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Stories

A curated collection of stories to inspire you and your dog to get out there.

  • Top Gear for Senior Dogs

    We have a few extra experienced pups as part of our Pack, and we chatted with their humans to get the lowdown on what senior dog gear they dig most. 

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    Pack member Vita and her dog Lucky on a walk in the snow.

  • Go-to Dog Gear for Rainy Days

    Don’t let rain put a damper on your adventures. Here are six pieces of gear to have at the ready if there’s rain in the forecast. 

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    Dog and human getting ready for a rainy adventure.

  • Layering Systems: How to Layer Dog Apparel

    Whether you're hiking in the mountains or exploring a local park, prepare your pup for any condition with the right layers. Here's how to layer dog apparel.

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    Dog wearing the Climate Changer™ Fleece.

  • High-Visibility Dog Gear for Fall & Winter

    From reflective collars, harnesses, and jackets to rechargeable safety lights, here’s a list of must-have gear to keep your dog visible in low-light conditions.

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    Woman hiking with her dog in the fall.

  • Gear Up Your New Dog: The Essentials

    Start off on the right paw with your new addition. We’ve rounded up our top picks for the essential gear you’ll need when adopting a new dog.

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    A man and his dog sit on a rock during a hike.

  • What's the Difference Between Waterproof & Water-Resistant?

    What's the difference between the "waterproof" and "water-resistant"? We put together a quick rundown of the performance you can expect from each and in which of our dog gear you'll find them.

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    Dog and human hiking in the rain.

  • The Size is Right: How to Measure for Your Dog's Gear

    These quick videos and tips will get you all set for finding the right size for your dog's next harness, jacket, backpack, and dog boots.

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    The Size is Right: How to Measure for Your Dog's Gear

  • A Lineage of Performance Jackets for Dogs

    Ruffwear’s Founder and Product Line Manager provide insights and backstory on three iconic winter dog jackets

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    Two dogs wearing the Vert Jacket sit on a rock with their human in winter.

  • Holiday Gift Guide for Dogs and Dog Lovers

    If you’re on the hunt for holiday gifts for the dog lovers in your life, you’ve come to the right place. We’re dog lovers too and all our gear is designed to inspire fun outside. We’ve selected gear that will get tails wagging in the winter by offering warmth and extra visibility. Plus, we’ve picked out a few perennial pieces that are trail-ready and budget-friendly.

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    Dog licks humans face while sitting on step of nordic warming hut in the snow.

  • Staying Cool the Rogue Dog Way

    Rogue Detection Dogs are happy to work all day traversing plains, climbing up mountains, trekking through snow, and clambering over rocks and fallen trees, all with the expectation of playing with their ball – their reward for successfully locating wildlife scat. Ruffwear proudly supports and partners with Rogue Detection Teams by providing gear to all of the dogs. 

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    Rogue Athena stays cool with swamp cooler by wind turbines.

  • The Dog is in the Details: Designing the Home Trail™ Hip Pack

    It used to be quite the production getting out the door with my pup without forgetting any of her or my stuff. Enter the Home Trail™ Hip Pack. I call it my “go-bag.” Now, the time between “Want to go for a walk?” and “Let’s go!” is a simple grab-and-go on the way out rather than the frantic herding of pick-up bags and treats. 

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    Dog in stumptown jacket walks with human carrying stumptown coffee cup by Stumptown coffee roaster sign.

  • DIG: All About the BackTrak ™ Dog Evac Kit

    Part of exploring the outdoors responsibly is being prepared and having a plan in place to answer “What would I do if…” This is the spark behind the design of the BackTrak™ Dog Evac Kit.

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    DIG: All About the BackTrak ™ Dog Evac Kit

  • Creating New Memories with Hand-Me-Down Dog Gear

    Ruffwear Ambassador, Laura Patton, shares how passing down dog gear from one dog to another brings bittersweet joy – preserving one dog's memory and creating space for more memories to be made. 

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    A woman and her two dogs walk in the mountains.

  • The New Hemp Hound™ Sweater: A Sustainability Move?

    Hemp in the outdoor apparel marketplace these days has a compelling sustainability narrative around it. Well-known brands are ramping up the use of this undeniably cool fiber. I’m often asked if the new Hemp Hound™ Sweater was a “sustainability” move. And, to answer, I’ll defer to the longtime favorite Facebook relationship status – “it’s complicated.”

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    A woman and man run with their dog on a desert trail.

  • The Furness™ Jacket: A Game Changer for Cold-Weather Exploring

    Ruffwear Ambassadors Katie & Quinci are desert-dwelling, trash collecting, and community-loving outdoor enthusiasts. They live in Arizona and spend as much time as they can hiking, paddleboarding, climbing, and backpacking. Here, Katie shares how Ruffwear's Furness Jacket has kept Quinci warm on cold & windy excursions. 

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    A small dog sits in a woman's lap while they are out in nature.

  • New Gear for Winter 2022

    This winter season, we’re taking a cue from our dogs and pressing the play button. Whether you and your pup are hitting the slopes or fetching sticks in a crisp city park, our Innovative Insulation Collection will provide the warmth to extend your winter play. 

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    A woman snowshoes uphill with her dog beside her.

  • How To Clean a Dirty Dog's Dirty Gear

    Dogs know how to play, and that means splashing and crawling through nature’s biggest mess-makers. We’ve got you covered with our dog gear cleaning instructions and solutions to your toughest cleaning puzzles. 

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    A man and dog walk on a muddy hiking trail near a waterfall.

  • Behind the Design: Pacific Gnaw-west Toys

    We checked in with Ruffwear Founder, Patrick Kruse, and design team members, Timothy Gorbold and Liz Zarro, to get the scoop on the inspiration behind the Pacific Gnaw-west Toy Collection. 

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    A man throws a Gnawt-a-Stick™ toy for his dog who chases after it.

  • New Gear for Fall 2022

    With our new fall gear, we’re elevating your play experience by bringing you new colors, designs, and styles from our Trailhead Collection.

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    A dog wearing a Web Master Harness runs on a trail while his human companion bikes behind him.

  • New Gear for Spring 2022

    This season, we’re highlighting waypoints – the places along life’s journey that hold significance. With our tail-wagging pals by our sides, we return to these spots time and again. Leaving new foot and paw prints. Collecting memories. Ready to kick off spring by retracing or discovering your waypoints? We’ve got you covered with our new spring gear from two of our top collections: Camp & Hike and Backpacking. 

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    A woman puts a collapsible water bottle in her dog's Ruffwear Palisades Pack.

  • 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.

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    A dog plays with his toy in the snow while wearing Ruffwear Polar Trex™ Dog Boots.

  • 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. 

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    A dog and its two owners play in the snow with the Ruffwear Quinzee™ Dog Jacket.

  • 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.

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

  • 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.

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    Bondi wears her Ruffwear Float Coat™ Dog Life Jacket while on a raft in the water.

  • 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.

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    A dog with its human companion head out to ski in the backcountry!

  • 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.

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    New Gear for Fall 2021

  • 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.

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    new river gorge aerial view.

  • 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.

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    Chris carries fishing pole walking along river while dog runs behind in Float Coat.

  • 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. 

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    Human has switchbak leash attached to front and back attachment points of front range harness on 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.

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    Hector sits on log next to alpine lake getting kisses from his dog in Front Range day pack on a hike.

  • 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.

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    Ski patroller plays tug with pacific loop toy with avy dog dressed in web master harness.

  • 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. 

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    Dani and Nate Wyeth walk with dogs Ranger and Tanner on the beach.

  • Holiday Like The Pros: Ambassador Picks

    Ruffwear Ambassadors share our belief that dogs make us whole and our relationship with our dogs is shaped by the adventures we share. So who better to turn to for some holiday inspiration than our very own Ambassador Pack? Read on for their top gear picks and other ways they make the holidays with their canine companions an extra special time of year. 

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    Becca in puffy jacket in snow gets kisses from Tala the husky in Quinzee insulated jacket.

  • The Story Behind Our New Glacier Pattern

    Whether peering deep into a crevasse or ogling the sprawling vastness from high above, glaciers are inherently artful elements of nature. This was all on designer Liz’s mind as she developed Glacier – this season’s new pattern for the Climate Changer™ Jacket and Climate Changer™ Pullover.

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    Dog in glacier pattern climate changer fleece runs over snow patches on trail.

  • New Gear for Fall 2020

    This season, we’re introducing new human gear for carrying you and your sidekick's everyday essentials. Plus, check out the new designs and looks for our iconic cold weather jackets and boots, all built to keep your pup warm so you can linger longer in the moments that matter – whatever the weather.

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    Dog in glacier climate changer fleece runs around outside tent up in the hills.

  • Our Trail Tested Promise

    All our products are rigorously field-tested – by real dogs really getting after it. Before any Ruffwear gear ends up on the trail with you and your dog, every component – from buckles and stitching to fabrics and webbing – has been put to the test and held to strict standards.

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    Dog in palisades pack pulls ahead of human on rocky backpacking trip.

  • Behind the Design: Color Stories

    The subtle hues and bursts of color in the landscapes we explore with our dogs inspire and influence the colors of Ruffwear gear. Sure – dogs see the colors of the rainbow a little differently than we do. But what if it's more about their experience of it than it is the looks?

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    Dog in hibiscus pink front range harness in field of pink tulips with woman.

  • Pura Vida: Ruffwear in Costa Rica

    Meet Sebastian and Esteban. They're brothers that live in Costa Rica with their dogs Gala, Ras, Chaco, Duna, and Tony, and they've partnered with Ruffwear as our distributors in the region since 2016. We turned to Sebastian and Esteban to learn more about life, dogs, and adventure in Costa Rica.  

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    Esteban (seated) and Sebastian (standing) at a recent visit to Territorio de Zaguates

  • Pack Up & Get Out: What Our Office Dogs Pack on the Trails

    As the air grows warmer and the sun lingers longer, we can’t help but get excited for backpacking, camping, and long days on the trail. Our employees and office dogs sure know how to pack in the fun, so here's a look at their go-to gear when their furry sidekick is shouldering some of the load.

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    Dog in Palisades dog backpack and human with backpacking pack look out over Oregon coast from trail.

  • How to Train an Adventure Puppy

    Training a dog is an adventure all on its own. The journey is long but the view at the end is a smiling dog with a spark in his eye.

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    Maria walking her dog through grass by woods.

  • New Gear for Summer 2020

    Summer 2020 has us gearing up to dig into what it means to find purpose and healing in the outdoors with our dogs. We're using the downtime to strengthen our connections and ignite our imagination for the road ahead – dreaming up new ways to explore with our ever-faithful canine companions.

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    Two dogs in highlands dog sleeping bag next to their human sitting in the tent.

  • Threads of Innovation: How Our Reflective Webbing Is Made

    Curiosity led Ruffwear product designer Monica down a path of discovering a way to weave reflectivity into jacquard webbing. The result: reflective leashes and collars in striking and durable patterns.

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    Seafoam webbing overlayed next to the ocean seafoam it was inspired by.

  • The Craftsmanship Behind the Front Range® Harness

    Mindfully designed. Diligently constructed. Trail tested. That’s the craftsmanship behind every piece of gear from Ruffwear – all from the perspective of your canine explorer, and focused on their comfort, freedom, and experience. Here's a look at how that craftsmanship shaped the Front Range® Harness. 

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    Riggins in a front range harness and Alli run through the Painted Hills.

  • New Gear for Spring 2020

    This season's new gear is an invitation to you and your number-one trail buddy to be curious, take the first step, and start down your own road less traveled.

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    Two humans holding six dogs in different front range harnesses in front of Mt Bachelor.

  • Exploring Politely On-Leash Using the Front Range Harness

    Collars don’t teach dogs polite manners, pet owners do. Plus, collars can cause injury when dogs pull against them. Instead, reach for a comfortable dog harness, six-foot leash, and lots of super yummy treats. Now, it’s time to get busy teaching your dog polite leash manners.

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    Dog in front range harness and leash runs alongside human on trail.

  • Digging Into Our Environmental Pawprint: Supply Chain

    We checked in with Kelly, Ruffwear's Sustainability Coordinator, to see what she’s learned in her first year. As Kelly explains, it’s an ever-evolving, always-room-to-improve process with numerous factors involved. In this article, we’ll look at Ruffwear’s efforts in establishing an environmentally-conscious supply chain.

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    Dog in climate changer pullover runs in front of man running by Broken top.

  • 6 Tips for Breaking in Ruffwear Dog Boots

    Dog boots and shoes can help dogs with grip and traction on loose, rocky terrain, on ice and snow, and on other wet surfaces. They protect paws from hot pavement, coarse, rocky trails, clumpy snow, salt, and more. Yet, just like human boots, dog boots need a break-in period. We’ve got 6 tips for breaking in Ruffwear dog boots.

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    PD the dog in grip trex boots jumps over a root while trail running with human Krissy.

  • Connections Built to Last

    Climbing is part of Ruffwear’s heritage. For more than 23 years, many Ruffwear employees have spent their evenings and weekends shedding layers of skin on boulders, rock walls, big walls, and alpine granite. Our office dogs are also our crag dogs.

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    Two women with dogs and climbing gear walk down the approach to Smith Rock climbing area.

  • Preventing Snowballs – The Ruffwear Way

    As snow lovers, we often find ourselves running joyfully through endless hills of white powder without a worry in the world…until…it happens. The inevitable cosmic reaction to fluffy snow when it makes contact with fluffy fur – “Snowballs.”

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    Two humans walk behind three dogs running in the snow.