Hiking With Dogs in the Colorado Mountains

Before every summer hiking season, I think back to that beautiful, cloudless blue sky July day when my husband Dave and I decided to climb Humboldt Peak, an easy 14,000-foot mountain in the Sangre de Cristo Range in Southern Colorado. The climb was our first hike of the year.

Work up gradually to high altitude hikes to maximize your and your furry friend's maximum enjoyment!
Work up gradually to high altitude hikes to maximize your and your furry friend’s enjoyment of the great outdoors!  Here, Ranger cools off at 14,000 feet and takes in the view of the valley below Mt. Yale.

At about 13,000 feet, Dave turned to me and asked how I was doing.

“Okay,” I replied. “And you?”

“The same. Are you absolutely sure you don’t want to turn around?” I thought for a second as we stood on tundra and sipped some water.

“Yes,” but I didn’t add my reason. I assumed that if we didn’t summit that he’d want to try again the next day. That I wasn’t going to do! So we plodded on until we reached the summit. Hours later, we limped into camp on wobbly legs and very sore, blistered feet, and fell into our tent that we’d pitched earlier that day.

Fortunately, we’d left our Labradors at home with our house sitter so they hadn’t also suffered from being out of shape. But we wasted the next day by just limping around and soaking our feet in the nearby creek. Not a good way to start a dream hiking vacation.

With that experience forever ingrained in our brains, we now always condition ourselves and our dogs gradually, especially if we didn’t exercise much over the winter. It’s one matter to abuse our own bodies but another to hurt our furry friends.

How much conditioning do canines need before a high altitude hike? That depends of course on where you live, Fido’s condition, and your planned adventure. Although we hike with Layla and Ranger during the winter in Arizona, that’s no substitute for hiking with us as we snowshoe at elevation in Colorado. Even if your dog jogs with you or plays ball at sea level, he needs conditioning and acclimation to higher altitudes before mountain hikes.

Best to start out gradually, both in terms of miles and elevation, as you condition furry friends for longer and higher hikes.
Best to start out gradually, both in terms of miles and elevation, to condition furry friends for longer and higher hikes.

Ask yourself a few questions before setting out with Fido to hike in the Colorado mountains:

  • Is your furry friend a couch potato? If so, condition Fido before taking him on an eight-mile hike or expect some repercussions: sore or even cut feet and aching muscles. High altitude takes its toll on lungs, legs and feet, so gradually work up to longer and higher elevation hikes.
  • Is your dog in the proper weight? A slimmer dog means more energy and less weight on his joints and feet.
  • Is Fido current on his vaccinations, including leptospirosis which many Colorado veterinarians now recommend? Is he on heartworm preventative medication? The wet spring has brought out mosquitoes, known heartworm carriers, in force, even at higher elevations.
  • Is the hike suitable for your furry friend? The terrain may be too rocky with sheer drop offs or the trail too hard on canine feet which also need conditioning, especially if they are only accustomed to grass and carpet. Humans wear boots for a reason!
  • Is the length of the hike appropriate for Fido? Shorter ones are better for puppies and probably for most older dogs. For additional considerations on whether to take a puppy up a 14er, read my post: https://www.caryunkelbach.com/climbing-colorados-14ers-with-dogs/
Ranger and Layla love those dips in alpine lakes!
Ranger and Layla love those dips in alpine lakes!

Once Fido (and hopefully you) are in shape, make sure you pack a few essentials:

  • Plenty of water for Fido (and you);
  • a collapsible water dish for canines;
  • plenty of dog snacks;
  • a goo called Mushers Secret to apply before or during the hike, as necessary, to protect paws from harsh footing including rocks (Mushers Secret really seems to help Layla’s aging paws on any hard packed surfaces);
  • booties in case Fido cuts or otherwise hurts his paws; and
  • a leash.

Then pick an appropriate hike: For summer hikes, look for water sources, such as creeks and lakes, for Fido to cool off in as well as shade for the afternoon trip back to the trailhead.

A couple other considerations:

  • If Fido carries a pack, practice with him carrying it in the backyard or neighborhood to assure the fit is comfortable and won’t rub off in the brush. That practice session may leave your rations intact. Years ago, my Lab Whiskey emerged from dense thickets along a creek without his pack which contained his and another canine’s dinner and breakfast. We never found the pack, so shared our human food in smaller than anticipated portions!
  • The reward for dogs while hiking high in the Colorado mountains may be as simple as a mound of snow. Ask Ranger!
    The reward for dogs while hiking high in the Colorado mountains may be as simple as a mound of snow. Ask Ranger!

    It can be tricky to hike with  a dog on a leash if you use trekking poles. Again, practice in the backyard or around the neighborhood to make sure that sure you can walk with trekking poles while controlling Fido on a leash. Keeping in sync is essential unless you enjoy face plants. I hike with two trekking poles and Layla on a ten-foot cotton leash. Six-feet seems too short but the slightly longer leash length allows her to trot as I walk. I taught her a couple of handy commands: “easy,” to slow her down, and “halt” or “wait” to stop her as necessary when we maneuver over rocks or down steep slopes. She runs free when we cross streams so that I avoid an unexpected dip!

Two final thoughts. Don’t let your canine chase wildlife and respect fellow hikers. That means keeping your dog on a leash or under strict voice control. Remember that not all people like dogs and some are afraid. Have fun hiking in Colorado’s beautiful high country!

 

 

 

 

 

14 comments on “Hiking With Dogs in the Colorado Mountains

  1. Loved this article! I’m guilty of letting my older dog Taz get out of condition and was surprised at how difficult a short hike (1 hour) taxed him. We’re diligently working now on getting him back into shape so he can actually enjoy hiking again. As always, I love the photos!

    • Thanks for sharing! Glad to hear that you are conditioning Taz. Illustrates that dogs living at 8,000-plus-feet also need to get in shape to enjoy hiking. Ranger would love to accompany Taz on a hike, preferably to a lake!

  2. We get nice cheap lycra booties from dogbooties.com. They fit well, and dont’ slide off. The do wear out, but are inexpensive to replace.

  3. Double up on that thought about leashes or good voice control! My last hike with two of our dogs involved the smaller one running off to investigate a moose in some willows by a creek. Much to my horror, the moose followed her out. Fortunately, both dogs responded well to my “come” command and then stuck close to me as I walked (trying very hard not to run) down the path away from the moose. If you’ve never been close to one, let me tell you: They are BIG. You do not want them chasing your dog who will naturally run to you for protection.

    • Thanks for sharing that your scary dog-moose encounter! Yes, dogs (and humans) need to stay away from moose. Nothing good comes out of that encounter. So glad your dogs responded so well to your “come” command! You’ve done a great job training them!

  4. Great tips. It never occurred to me that Maggie could get just as winded as I do on high altitude hikes. She is always so peppy. I’ll be more aware now.
    Thanks.

    • Glad you liked the suggestions! Hope you and Maggie enjoy some high altitude hikes this summer!

  5. This is a very informative article. Some of the considerations you mention, I never considered before! Thank you, I enjoyed reading it.

  6. Such useful information and important reminders. Thanks for sharing these valuable tips, and for the wonderful photos!

  7. Your superb photos speak volumes about Labradors’ abundant love and joy of the outdoors. They also show that profound and genuine love with which they embrace their human family. Of course we know that they think of themselves as “human” or is it that we are just members of their pack?! 🙂

    • Thanks Linda for your comments. Glad you enjoyed the photos! And as you know so well, Labs love to hike and swim!

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