Stories

Dear Bella: A Love Letter

Kami York-Feirn, Ruffwear's Social Media Coordinator, writes a love letter to her Bernese Mountain Dog, Bella – her ride or die and best friend. Whether they're enjoying peanut butter pancakes, supporting each other through life's ups and downs, or hiking a 14,000 ft peak at 4 a.m., these two are inseparable.

Inspiring a Diverse Outdoors with Ambassador Alexis Martin

For the month of February, we teamed up with photographer Tommy Corey on a project that highlights individuals who exude Black Excellence and leadership in the outdoor spaces. Ruffwear ambassador Alexis Martin is not only a trailblazer and nature photographer but also a leader within her community. Alexis is making her voice heard by speaking on important topics such as diversity and inclusion in outdoor spaces. 

A Texas Dog's First Snow

Ruffwear Content Creator, Erin Swanson, shares the first time she introduced her dog to snow. Read on to hear what she learned and glean tips for how to make snow a rewarding experience for your dog. 

Busting Cabin Fever with Chris and Sammy

For those winter days when cabin fever seems to be setting in, Ruffwear Ambassadors Chris Hill and Sammy (the one with the paws) share their tips for keeping the stoke high.

Winter Paw Protection: Polar Trex™ Dog Boots

Winter conditions can leave paws cracking, scraped, bleeding, or packed with uncomfortable snowballs, cutting the snow day short. What do you do when the bounding stops and the paw licking starts? The Polar Trex™ Boots can give your dog freedom to keep exploring through the winter months.

Graham & Pebble's Quest for Rest

Graham is an award-winning alpinist who explores the mountains, trails, and crags of Central Oregon with his fun-loving canine sidekick, Pebble the doodle. In this article, this Ruffwear Ambassador duo share how they hit pause on playing hard to rest and recharge.

2022: The Year For Possibility & Spaghetti

This upcoming season, we’ve shifted from survival mode, we’ve unpacked the baggage of the last (nearly) two years, we’ve started building habits for a better future—we’re ready for the season of thriving. I’m hopeful for us all to return to ourselves, to take our lessons learned, and to put them into practice as we begin a season of light again.

Give, Shop, and Wag Like a Local

Nate and Dani Wyeth live in Bend, Oregon with their golden retriever, Ranger. They offer tips for holiday-ing like the locals here in Bend. You can make these tips work for doing the same in your neck of the woods, too.

How Kerry Irving & His Dogs Raised £41,000 for Charity

On November 12, Kerry Irving set out on a 16-mile walk with his dogs, Harry and Paddy, to raise funds for Scotty’s Little Soldiers, a charity that supports children & young people who have experienced the death of a parent who served in the British Armed Forces. 

We're Pawing It Forward ... And You Can, Too!

At Ruffwear, we’re purpose driven – we believe in using our business for good. Cultivating a world where all dogs and their human companions thrive in the outdoors is part of our DNA. Looking for ways to give back this Giving Tuesday? Here are some of our favorite organizations we’ve given back to recently. 

Go Guides

New Gear for Winter 2021

As fall transitions to winter, we bring you new colors for a few of our winter favorites. With these fresh pops of color, your dog will stand out in the blankets of powder. Brighten up your canine sidekick’s winter attire with new colors like Fired Brick, Campfire Orange, and Aurora Teal. 

How Rogue Detection Dogs Inspired the High-Vis Web Master™

Rogue Detection Dog Bounders (handlers) Heath and Jennifer had some great words and pictures to share with us about their history with the Web Master, and how their work and partnership contributed to the development of the High-Vis Web Master.

Trick or Treat Trader™: Dog Treat Recipes, Games, and Ideas

This spooky season, we’ve got you covered with dog treat ideas and recipes from our Ruffwear team. And keep that tail wagging – check out our treat-inspired ways to play and connect with your dog. 

PRIDE Weekend Adventure with Cory, Rafa, and Bondi

In this story, Cory, Rafa, and Bondi (she’s the one with the four paws and tail) share their adventure to Portland to celebrate PRIDE Weekend. They explore this dog-friendly city as they celebrate an important life experience.

4 Things to Consider Before Backcountry Skiing with Your Dog

Riding in the backcountry can be one of the most fun activities you do with your dog. With proper planning and practice, you can share powder turns with your best friend! Here are four things to consider before enjoying the backcountry safely with your tail-wagging sidekick.

Van Life: Coast Road Trip with Bree & Noodle

In this story, Ruffwear Ambassador Bree shares how her van road trip along the PNW coast offered her dogs a chance to grow in a new environment. One of her dogs, Noodle, navigated trotting along the shores and splashing in the ocean with her scooter – leaving her mark of sandy paw prints and scooter tracks behind.

Running in the Rain: Tips from Krissy & PD

As autumn starts to work its way into our weather forecasts, these tips from as seasoned of a running duo as ambassadors Krissy & PD have us eager to lace up and get out with our ever-eager canine sidekicks – rain or shine.

What My Rescue Dog Taught Me About Growth

In this story, blog contributor Erin Swanson shares how her rescue dog, Odin, has grown, adapted, transformed... and how he's inspired her to do the same.

New Gear for Fall 2021

This season, we’re tapping into the inner explorer within us all and following the curiosity to seek new experiences – to grow, adapt, transform, and become. As summer transitions to fall, our new gear is designed to help you and your pup shift gears and keep the dog days going.

Passing on Legacies

In “Passing On Legacies,” Ruffwear’s Dove Gibson explores her own journey of becoming that has been marked by the bounty of lessons she’s learned from a lifetime of rivers, her partner, Clell, and her two dogs, Midge and River.

Talking Carbon & Sharks with Our New Sustainability Manager

Ruffwear recently welcomed David Bennett (and his dog, Ginger) to the Pack as our Senior Sustainability Manager. We caught up recently to learn more about him and the work the team is doing to support Ruffwear's sustainability journey.

Van Life: Our Golden Doodle Cheat Code

Ask any vanlifer what some of their favorite things about the lifestyle are, and it’s definitely better than 50/50 odds that they will mention the people they get to meet on the road. When it comes to meeting people on our road-travels, our pup Astro is what we call "a cheat code."

SUP Pup 101: How to Paddleboard with Your Dog

How do you and your dog start paddleboarding without any experience? Ruffwear employees – and first-time SUP-ers – Brad & Umi and Julie & Beau volunteered to find out. With help from SUP instructor and dog trainer Maria Schulz, they learn all the basics and tackle their first day on the water.

A Statue for Max the Miracle Dog

There’s a new addition to Hope Park in Keswick, England – a bronze statue with four legs, a tail, and “Max the Miracle Dog” inscribed on the bench it sits on. This tribute to a very special dog was revealed July 2, 2021 with Ruffwear Ambassadors Max and his human Kerry (and about 2,000 fans) in attendance.

5 Tips for Mountain Biking With Your Dog

Ruffwear Ambassador Laura Patton and her dogs Star and Colt are big fans of hiking, biking, and skiing through the endless terrain of their Pacific Northwest home. Here are Laura's top 5 tips for getting started when mountain biking with your dog.

5 Ways to Keep Your Dog Cool This Summer

With a solid hot-weather strategy, you and your dog can keep exploring, even amidst the sweltering days of summer. We’re here to help with our top gear and essential tips for keeping your dog cool.

How To Camp With Your Dog

There’s camping – and then there’s camping with your dog by your side. Their presence alone elevates every little moment. Their curiosity is contagious, their zeal inspiring. With a bit of preparation and the right gear, you’ll be en route to a good time camping with your dog.

From Canines to Kids: Pregnancy Brings Adventure Dog-Training to Bear

I wasn’t one of those girls who dreamed of her wedding day, having a family, and decorating a home. I dreamed of adventures and exploring the world with dogs – lots of dogs – all with a handsome guy by my side, of course! But it seems Mother Nature had her own ideas. 

New River. New Park. New Inspiration.

When it comes to product design and color choice, Ruffwear’s Product Design & Development team looks to nature—to the wild places and landscapes that inspire and connect us. The New River provided the inspiration for one of our newest leash and collar patterns.

The Value of a River

Jilkaat Heeni, the Tlingit name for a river that others know as the Chilkat River, means “Storage Container for Salmon.” The Tlingit people have stewarded the Chilkat Valley since time immemorial. Its watershed offers sustenance and habitat for both wildlife and people living in the nearby Klukwan and Haines communities.

Ruffwear Ambassadors: Get to Know Theresa and Cassie

Cascade (Cassie) and her human, Theresa Silveyra, are among the newest additions to the Ruffwear ambassador team. Read this interview to learn more about the opportunities Theresa's creating for women of color in the outdoors and how she and Cassie enjoy the outdoors together.

Singletrack to Sea: An adventure to the edge of Canada

I’ve known for a long time that spending time in wild places, with friends and dogs, is where I feel most alive. In a year where the world turned on its head, exploring outside with Arnie was the one constant when every other part of life seemed so uncertain. 

The Bowl That Started It All

It all began in 1994 with a lightweight, packable bowl to fuel dogs on the go. It opened up a new world of exploring with our dogs – a world that has in turn fueled our inspiration ever since. 

Packs and Trails with Amara the Shepherd

If there’s one thing I’ve learned as a dog parent, it’s that having a pup allows you to experience life and everyday adventures in a whole new way. For Noami and me, hiking is our favorite pastime. So when Amara joined our pack, there was no doubt we would bring her along on all our adventures.

Behind The Design: The Switchbak™ Leash

With plenty of double-ended leashes already out there, our designers set out to put a Ruffwear twist into a classic design. Ruffwear's new sliding V-rings and silicone-dipped webbing stand apart from the typical fixed rings and leather. Together, they create a smooth-adjusting leash and a soft, supple hand-feel. 

Dog Days

We walked into the first of 5 pods of 20 or so kennels. In the second kennel was a dog that shook me out of the fog. She had the softest, shiniest fur and the funniest long hair on her tail like an ostrich feather. Her big brown eyes slayed me. She was the happiest thing I’d ever seen. I turned to Brie and said, “I want this dog.”  

New Gear: Spring 2021

Dogs add lightness, joy, and connection to everything we do – whether they’re your companion while you seek out a place of belonging in the outdoors, your sidekick as you conquer new heights together, or your motivation to simply keep going.

New Season Sneak Peek: My Dog Is My...

Ready for a sneak peek at what's new for Spring and Summer 2021? We’re taking a deeper look at the role dogs play in getting us outside as we navigate life’s journey. 

My Dog is My Sidecar

At a time when my life and my future felt like they had shattered into pieces and I was trying to pick them back up, Bernie was the furry, steadfast presence of love and thrill that allowed me to hold it together and eventually build something even better than I had. Bernie is always by my side. He’s my sidecar.

Meet the 2021 Ambassador Pack

Have you met Ruffwear’s Ambassadors yet? These 38 dogs and 31 humans are explorers that inspires us. They get outside and live out our shared beliefs that dogs make us whole and shape us through the adventures we share.

All Work & All Play: Avy Dog Inspired & Tested Toys

As snow blankets ski areas across North America each winter, avalanche rescue dogs are clocking in and going to work on the slopes. These highly-trained dogs and their ski patroller handlers train at their home mountains every day during ski season.

Breaking Barriers: The Crux of Winter Exploring

When it comes down to it, the crux of any winter activity is the same. It's not the nose-to-snow steep climb to herringbone up on cross country skis. No, the most decisive, make-or-break moment is the point when one has to leave the deep warmth of a bed or sleeping bag. 

New Year's Resolution: Be More Like My Dog

Looking back, we learned a lot from our dogs in 2020. They've proven themselves wise in the ways of life. I've come to the conclusion that my New Year's Resolution this year is to be more like my dog. If in 2021 I can be half as curious, kind, loving, silly, and eager for adventure as my pup, Lennon, then I think I'll be on the right track. 

Play More, Shower Less, and Other Things We Learned From Our Dogs In 2020

Turns out our canine sidekicks have been moonlighting as furry philosophers this year. Ruffwear Ambassadors and employees took a moment to reflect on what their dog has taught them in a year that's seen its share of obstacles and challenges. 

Winter in the Northern Hemisphere

Perhaps, for those of us seeking a moment of peace, solitude, grounding, or reflection this season, we need only look to nature. To our dogs. To the examples of quiet purpose and joyful exuberance right in front of us. 

Vanlife: Winter Running Tips for Humans and Dogs

No matter the temperature, my pup loves to dip her belly in puddles, creeks, snow patches, and lakes – if it’s wet, she’s in. Her quirks always add joy to our runs and this life, so we continue to adapt. Vanlife is great for that meditative reminder: be in the moment and know that the moments are always evolving.

GO GUIDE: Holiday Your Dog's Way

Anyone else struggling to keep up with the “go, go, go” pace of the holidays? As explorers, we believe the beauty of “Go…” is in the freedom to choose how we'll finish the sentence. So out with the holiday gift guide, and in with the Holiday Go Guide – a list of ways we’re replacing "Go get" and "Go shop" with "Go outside."

Meet Our Newest (Home) Office Dogs

What. A. Year. 2020 has challenged us to adapt to new ways of living, working, connecting, and exploring. For some of the Ruffwear crew, it's also been a year of growth in the form of welcoming a new pup into their pack. Meet Juno, Firnie, Atlas, River, and Wendell – a few of the newest dogs at Ruffwear. 

Gratitude Breakfast

As the clatter of forks and plates began to quiet, we passed around the Gratitude Bowl, taking turns pulling out a piece of paper and reading aloud to the group what each of us was thankful for – everything from warm socks, to family, each other, and of course, our dogs, made it into the bowl. Tears and laughter and smiles filled that room, as one of our favorite Ruffwear traditions was born.