Ruff Wear - Gear for Dogs on the Go® – manufactures performance canine gear.
Our Mission: To build performance product to enhance and inspire outdoor adventures for dogs and their human companions.
Our Story: In summer of 1992, while mountain biking in the Los Padres National Forest with friends and their dog, Ruff Wear founder and owner Patrick Kruse, was met with a challenge that sparked a series of innovations in gear for dogs on the go.
While trying to give her dog Moqui a drink, Patrick’s friend Liz emptied half of her water bottle into a plastic bag and held it while her Rhodesian Ridgeback took a few slurps. Moqui then walked away panting and Liz was left holding the bag—she couldn’t set it down without losing the water and she didn’t want to dump what was left back into her water bottle. “You need to do something about this,” Liz said, challenging Patrick to develop a solution.
Patrick was the right person to ask. As a kid, Patrick constructed packs for his dog out of army surplus gas mask bags, using them on backpacking trips in Northern California’s Trinity Alps. As a young adult, he sailed for several years as crew on charter boats in the Caribbean and Central America where being resourceful was a necessity. Patrick’s interest in kayaking led him to start Salamander Paddle Gear acquainting him with numerous technical fabrics. With this unique mix of knowledge and experience, Patrick developed the Quencher™, the original collapsible food and water bowl for dogs—and the solution to Liz and Moqui’s drinking problem.
In 1994, after 16 months of research, development, and product testing, Ruff Wear made its enthusiastic debut at an Outdoor Retailer trade show. Since then, the collapsible bowl has won praise from thirsty dogs and has been in numerous publications, from Outside Magazine to the Japanese version of Newsweek. L.L. Bean, as well as pet and outdoor retailers around the world, began selling the Ruff Wear bowl, and their encouragement inspired Patrick to develop more product solutions for active dogs.
“They were impressed with the simplicity, quality, and function of the Quencher™ and wanted to see what other solutions we could come up with,” Patrick says.
Ruff Wear now offers a full line of innovative gear for dogs on the go. In addition to three sizes of bowls—the Quencher™, the Go Between™ and the Trail Runner™ (and the closing Cinch Top™ options) —the company produces a full line of dog related equipment designed to enhance the interaction between humans and dogs. Ruff Wear gear includes dog packs, harnesses, apparel, protective paw wear, and dog flotation devices.
“We want to enhance the experience of all dogs and their two-legged companions,” Patrick says. In addition to active humans and their dogs, dog trainers, working dogs, search and rescue teams, and guide dogs/companion dogs have become Ruff Wear supporters. Each of these unique groups present specific challenges regarding product development. “My needs pale in comparison to those who depend on their dogs for assistance,” he says. “The specific tasks and companionship dogs provide is really incredible. It puts a smile on my face when people appreciate the simple design approach that we build into our gear to address complex tasks.”
“We’ve always been oriented toward products that will enhance and assist the interaction between dogs and humans. And that has always been, and will continue to be, our motivation here at Ruff Wear.”
Find out more at www.ruffwear.com
