[NAGDU] “I never get tired of watching working dogs work. Whatever the job is, whatever they are doing, it is amazing to me.”

Mon Mar 28 22:28:10 UTC 2022

A road-trip detour became a career detour for Greg – our then-Brand Manager
– when he and a Ruffwear teammate stopped in to see one of our
(unexpectedly) biggest dog boot customers: Guide Dogs for the Blind.

https://ruffwear.com/blogs/explored/forever-changed-a-day-with-guide-dogs-fo
r-the-blind?ltkKey=843CE4EDB5A354034491A4599A&trk_contact=8FOUORN0FS6T5AQ6NC
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medium=Email&utm_source=Listrak&utm_term=Working%20Dogs%20%282%29 

DETOURS

A road-trip detour became a career detour for Greg – our then-Brand Manager
– when he and a Ruffwear teammate stopped in to see one of our
(unexpectedly) biggest dog boot customers: Guide Dogs for the Blind.

READ THE STORY » 

“I never get tired of watching working dogs work. Whatever the job is,
whatever they are doing, it is amazing to me.” 

– Greg

WORKING DOGS

Forever Changed: A Day with Guide Dogs for the Blind

Erin Swanson

•

03/22/22

Greg Freyberg, Ruffwear’s Service Dog Channel Manager, has been a key player
in developing our working dog partnerships. Back in 2015, when he was still
our Brand Manager, he embarked on a van road trip with his Ruffwear
teammate, Grant, to visit our top dealers across the West Coast. When
mapping out their course, the duo realized that one of our customers, Guide
Dogs for the Blind (GDB), had consistently high sales of our Grip Trex™ Dog
Boots. Curious to learn more, they added them as a stop. Here, we’ll share
the immersive experience Greg had on a visit to their campus and how this
jump-started his passion for supporting the guide dog community with
Ruffwear products. 

Piled into a Ruffwear van, Greg and Grant drove through the gates of the
Guide Dogs for the Blind campus – a pristine 11-acre campus nestled in the
charming Northern California town of San Rafael. 

The Ruffwear van is parked in front of the Guide Dogs for the Blind campus
sign. 

The Guide Dogs for the Blind’s Director of Marketing greeted them at the
entrance. They’d only expected a quick 30-minute stop to say hello. But to
their surprise, she ushered them through a full campus tour and immersive
experience. 

The warm summer breeze pressed at their backs as they walked on paths
winding through manicured lawns. Modern buildings with touches of wood
paneling sat on the perimeter – with signs pointing to the maternity ward,
puppy development center, kennels, training facilities, and dormitories for
people who are blind attending training. 

This is one of the buildings on the Guide Dogs for the Blind campus in San
Rafael, California. 

Greg particularly enjoyed stopping at the puppy kennels. Dressed in a smock
to protect the puppies from germs, he picked up a smiling young golden
retriever. This little one would one day play a transformative role in the
life of a person who is blind. 

A man holds a puppy who is in training to become a guide dog. 

MAKE WAY FOR PUPPIES IN TRAINING

Next, they explored the Puppy Development Center. Mobiles of PVC pipe and
dangling spatulas hung over the puppies – who learned to ignore their
jarring sounds. The pups-in-training explored novel surfaces as they
balanced on wobble boards and trotted over bumpy obstacles. 

They even faced a dog’s arch nemesis – the dreaded vacuum. At the completion
of this training, the puppies would be able to stay calm and professional in
distracting environments. 

Puppy trainers hold puppies in the Guide Dogs for the Blind's puppy
development center. 

A WALK WITHOUT SIGHT

After soaking up some puppy time, Greg and Grant walked to an open
courtyard. They stood, surrounded by mature oak trees, on a training path
for those who are blind learning to walk with a guide dog. Little did Greg
know, he was in for a life-changing experience. 

GDB trainers instructed Greg to put on a blindfold and walk with a
highly-trained guide dog in a harness. When he first met the blonde lab he’d
be putting his trust in, he noticed how playful she was. She greeted Greg
with high-speed tail swooshes. Wiggling her rump in excitement, her tongue
hung sideways from her grinning mouth. 

But once that harness was on, she stood still – body poised for instruction,
ears forward, and eyes focused. 

A man wearing a blindfold walks with a guide dog on the Guide Dogs for the
Blind campus. 

As Greg put on the blindfold, grabbed the harness handle, and began to
follow the lab’s lead, he was struck by how much movement and feedback he
felt from the handle. 

He had thought he’d just hold on and walk forward. But instead, he noticed
the handle rotated from side to side. It turns out, this handle movement is
an intentional part of its design – it creates a full connection to the
guide dog.  

Greg had one of those rare “aha” moments. He got just a glimpse of what it’s
like to not be able to rely on his sight and discovered a newfound
appreciation for guide dogs. 

DOG BOOTS 101

Still blindfolded, Greg then attempted to put Ruffwear boots on a guide dog.
Now, this wasn’t Greg’s first rodeo putting on dog boots – he figured he’d
put on more than most people at Ruffwear. But, the process felt brand new
without his sight. 

Greg fiddled with the bag, opened it, and let the boots spill out. He patted
the ground to find them – picking one up with care. Waving his free hand
into the air, he made contact with the dog’s soft back, moving his way down
to her legs. Next, he felt around with his other hand to locate the bottom
surface of the boot. His hand grazed its rugged outsole. Sliding his fingers
to the top, he felt the upper mesh material. 

He opened the boot wide, lifted the paw, and made a few awkward attempts to
place it in the boot. Missed. Oops – missed again. The dog, trained in how
to wear dog boots, stood still and patient. 

Finally, Greg managed to slip the paw inside the boot. It took a few
attempts to find the top of the boot, cinch it tight, and fasten the
hook-and-loop closure. Greg exhaled in triumph. As he tried to locate the
other boots, he thought: Whew, three more boots to go. 

A man stands next to a guide dog who is wearing Ruffwear dog boots. 

It was then that Greg had an epiphany – a flash of clarity washed over him.
A pivotal turning point. He thought, I’ve never experienced our products
like this before. We can alter them to better suit the needs of people who
are blind. 

He’d changed his perception permanently and there was no turning back. 

As Greg and Grant’s afternoon on the campus came to a close, they were
hesitant to leave. Greg thought, this has been one of the most influential
work days I’ve ever had. Lucky for Greg, he’d be back.  

FUELING OUR COMMITMENT TO GUIDE DOGS 

This immersive afternoon sparked a fire in Greg – driving him forward with a
steadfast commitment to build more partnerships between Ruffwear and working
dog communities. He began attending conferences, reaching out to
organizations, and educating himself. 

In 2017, Greg switched from his role as Brand Manager to Ruffwear’s first
Service Dog Channel Manager. Soon, our influence in the working dog industry
would span from service dogs and guide dogs to avalanche dogs and
conservation dogs. 

This is a picture of Ruffwear's Access ID™ Service Dog Vest. 

During this time, we connected with more guide dog organizations and worked
with them to design the Unifly™ Guide Dog Harness, Access ID™ Service Dog
Vest, and Audible Beacon™ Safety Light. Our dog boots and treat pouches also
support this community. Today, we supply gear to guide dogs across the
world.  

ONGOING DISCOVERIES

As we provide ongoing support for this community, we continue to learn from
and be inspired by the remarkable individuals and dogs involved in this
work. 

Greg puts it best: “I never get tired of watching working dogs work.
Whatever the job is, whatever they are doing, it is amazing to me.” 

Hungry for more stories about working dogs? Satisfy your appetite with our
full spread of working dog stories.

From: Ruffwear <ruffwear at ruffwear.com> 
Sent: Sunday, March 27, 2022 8:01 PM
Subject: "I never get tired of watching working dogs work." 

A road-trip detour to Guide Dogs for the Blind becomes a career detour for a
Ruffwear employee.

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DETOURS

A road-trip detour became a career detour for Greg – our then-Brand Manager
– when he and a Ruffwear teammate stopped in to see one of our
(unexpectedly) biggest dog boot customers: Guide Dogs for the Blind.

<http://enews.ruffwear.net/q/K5C13qUH9-W0XPb9LpLi0QiI_u8Rfy89L8VZcOJbG1zY2Fp
ZmVAdmVyaXpvbi5uZXTDiA6IhVF7UtcbZLl_QboqXHqnu6KUA> READ THE STORY » 

<http://enews.ruffwear.net/q/ZbIyO9ocLFA0XKJ1ZwYFJ_hf8SdOknssb2yZcOJbG1zY2Fp
ZmVAdmVyaXpvbi5uZXTDiAave0JmjFfb7Lih4BOVxs5Emz1sQ> 

“I never get tired of watching working dogs work. Whatever the job is,
whatever they are doing, it is amazing to me.” 

– Greg

<http://enews.ruffwear.net/q/43h3NqFO7ZO0X7ux--PQYrRH-jsCIIZUJWGZcOJbG1zY2Fp
ZmVAdmVyaXpvbi5uZXTDiAFlT-s9lsc5mLReiDYbJ2RhxBW-w> 

THERE’S MORE TO THE STORY

>From guide dogs to detection dogs and service dogs to avy dogs, working dogs
have long been a part of Ruffwear’s stories. 

<http://enews.ruffwear.net/q/jcyvzWjQESE0XmRllEtOZ69xEjAXn_atIDPZcOJbG1zY2Fp
ZmVAdmVyaXpvbi5uZXTDiAAk3adZxid5SLgjNNIEXMEpgRP3w> MORE WORKING DOG STORIES
» 

FIELD TESTED BY WORKING DOGS

We often rely on working dogs and their humans for invaluable design
feedback and to put gear like this through its paces.

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