Trails, wildlife and heat: living outdoors with a protection dog in Colorado

Colorado Parks and Wildlife enforces regulation 2CCR 405 #100.C.16, which requires dogs to be "under control and on a leash not exceeding six feet in length." A CPW release about Ridgway State Park adds that electronic collars do not count as a leash, a dog dragging a leash is not under control, and the rule is waived only when the animal is confined in a vehicle or vessel. People whose pets disturb others can be told to leave.

Individual parks set additional limits. Cheyenne Mountain State Park near Colorado Springs allows leashed dogs on roughly two miles of designated trails, requires a hand-held leash of six feet or shorter and bars dogs from other trails and the backcountry.

CPW's mountain lion guidance suggests leaving the dog home in the backcountry, keeping a dog on a short six-foot leash on trails, supervising pets outdoors especially at dawn and dusk, and keeping an outdoor dog in a fully enclosed kennel. It also says not to feed pets outside.

The coyote page repeats the supervision advice and says to keep vaccines current, and Crossing Paths with Wildlife warns that dogs can chase, injure or kill wildlife and can be hurt if wildlife sees them as prey or a predator. A dog that is reliable on recall is a safety tool for you and for the animals.

Colorado State University's veterinary college lists early signs of heat exhaustion such as heavy panting, drooling, bright red gums and weakness, and says a temperature of 104 F or higher is a warning. It also says never to leave pets in a car in hot weather, even with windows down, and names flat-faced breeds, overweight dogs, dogs with dark or long coats, and very young or old dogs as higher risk. Read the full CSU heat guidance.

We did not find official Colorado guidance on altitude and dogs, so if you are moving a dog up from a lower elevation, ask your veterinarian what to watch for.

• A six-foot leash and a collar or harness that fits.
• Water for the dog on every outing.
• A plan for dawn and dusk, when CPW says wildlife is most active.
• A recall you have tested away from home.