“Alright. You’ve paid your dues my little Squidlet. Here you go”

I unclipped his harness to what seemed like a slow-motion whirlwind of dust and uncertainty. Immediately he pounced across the creek, effortlessly lifting his 50lb mass of muscle that is an American Staffordshire Terrier to the opposite bank. I leaped across the creek to follow and found him dancing with what he presumed to be his new best friend and what was later thoroughly explained to him as an ‘OUCH’. Many hours later he lay sulking at the bottom of the stairs donning the ‘cone of shame’.

Relieved that this was only a minor swing dance with a full-grown porcupine, I was able to calmly transport Squid to the car where we then drove straight to the vet to have his new ‘Quill-jewelry’ removed.

How do we prepare ourselves for the unexpected in the great outdoors with our dogs? The truth is, we can facilitate the safety of our outdoor experiences with our dogs by applying essential tools and knowledge to our everyday excursions. With some planning and forethought, we can prepare ourselves to confidently trot into the unknown and unveil every corner we turn with ease.

Here are some simple tips, tools and suggestions based on our own experiences in the great outdoors:

• In an emergency, phone your veterinarian or emergency clinic to help them prepare for your arrival.
• When planning extended trips, you may want to consider contacting your veterinarian for over the counter medicines and proper dosages for your pet.
• Ask local veterinarians about potentially poisonous plants, animals and environmental conditions that you should be aware of

• Remain calm.
• Stabilize your dog and transport him or her to a veterinary hospital.

For more specific First Aid, we’ve highlighted a few of the most common things to look for whether you’re on your next trek through the hills, or bombing through the powder on the backside of Mt. Bachelor.

In the end, your Ruffwear dogs are thankful for every step you take with them even if means running through the pouring rain after work. Off-season or in-season, get outside!

A day in the life-Mt. Bachelor Avi Dogs from Ruffwear on Vimeo.

As an avid sponsor of Avalanche Rescue dogs around the country, Ruffwear is well-represented with Greg, Patrick, and Colin in attendance.

© Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune Here you see our team working with the WBR rescue school on a perfect day for training in Brighton, Utah.

On a quiet day at the Ruffwear headquarters we received an email from Greg who was playing the role of the ‘rescue victim’ in a mock avalanche rescue training drill. In what appears to be a car, Greg had time to fill us in as he sat patiently, awaiting his four-pawed rescue.

After an originally blank email with ONLY this photo, Greg quickly responds to the inquiring minds at Ruffwear with a humorous description, “I am sitting in a buried car waiting for Angus to save me. I am still waiting.”

Here at the Ruffwear office, you’d be surprised how many of us have been ‘avalanche victims’ in one scenario or another. One thing we can say is that these dogs are driven to be experts in fieldwork, ranging, beacon search, probing techniques, and obedience. Working like a dog shows its true colors when you notice the small paw shaped tracks littering the snowfields of the mountains. These AVI dogs mean business and they show it.

Greg is probably patiently waiting for his rescue as this is filmed

We find that these dogs have an amazing tenacity to learn, be trained, and provide services that save lives. As we continue to support these teams, we’re most impressed by each individual AVI dog we cross paths with. It’s the passion in their eyes as they perform successful drills in preparation for when it’s truly needed in the big White Mountains across the world.

After the memorable drive into the desolate Utah desert landscapes, the Ruffwear team continued to impress by pulling off another great show. Meanwhile, they maintained a steady stream of emails to those of us back in Bend filled with quirky quotes, photos, and everything else that makes this team click, laugh, and repeat.

Nice sunglasses team! Ruffwear see, Ruffwear do?

Another great part of Outdoor Retailer is connecting with some of our Ambassadors like Dean Potter and the ever-adorable Whisper.

As the hours of Outdoor retailer roll by, hundreds of enthusiastic fans sift in and out of the Ruffwear booth. From the familiar tails of RW Ambassadors stopping in, to Frisbee-loving pups showing off their ‘old’ and ‘new’ Hovercrafts, the Ruffwear history rides strong.

In the end, we left Salt Lake City with full smiles ready for the next leg of our journey at the  Wasatch Backcountry Rescue School training.

Look for more on the avalanche and helicopter rescue training from our team as the week goes on!

Here at Ruffwear, we’ve filled our two-story office space with 20+ of the finest outdoor-savvy dog lovers this side of HWY 97. With that said, none of us here are exempt from unwelcome surprises along the way. From the weekend that Ruffwearian Will Blount grimly watched his tent float down the lower Deschutes River (Cinder at his side) to my inept ability to pull together any snow sport tenacity while skijoring:

These are the moments when life’s deck does not seem stacked in our favor. Yet, they always seem to be the ones we remember with a smile on our faces.

So, with all of our seasoned tales and trails, our staff has put together some tips to help YOU along the way.

1. Kaya tends to collect plenty of dirt, mud, moisture, or snow on our outings, depending on the time of year. I’m no neat freak, but I like to have all her funk contained on a dog bed and not on our floor. So I’ll towel her off, then have her lay on a bed with a water-resistant bottom like the Mt. Bachelor Pad. She dries, the funk falls on the bed, I shake off the bed outside, and my floors stay pretty clean! – Lindsey Clark

2. Using our Roamer Leash and Bivy Bowl allows us to have the dogs leashed, but also be hands free! With most of our adventures, having your hands free is crucial to being able to keep our dogs hydrated when needed and quickly! – Debbie Manies

3. I believe the activities that lead to the most enjoyable outings are inclusion as often as possible. That is by including our dogs in and on as many trips, travels and excursions, Mavis and Gordo are always prepared for whatever comes their way. With a few basic gear items, (food and water bowls, leashes, toys and beds, a towel or two, we also travel with a pet first aid kit and vaccine documents when heading across the border) we have set expectations and a familiar routine associated with our activities and gear whether we are heading on a month long road trip, camping out of tents and sleeping in the dirt or heading into the city and staying on the 9th floor of a hotel, the dogs just roll with the flow and fit into the natural rhythms of our shared and inclusive adventures. From riding elevators in downtown Portland to bombing down the Dread and Terror Mt. Bike Trail on the North Umpqua, it is all just a part of our shared existence. I will say that the time that Gordo rolled in a decomposing sea lion while two humans and two dogs were camping out of the van for a week up in the San Juan Islands required more then a little composure. That said, Gordo was about as proud of that moment as we were horrified. What is it they say? Every dog has his day. – Patrick Kruse

4. Using the Flat Out Leash waist-worn makes all my outings better. I can run, walk, and hike hands-free! – Susan Strible

5. Joanna and I ski with Baker a lot. Sometimes we are out all day so there are a couple of things we have learned to do while keep Baker comfortable and happy: Snacks: She needs snacks along the way to keep her energy up just like we do. We have found that carrots work very well.  I usually put a bunch of carrot chunks in my pocket that I can give to her on the go.  Carrots work great because we can all eat them and they are easy to grab with a gloved hand.  Also bringing something for her to sit on, off the snow at rest stops helps keep her warm and makes her rest rather than running around.   The highlands bed works well or I use a piece of a ridge rest pad when weight is important. –Ian McWilliams

In the end, although we prepare ourselves for the unknown, it’s the moments when we weren’t prepared that we remember forever. As they say, the adventure begins when things go wrong.

What do you do to prepare for your outings?