Easy 14ers for Dogs

[sgailsmart]

My big question now is, how do you become a product tester for Ruff Wear? That sounds awsome!

[bambear21]

My little girl is a 7 year old pit mix. (I always joke that she's mixed with mountain goat) She's done Bierstadt twice and Grey's and Torrey's once so far. She even carries a backpack with water and food. She does amazingly. I have never had to use her booties and she always out hikes me. I am hoping to do the collegiate mountains (Yale, Harvard, Princeton), Sherman, Elbert, Quandary and Antero. Has anyone taken their dogs on any of these? And if so, how did they do? Any recommendations? Thanks!

[two lunches]

My little girl is a 7 year old pit mix. (I always joke that she's mixed with mountain goat) She's done Bierstadt twice and Grey's and Torrey's once so far. She even carries a backpack with water and food. She does amazingly. I have never had to use her booties and she always out hikes me. I am hoping to do the collegiate mountains (Yale, Harvard, Princeton), Sherman, Elbert, Quandary and Antero. Has anyone taken their dogs on any of these? And if so, how did they do? Any recommendations? Thanks!

Archer has done all of those except for Harvard and Antero. He does not hike with booties. I put them on him one single time and he hated the experience so I returned them and he has never had a single problem. He's done 15 miles of Massive, 11 miles of Bel/Ox, 11 miles of San Luis, 11 miles of Shav/Tab, and plentiful scrambling on Yale, Princeton, and La Plata with no cuts and no raw paws. He is a 4 y.o. pit/husky mix and we run on pavement and trails 3-4x a week during the warm months so it's possible that he has grown accustomed to rough terrain over the years. Dogs aside, the Collegiate Peaks are my happiest place. My top spots go to Yale, Huron, and Bel/Ox.

[polar]

My dog Polar has done 20+ miles in a day with no issues. She has also hiked less than 5 miles and rub her paws raw. The mileage is not the primary issue, the combination of moisture and sandy surface is. I’ve found that as long as her paws are dry, she can hike all day. But if her paws get wet for prolong period of time (like the wet weather we’re having this week), it softens up her skin and then it’s easily damaged by a sandy trail or rough surface. I carry a set of dog booties with me when I’m hiking long distance with Polar. I’ve only need to put them on her twice in the last 8 years, but it’s a lot better to have them and not need them, than to need them but not have them.

[Ptglhs]

I have taken dogs up Pikes, Dem/Cam/Lin/Bross, Quandary, Sherman, Gray/Torreys, Bierstadt, Evans, Belford/Oxford, Huron, and Massive. I think the amount of hiking the dog has done also helps with their ability to do the peaks (just like humans). When I take a dog up a 14er for the 1st time, if it's one that hasn't done a lot of outdoor or rock adventuring, their paws get pretty raw and sometimes I make them wear booties. Dogs that hike more have calluses and a bit more experience, so they're not as vulnerable (in my opinion). Get the booties as a precautionary measure, but I doubt you'll need them until you start going over sand and rock and talus.

Most 14ers have great back country camp sites where you can pitch a tent and have your dog wake you up at 430 as they bark at the 1st hikers going past. I particularly liked the camp areas at 11,000ft on La Plata, near treeline next to a derelict cabin on Belford/Oxford (or Missorui), or at 11,000ft on Massive's standard route.

As far as I know Barr is the only place you'll find a developed campground with amenities and provisions in the middle of a 14er route. There's a structure with a fireplace on the Halo ridge of Holy Cross (though I probably wouldn't take a dog up Halo), and Longs vai the Keyhole has compositing toilets and a emergency shelter near the boulder field, but no puppies allowed.

[Summit Dawg]

14ers are great exercise for dogs, just don't take your dog on any class 3 until you have done all the class 2 peaks.
Keep your pup on a leash to be respectful to other hikers and to avoid injury + not having your dog run after wild life etc..
mushers secret is great for paws along with Dr. Harvey's Organic healing cream.
A buff is a good idea to keep your dog cool in the summer and a little warmer in the winter from the wind!

[bambear21]

Thank you all for your answers. My little girl loves to hike and always kicks my butt. I've only had to use her boots for snow because she doesn't have any hair in between her paws. I always bring them but its good to know about the sand and dampness. I am excited to take her on these hikes. Thank you so much!

[El Oso Perro]

How old should a dog be before day trips at higher altitudes? First time dog owner, 5 month old german shepherd/lab mix. We walk regularly in Denver. Should be ready to give the class 1's a shot by the time the peaks melt next summer, right?

[bketron2]

My big question now is, how do you become a product tester for Ruff Wear? That sounds awsome!

I second this!

[durkan]

My big question now is, how do you become a product tester for Ruff Wear? That sounds awsome!

I second this!

I am not a product tester, but I have bought my pup the boots and a sweater from RuffWear and she loves them! They really help in the winter as it was previously mentioned.

She has done Bierdstadt, Grizzly, Quandary, Elbert, and Lone Eagle Peak with me in winter and hasn't had a problem with these. People just remember to break your dogs into the boots first before so they don't injure their wagger. But it is always fun watching them walk like a newborn fawn the first time!