In the early days of Ruffwear, a handful of adventurous dogs were the heart and soul behind the brand’s creation. From ocean to mountain and every terrain in between, these iconic pups inspired founder Patrick Kruse to build products that would match their adventurous spirit.

On the cusp of the company’s 30th anniversary, Kruse reflected on the original “Ruffwear dogs” that shaped the company, sharing stories and also the real-world challenges that inspired iconic products like the Quencher bowl, Float Coat, and so much more. 

From Moki’s trailblazing influence to Otis and Ursula’s invaluable contributions, Kruse gives us a glimpse into how these four-legged pioneers helped Ruffwear grow into the trusted brand it is today.

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Patrick Kruse’s Adventurous Roots and Early Inspiration

Kruse grew up in an adventurous household where dogs were always part of the journey. “At the age of eight, I was backpacking with my family and our dogs,” Kruse recalled, noting how his early experiences shaped his understanding of gear and the challenges of adventuring with pets. 

By the age of 12, Kruse’s ingenuity was already apparent. During a family trip to the Eastern Sierras and Trinity Alps, he faced a problem: he couldn’t carry both his gear and his dog’s supplies. His solution? He sewed his first dog pack, letting the dog help carry the load, sparking the first glimpse of his future in outdoor gear design.

After leaving high school, Kruse sought adventure on the open seas, joining sailboats in the Caribbean and Central America. It was here that he sharpened his resourcefulness, mastering woodworking and sail repair — skills that would later prove essential in his product design approach.

The pivotal moment came during a mountain bike ride with friends and his dog, Moki. When a friend struggled to water her dog using a flimsy bottle, Kruse realized there had to be a better way. This hands-on problem-solving experience inspired the creation of Ruffwear’s first product: the collapsible Quencher bowl, designed specifically for active dogs and their outdoor adventures.

Through these formative experiences, Kruse’s love for the outdoors and practical problem-solving ultimately led to the founding of Ruffwear, a brand committed to crafting innovative gear for dogs who share life’s adventures with their humans.

Reflecting on those early days, Kruse emphasized that Ruffwear has always been about solving real-world challenges for adventurers and their canine companions, and that legacy lives on today. 

Who Were the Original Dogs of Ruffwear? 

With such an adventurous upbringing — and constantly accompanied by his loyal companions — it’s no wonder that Kruse had the epiphany to start Ruffwear. Below, we dive deep into the company’s history and what inspired the brand’s first flagship products. 

GJ: Can you tell us about the very first dogs that inspired the creation of Ruffwear? Who were they, what were their breeds, and what were their personalities like?

PK: The very first dog that inspired Ruffwear was Moki, a Rhodesian ridgeback mix. Moki joined us on a mountain bike ride in Los Padres National Forest, and at the time there was no specific gear for dogs recreating in the backcountry. 

So Moki’s human, Liz, brought along a plastic bag that she attempted to fill with drinking water from her limited 21-ounce bike bottle. The plastic bag solution failed miserably, wasting precious water, and Moki was unwilling to drink from it, prompting Liz to challenge me with a solution. 

This was the spark that inspired Ruffwear and a whole new category of gear for dogs on the go. Over the years, Moki was always eager to go on adventures, joining us on mountain biking and backpacking trips in the Sierras. Like many Rhodesian ridgebacks, Moki was well suited for distance activities and always eager to be with his humans.

Additionally, I lived with two dogs — Otis, my Australian cattle dog, and Ursula (the Ruffwear mascot), a Rottweiler that my partner rescued in downtown L.A. Our shared outings seemed to enlighten us to new opportunities to solve the challenges of including our four-legged companions on our adventures.

Otis’s personality was driven, focused, and always ready for the next adventure. His enthusiasm for mountain biking and whitewater kayaking was nonstop, and he was an amazing companion on so many adventures — an always-willing sidekick ready with three paws out the door.

Ursula, having lived the first few years of her life as an inner-city dog, embraced our adventures with curiosity and a sense of wonder. It was an amazing experience to see Ursula swim for the first time or run through a lush, green meadow or experience a clear, cold mountain river. Seeing these experiences through our dogs’ perspectives enriched our human experiences in unspeakable ways.

What specific needs or challenges did you observe in these original dogs that led to the development of Ruffwear products?

First and foremost, our collapsible food and water bowl, the Quencher, was born from that first experience with Moki out on a mountain bike ride. Having a compact and convenient way to offer our companions food and water on the go was really the first opportunity for Ruffwear to solve. 

Ruffwear was fueled by our needs and experiences as well as customers’ and retailers’ requests to address solutions for dogs getting out on adventures. After our collapsible water bowl, designing dog boots that would stay on and protect dogs’ paws during distance adventures over varied terrain were fast to follow. 

After boots came our dog packs, updating dog packs with features that we humans expected in our personal packs, more comfortable to carry, easier to put on and take off for rest stops and water crossings, improved load distribution, incorporated hydration systems — addressing the ill-fitting and poor performance dog packs of the day.

If I step back for a minute and share, dogs don’t really need anything when they’re choosing their own activities. But, when we humans include our four-legged friends in our adventures, and we take our dogs to different environments than what they may be conditioned to, they need the best gear to help make their exploration even better. 

Don’t get me wrong, dogs might be willing and ready to go, but we’re asking our dogs to join us on these adventures virtually naked; while we’re packing our 600-fill sleeping bags, ultralight tents, high-tech stoves, and lightweight cooking gear while wearing technical insulated garments and performance footwear. 

All I was doing was giving my dogs similar advantages that I, too, benefited from with my gear. 

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Were there any particular adventures or experiences with these dogs that played a pivotal role in shaping Ruffwear’s early designs?

One pivotal experience for me was a 17-mile kayak run on the remote stretch on the Forks of the Kern River. My dog Otis had joined me outfitted in a commercially available and highly regarded dog life jacket at the time. About halfway through the run, I attempted to ferry Otis across the river above a drop, only to discover that he easily slipped out of his life jacket. 

Once I was able to compose myself and get Otis across the river, we finished the run. Back at camp, no matter how I adjusted his life jacket, Otis kept slipping out. It was at that point I had made the decision to make a better Float Coat. From that experience, our Float Coat was born and has continued to be one of my favorite, most used, and most well-received Ruffwear products.

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Another product would be our Webmaster harness. Originally conceived as the chassis for our backcountry dog packs, many of us were simply using the harness separately from the packs for the features and functionality that it offered. Seeing this as an opportunity, we created a standalone Webmaster harness that could be purchased independently of the packs. 

Customers didn’t have to buy a complete pack if they just wanted the harness. The Webmaster harness is the first harness that managed all the straps and created centralized attachment points and a handle, allowing for lift and assist over obstacles while providing a “Houdini”-proof harness to ensure it stays on the dog. This was a huge leap forward from other harness offerings at the time.

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How did the original dogs contribute to the testing and refinement of Ruffwear’s first products? Do you have any memorable stories from that process?

Otis was Ruffwear’s original product tester. He would put all of our products through their paces and provided great insights into durability, performance, functionality, and fit. I recall during the boot testing how I was not convinced that dog boots really were necessary for dogs, but I was willing to try to solve the issues with dog boots staying on. 

Otis and I would ride a 17-mile mountain bike loop after work, and he would follow along without any paw protection. When the opportunity came to test some boots, I put our prototype dog boots on Otis and headed out the door for our typical 17-mile mountain bike loop riding on mixed surfaces found in the high desert of Bend, Ore., a formidable testing ground for outdoor gear. 

Afterward, I would inspect the boots and check Otis for any hotspots. What was impressive is that when Otis would go on the rides without boots, he would typically stay off his paws and rest for several hours after the ride. When we started testing the boots, Otis always had lots of energy and excitement after testing the boots. 

While I was skeptical whether dogs really needed them, it was pretty compelling that Otis was energized and ready to go after running in the boots compared to when he went without. The boots were providing a level of protection for Otis’ paws, and he no longer required any recovery time to get back at it.

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What unique characteristics or traits did these dogs possess that made them ideal “ambassadors” for Ruffwear in its early days?

That’s an interesting question. I’ve never met a dog that wasn’t an ideal ambassador. Given the right opportunities and a little bit of time to adjust to their surroundings and conditions, dogs seem eager and joyful to join humans on our adventures. 

If I had to answer what the unique characteristics or traits are that make dogs ideal ambassadors, I would simply say companionship and a sense of exploration. Dogs are naturals at companionship and exploration. They love to spend time with humans and other dogs, and they are always curious about the sights, smells, and sounds around them. 

In many ways, I believe dogs are more natural explorers than humans are. They are more in tune with their environment, better aware of others’ — both human and other beings — emotions as well as their capabilities. I believe humans could benefit more if we simply followed our noses and took more cues from our dogs.

As Ruffwear has grown, how have the legacy and spirit of those original dogs been carried forward in the company’s culture and product innovation?

We often talk about and reference our founding dogs that paved the way and were foundational in our learnings. Ursula is the model for Ruffwear’s logo. Her name is referenced daily, and her story is one that we share often. A junkyard downtown L.A. inner city dog that shared her newfound enthusiasm and excitement about getting out and exploring new environments with her human companions. 

The smile on her face and her bright, expressive eyes, as well as her sense of joy, were experienced by all those who knew her. Ursula’s spirit lives on in our whimsical logo and the stories we share. She continues to leave a lasting impression.

Otis, being the sweet, persistent, driving, and focused cattle dog that he was, inspired a sense of continual forward momentum. He was rarely satisfied with his accomplishments and always ready for the next adventure.

You can see Otis’s inspiration in Ruffwear’s culture of exploration and companionship. His continued drive for what’s next can be experienced in Ruffwear’s product innovation that beckons others to join in on the fun.

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This post was sponsored by Ruffwear.