Hiking with dog (Tucson, Catalina: appointed, real estate, townhouse)

[daisyalex]

I currently live in western Mass. and we have some nice places (some state parks) to hike with your dog. Some of the parks require them to be on a leash but on the remote trails in the park nobody really cares so I am able to let my dog run wherever she wants. I was wondering if anyone could tell me if that could be done on some of the trails around Tucson - say Catalina state park for instance. Also, I realize you guys have different critters then we do. Would I have to worry about my dog getting bit by a snake or devoured by coyotes while she's off her leash and sniffing her way through the woods? She's a pretty small beagle!

[BillyBaroo]

It's not a good idea to let your dog run free through the desert. Use a leash or take your dog to a park.

Rattlesnake bites are always a possibility. A lot of people out here have their dogs go through rattlesnake avoidance classes. Some people have their dogs vaccinated for snake bites. I have a friend that gave his dog Benadryl after a rattler bit his dog. It actually worked.

Coyotes kill dogs. I remember once I was hiking with my dog and a coyote came out of the hills and started yelping at her. My dog started chasing the coyote and I was yelling at her to stop. Luckily she stopped. I looked to where the coyote was running to and there was a half dozen coyotes waiting for my dog to get lured into their pack. They would have killed her quicker than I could have got there.

Watch out for "Jumping Chollas". It's terrible when these things get stuck on your dog. I carry a pocket comb with me to remove them. I got one stuck in the back of my hand last week. It really hurts. Here's a video that tells more.


YouTube - Jumping Cholla- host Kim Stone

[fofinger]

Mountain lions also consider dogs a fine delicacy....

Where in Western Mass????

[daisyalex]

Thanks for the replies folks. I was afraid of that. Here in Holyoke the only danger is an occasional black bear and maybe a coyote or two but I've never heard of anyone losing their dog to one while hiking. I've heard there are dog parks in Tucson but that's not quite the same. Anyway, thanks again for the info - my dog's gonna be disappointed when I tell her!

[fofinger]

Holyoke....you are going to love Tucson....I came from Hamp and other assorted towns throughout the Pioneer Valley.....

[chxplyr]

One of the great options for walking your dog off of its leash, are the dry river beds. I've been doing this for years and we always see other people and dogs too. There are miles and miles of these river beds and my dog loves to run madly thru them. I actually moved to a townhouse right along the Rillito just to be close to it, so Maggie can get her running.

[VirginiaGal]

I also recommend going down into the washes. My dog loved to run madly through the Rillito as well. Often you will encounter other happy dogs and humans walking, too. Although we never encountered any, I know there are occasionally coyotes running down there, too.

We never did it, but I think rattlesnake avoidance classes are a wise move-- the Humane Society of Southern Arizona offers them.

Also note a weird feature around the Tucson area which is that many areas specifically state "no dogs allowed" even on leash. I found this to be really odd coming from VA/NC. Probably the best off leash hiking option we found was high up on Mt Lemmon. It is a bit of a drive, but you can more safely hike off leash up there and few areas have "no dog" signs! Also a nice dose of cool air when needed. Good luck to you! There is lots of exploring to do...

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by daisyalex

maybe a coyote or two but I've never heard of anyone losing their dog to one while hiking.

Neither have the people who posted above. Such an event would be remarkably rare. Even rattlesnakes are very uncommonly encountered. I have been hiking, four-wheeling and such with a dog for decades and have come across one rattlesnake, no coyotes (near us anyway), no bears, and no tigers.

[BillyBaroo]

Originally Posted by Ponderosa

Neither have the people who posted above. Such an event would be remarkably rare. Even rattlesnakes are very uncommonly encountered. I have been hiking, four-wheeling and such with a dog for decades and have come across one rattlesnake, no coyotes (near us anyway), no bears, and no tigers.

Maybe it's safer out in the desert. At the golf course I'm working at, I see coyotes and bobcats every morning. The guy I was working with today pointed to a hill full of big boulders and rocks and said it was full of rattlesnakes. It looks like prime rattlesnake real estate. A friend of my wife had their dog attacked by a coyote last week, in their front yard.

Seriously, the concentration of wildlife might be higher in some urban areas, like around golf courses, because of the availability of food and water.

Has your dog had many encounters with chollas?

[Ponderosa]

Originally Posted by BillyBaroo

Maybe it's safer out in the desert. At the golf course I'm working at, I see coyotes and bobcats every morning. The guy I was working with today pointed to a hill full of big boulders and rocks and said it was full of rattlesnakes. It looks like prime rattlesnake real estate. A friend of my wife had their dog attacked by a coyote last week, in their front yard.

Seriously, the concentration of wildlife might be higher in some urban areas, like around golf courses, because of the availability of food and water.

Has your dog had many encounters with chollas?

I know what you mean about golf courses. When I lived in Ahwatukee I took my dog out early in the morning on the course at the Pointe. Almost always saw a coyote, though they just ran away. There were tons of rabbits there and I suppose that is what the coyotes were after. Chollas are worse (more likely) than snakes, that's for sure. I carry a needle nose pliers when we are out in serious desert and keep an eye out for patches of them. Those chollas are brutal.