Hiking trails for dogs (Hoover, Talladega: appointed, live, dangerous)

[vb808]

I recently moved to Hoover from Chicago and was wondering if there are any hiking trails that you can take your dog off-leash. I'm not talking about a dog park, I'm looking for something like Moss Rock Preserve but where you can let your dog roam free. I've been to Moss Rock and have seen people with their dogs off leash, but I know its really not allowed and have heard of animal control ticketing people on occasion. In one of the northern suburbs of Chicago, there are forest preserves that have a good acreage (40+) just dedicated for off-leash dogs. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[TimCity2000]

i see people with dogs at ruffner mountain all the time... seems like they're usually on leashes though. you'd have to check and see what's allowed.

what about oak mountain? lots of land there.

[preguntas]

The area you mentioned must have been privately held property. I can't think of any public land that will risk the liability of not posting a leash law.

Until you find something (such as out in the Bankhead or Talladega National Forests) I would suggest the Red Mountain Park does have the two dog areas, large dogs and small separated. The areas are generous, but I do understand that is not what you are seeking.

To be frank, the farther out of the city you go you will find places that would be more wild and less likely to interfere with others. (such as along creeks, rivers and other streams)
I also suggest that you contact a dedicated vet and find out what they know.

[rawrockills]

People let their dogs off leash on the trails of Oak Mountain State Park...doesn't mean it's allowed though.

I concur with preguntas, best bet is getting further out.

[Reactionary]

There are other good reasons to keep your dog on a leash in Alabama parks:

Dogs are often bitten on the face when they stupidly try to sniff or bite a rattlesnake. The bite is often very painful. Not all rattlesnake bites contain venom. A small percentage of bites are “dry.” However, waiting to find out whether or not the bite contained enough venom to cause problems, is often a deadly mistake. Treatment includes intensive care hospitalization with close, round-the-clock monitoring for some of the life-threatening complications. Antivenin (sometimes known as anti-venom) should be administered as soon as possible, but is expensive to maintain, and may not be available everywhere. IV fluids are given in the hospital, as well as IV antibiotics and pain medication. Doctors will want to monitor coagulation (blood clotting) times as well as general bloodwork to make sure all the organ systems are continuing to function properly. Despite appropriate therapy, some dogs still die from snakebites.

[WJSim]

This is strange, I no longer have a dog but we probably will be getting one at some stage when we move to Bham soon so very disappointed to hear this. The UK is very dog friendly (as is most of Europe) and most all of the parks allow dogs off leash to run, play, fetch, exercise whatever. The only restrictions are that dangerous dogs must be muzzled, there is a list and a dog in that category must be muzzled at all times in the parks and forests. NEVER had a problem.

How on earth do people exercise their dogs in Bham?

[Reactionary]

Alabama is larger than England. Many people have yards in which the dogs can play. People walk their dogs for exercise. There are dog parks in which dogs can run unleashed. Most state parks are fairly large - consider the aforementioned parks:

Oak Mountain State Park = 4020 ha (9940 acres)
Bankhead National Forest = 777 km2 (180,000 acres)
Talledega National Forest = 1588 km2 (392,000 acres)
Red Mountain (urban) Park = 4.5 km2 (1108 acres)

Note that most places in the US don't have breed-specific prohibitions.

[WJSim]

Thank you for that information Reactionary. It is very interesting to see the sizes of them as well. However, unless you have a really huge yard or live within walking distance to the parks above you are stuffed. It is amazing considering the size of the UK how many wonderful large public green spaces and parks there are. They are wonderful with that sort of thing.

One of my greatest pleasures when I had dogs was taking the leash off of them in the park and then just watching them run around in joy before playing fetch.

[Tourian]

Originally Posted by WJSim

One of my greatest pleasures when I had dogs was taking the leash off of them in the park and then just watching them run around in joy before playing fetch.

I've seen people do that here. It just comes down to where you are and what kind of dog you have and how well trained it is. Someone playing fetch with a beagle off its leash is probably not going to get called out as opposed to someone with a loose pit.

[Reactionary]

WJSim - btw nobody lives within walking distance of anything. Mostly just kidding, but you will need a car.