ME, MY DOG & THE GREAT OUTDOORS

This is a repost of the article written in April 2021 by D. Jean Tate. Riley is no longer with us, but Jean and Leia, her new trekking companion, continue to visit the Parks. The information and lessons learned are as important today as they were in 2021. We hope you appreciate the reminder and enjoy the read.

Sharing the outdoors with your dog—it’s one of the most enjoyable things I know!  For that reason—and because our open lands and trails are used by wildlife plus an ever-increasing number of people for a variety of activities, and also because of dogs’ natural inclinations—there are rules to be followed when you and your dog are outdoors, outside the bounds of your private property.  Those rules vary by location based on political boundaries, land ownership, and land management.

Open lands provide habitat for all sorts of wildlife that collectively comprise an ecosystem.  The creatures in that ecosystem rely on it for food and water, shelter, and successful seasonal reproduction.  People enjoy these open lands for their beauty and the personal renewal they enable, so they add permanent trails that they use for hiking, birding and other critter watching, enjoyment of plants, running, bicycling, horseback riding, and…you guessed it…sharing with their dogs.  These activities occur at different speeds and with various degrees of disruption to each other and to the native inhabitants.

How do dogs fit into such a busy place?  On their own, in a healthy ecosystem, wild dogs do just fine.  They have mice, chipmunks, and perhaps an occasional fawn or elk calf to feed on.  That fits into the food web so, when food becomes scarce there would be fewer surviving dogs until food becomes abundant once more.Once people enter the picture, however, that balance is disrupted.  The pressure on wildlife increases, especially if they bring well-fed dogs, most of which—if running free– will display hunting behavior…just because it’s their nature to do so. The pressure increases if the people or their dogs stray from the trails.  In addition, what is fun to one person may be terrifying to another (https://trailrunnermag.com/people/trail-talk-can-you-please-keep-your-ing-dog-under-control.html).  Hence the rules.

Statewide, there are many laws that basically make a dog’s owner responsible for their dogs’ actions (https://www.animallaw.info/statute/co-dogs-consolidated-dog-laws).  Within many counties and cities there are additional rules that require dogs to be on a leash at all times.  For example, this is true within:

• Jefferson County (https://www.jeffco.us/DocumentCenter/View/437/Leash-Law-PDF?bidId=)
• Jefferson County Open Space Parks (https://www.jeffco.us/1583/Regulations)
• the City of Wheat Ridge (https://www.ci.wheatridge.co.us/FAQ.aspx?QID=249)
• the City of Lakewood: (https://www.lakewood.org/Government/Departments/Police/Animal-Control-Information/Leash-Law) and
• the City of Littleton (https://www.littletongov.org/city-services/city-departments/police-department/regulations-enforcement/animal-control).

In addition, both Jefferson and Boulder Counties have seasonal restrictions in specific locations to minimize damage to breeding wildlife.

Ah, BUT….dogs love to run and dog owners love to see their dogs having fun.  Plus, many dog owners enjoy training their pets and take pride in having a well behaved and obedient dog.  Therefore, IN SOME LOCATIONS the leash rules governing dogs have been relaxed.  This is true in designated dog parks, most of which are fenced.  It is also true on SPECIFIC TRAILS within Boulder County IF the dog and owner have successfully completed the Voice and Sight Education Class and the dog is wearing a current Voice and Sight Program tag.  There are also private dog trainers within Colorado who focus on helping dog owners work toward excellent off-leash control of their dogs and provide certificates upon successful completion of their classes.  While this training certainly aids owners’ successful communication with their dogs, it does NOT supersede the location-specific rules or give the owner and dog carte blanche to overlook dog-on-leash regulations.

WHAT’S THE POINT of this message?  KNOW where you are and what the RULES are AT THAT LOCATION….and PLEASE remember that in ALL Jefferson County Open Space Parks dogs must be on leash at all times unless otherwise indicated, no matter what certifications you and your dog may hold……

Then ENJOY sharing the outdoors with your dog!!

Miss Mountain Manners extends great thanks to Jean Tate & Riley for sharing their thoughts on how to behave in our Open Space Parks.  And as always, fellow Park visitors, stay safe.