What Dogs Really Think About Dog Gear

 how do you design something when the end user can’t give you feedback other than incessant tail wagging? And don’t dogs get just as much enjoyment out of an old stick as the latest and greatest chew toy?

In the US, there’s been a decline in births over the past 10 years and a steady increase in dog ownership. It’s an interesting trend. And, along with the increase in dog ownership, comes a whole industry eager to get a bite at the pet pie.

Pick up a stick, get your pup to sit, tell him you’re throwing the stick, he gets all excited. Throw the stick, he goes to fetch the stick and brings it back to you. All at the grand cost of Zero Dollars.

Or you can repeat the exercise with a R989 Throw-A-Stikk in your hand. What justifies it all? One company with a unique view on how to best meet the needs of both dogs, and their owners, is Ruffwear.

Ruffwear makes dog boots (the working kind, not the cute kind), jackets, collars, toys, and pretty much anything you could want for your canine companion. It’s about observing interactions between pets and their owners. That’s where the ideas for products begin.

For instance, founder Patrick Kruse was out cycling with a friend and her dog. She’d brought a plastic bag to water the pup, which just didn’t work. This was where the idea for Ruffwear’s first product – the Quencher – was born.

Ruffwear is about form and function coming together. Currently, they’re developing an improved harness to help train Guide Dogs for the visually impaired. In 2017, they cleared $22m in profits, which was all reinvested into R&D, as it has been from the get-go.