna jump there, Graham is a bit lower but Safford is only 2300, where Flagstaff is over 7k). The drive up Swift Trail to the Summit begins near the Swift Trail Federal Prison, the retirement home of many former congressmen and governors (none of ours, of course, :roll: ). The summit area has a number of nice campgrounds, hiking trails and a nice trout lake at 10k where you have to arm wrestle the bears for your catch. Nice and cool up there, and the area is under used since it is equally inconvenient (meaning you have to drive off the autobahn) from either Tucson or Phoenix. The Gila Box is a nice area north of town, and the best part of all is that you are only an hour or so from the Gila Wilderness in New Mexico, one of the best places in the lower 48 to get out alone...

You are either LDS (as opposed to those of us from the 60s who are LSD-Lone Star Draft, of course, ), or you'll be among the 4.3 residents who aren't. They won't hold it against you if you are gentile. There's a good Mexican restaurant there too, at the SW corner of 191 and 70.

Before I forget...read my post on dogs and buzzworms from some time back under 'Snake Gaiters'. -Randy

[ck_1]

I concur with previous comments...and my dog goes with me on every hike. I start her out on leash, then she is still on leash, but I don't hold it, I just let it trail behind her. She is minds me though, and comes when called. I see tons of dogs on trails, and only a few have been on those long leash things.

Each land manager has their own rules and fines. An excellent reference is a book called Doin Arizona with your Pooch...it lists the leash laws for all major trail areas...the book has a perminant place in my truck...it's a tremendous resource..

[desertSol]

I too HIGHLY reccomend Doin' Arizona with your Pooch! We began hiking because of our 2 german shepherds...bundles of energy! I quickly looked at the Safford pages of the book and found 13 trails and only about half required leashes. I have not hiked in the area yet...but the descriptions are wonderful!

I don't know what kind of dog you have...but if he's larger, get him a pack! Our pups carry their own water, first aid kit and snacks. If your dog has never carried a pack before...start him off slowly: first just the pack, then adding weight little by little.

Just know your dog and the trail rules (that's why the book is so good!) and remember that there are people out there who are deathly afraid of dogs and respect their wishes (we have to keep this in mind all the time because many people fear german shepherds greatly!) Also, keep your eyes ahead for other dogs approaching...they may not be as friendly as your dog...make sure to ask! Stay safe and have a wonderful time!

Chelby
desertSol
Apache Junction, AZ

[ceeotters]

Thanks desertsol. I have a Dalmatian. He's actually pretty calm for a Dal, but still he loves to run. The main problem is that he never got really good on the leash (of course, that's totally his fault ). Gentle-leader, here we come. We always keep a look out for other people and dogs. We did try a pack once, but it kept falling over and dragging, so we took it back (after trying like mad to get the white hairs out ). Is there sunscreen for dogs? Domino has kinda a pink nose; we don't need to burn the little dickens. There may be days he just stays home. But if it's too hot for him, it's too hot for me.

[ck_1]

There is a valley based hiking club called the 'K-9 Hiking Club'...the president is a very well informed lady, you may want to consult with her...

[Diane Tuccillo]

Some dogs off leash are very annoying, but most are great. If your dog has good manners, let him have his fun. I personally don't hike with my dog and prefer to take him on my regular runs instead. I worry about dogs on the trail when hiking in the desert. I have seen many dogs with cholla in their paws and one who had cholla in his mouth! He couldn't open or close it, and his owners were on the way down the trail to the vet. It sounds funny (and looked pretty darn funny too) but I felt really sorry for the dog. So, be careful of the cactus, especially those little balls of cholla.

[chihiggs]

I agree with Dianne about not everyone liking dogs or being comfortable around them. I generally have her (my dog, not Diane) step off the trail when approaching others unless they make it obvious they want to touch or play with her. I hike with my dog regularly and carry pliers to pull cacti needles from the both of us.

My dog is under voice command. My experience with the Rangers/hikers even in areas where dogs are required to be leashed is that if she remains under control through voice command, it sets the hiker at ease and the rangers let me go....Anyone have problems or actually gotten a ticket?

[Daryl]

Dogs are protective of their owners and will attack someone if they feel their owner is threatened. When out in the wild, the dog is usually on higher alert and a man coming out of bushes could be viewed as a threat. I've had other people's dogs think I was a threat a couple of times. After the dog barks and growls a lot, the owner usually says 'he's never done that before' after they get there dog under control and I put the pepper spray away. For that reason, unless I'm pretty certain I'm the only one on the trail, my dog stays on a leash.
Also, in bear country I'd never let him off the leash. A dog will hunt, track, and chase a bear. Of course the dog will lose the fight and come running back to you with an angry bear chasing it.
I believe most trails in Arizona require dogs to be on a leash for these reasons.

[BoyNhisDog]

My bad boy stays on a leash at all times even if we are in the middle of an uninhabited million acres.

Isn't it funny how every unleashed dog you come across is just the sweetest friendliest thing? We were our hiking last weekend when a couple with a Rottie came up. They could see us from far away but left the dog running free. I picked up mine and was told that the Rottie is super friendly just before he lunged for my dog. 'Oh he's never done anything like that before.' I think that is why they made the leash law.

I don't get onto anyone who is out with a dog off leash and I actually enjoy some of those dogs but sometime I wish the 'slower' owners of the big guarding breeds would get a clue.

They can really scare some people and it could become a problem for the owners.

Oh well, enjoy your dog. They sure do enjoy being out like we do.

[ceeotters]

AFter seeing everyone's comments, I think we'll probably use the expando leash. Ours actually is very friendly, but if another dog gets playing too rough with him, he might turn on him. Mostly, if he has a tennis ball he wouldn't care if we were being eaten by a bear.

[explore4corners]

I hike with my big dog, but she carries her own Ruffwear pack and is always on a leash. Dogs running free just scare and annoy some people. She can only go off lead when I am absolutely sure there is no one else in the area such as at a back country camp site. As I got bitten by a pit bull at a dog park ("he's never done that before!" the clueless owner proclaimed while her dog was still attached to my leg), I'm wary. My dog would not hesitate to protect me should a strange dog run towards us. Friends much more experienced with highly trained service dogs taught me that if a dog isn't healing and just is running free, the owner probably doesn't have control. We all want our dogs to be able to really run and romp around, but pick your spots. Well travelled trails with blind corners probably isn't the right spot.

[Tough_Boots]

I don't have a problem with unleashed dogs on the trail. I've had a few growl at me but I just read the signs and back off. People that instantly pet a strange dog are among the dumbest out there. The hard lesson I learned when I first moved out to the desert was that dogs need some footwear. Ain't no so soft dirt and grass out here! The first time I got back to the trailhead with a limping dog with busted out pads was the last. Talk about some guilt. I had to wrap his feet for a couple days-- stupid me!

[JimmyLyding]

I know humans younger than some of these recently-resurrected threads!

Your dog will develop tougher foot pads the more it hikes in Arizona. If there's one thing about our state, it's that it ROCKS.

My feeling is that the dog's owner knows if his/her dog is going to growl at strange people when it's away from home. I've had many instances of dogs showing signs of aggression that lead me to believe that I'm going to get bitten, and the owner just sits there saying "he's usually so friendly." My foot.
I have no problem with having dogs on a leash that are aggressive towards other dogs (hopefully also on leashes) because that's just what some dogs do. It's no problemo as long as the humans are in charge.

There is a curious thing, however. My family's long-time dog was a black Labrador retriever, and he was exceptionally strong. Thor got 2x2-mile walks pretty much daily for the first 8 years of his life, so he was not only strong but very experienced with being in the Phx Mtn Preserve. Whenever my late father (a very physically strong man who was from the "rolled-up-newspaper" school of dog training) or I walked him, the dog was very very aggressive towards other male dogs. I can't count how many times I've been leaning backwards 45-degrees with Thor on the other end of the leash wanting to just tear into another dog that ranged from being a little beagle to a 175-lb. Rottweiler. However, when my mom would walk him holding his leash with her arthritic hands, he was mostly well-behaved. He's never had any incident where he broke free from my mother's hands (which can barely open a can of beer), but he most assuredly would have were I to let him run free upon encountering another dog (leashed or un-leashed) on the trail.

It makes me wonder if dogs can sense their limits as referenced by their handler's physical ability. When my father was on this earth for his last few days, Thor ran under his hospital/Hospice (donate if you know what they do, and if you don't know what they do then still donate) bed, and wouldn't leave until my dad finally stopped hiking with his children. I guess he knew.

Now my mom has a rescue Lab who reacts the same way to other dogs on the trail, but we found out he has heartworms so he has to go through the medication-keep quiet phase. He hasn't had the training that Thor had, and he's 5-years-old so it's unlikely he's going to be as selective with his assertiveness. It's going to be interesting once he gets ready to go.