Holiday Shopping for Pets

With Thanksgiving right around the corner and Christmas fast approaching, holiday shopping season has officially arrived. Coinciding with that, of course, is Black Friday and Cyber Monday, two of the biggest shopping days of the year. And while most gifts will be purchased for family and friends, a majority of pet-owning Americans will spend an average of $46 on their four-legged companions, according to an Associated Press poll.

While pet present giving may seem a bit extreme, the recent poll demonstrates that the dog has evolved from being man's best friend to a key member of the household. In some cases, dogs will receive more than one present, making out better than some human members of the family. In fact, some pet owners will actually purchase gifts on behalf of their dogs! Besides, who wouldn't want a new Christmas sweater from Fido?

The poll reveals that food and treats will be what most consumers purchase for their pets. So, if you happen to be on the hunt for something for your four-legged companion, make sure to visit one of our online retail stores. Most of them have already begun their holiday discounts, and we guarantee your pooch will love our Peakwaggers jerky snacks and trail food.

Avalanche Rescue Dogs: True Peakwaggers

While we ran our "Is Your Dog a Peakwagger" contest, we received a photo from Damian Hancock, whose avalanche rescue dog, Jack, was taking a much needed rest after digging people out of the snow. Though the photo (a great one, seen above) was not selected as a winner, we feel that it, as well as avalanche dogs in general, deserved a little recognition.

As far as Peakwaggers go, avalanche rescue dogs lead the pack. They train hard, play hard and are essentially on call 24-7 (especially in avalanche prone areas during the winter.) If they are lucky, they, as well as their trained handlers, will never be called into the field to rescue a skier or snowboarder from a potential, life-threatening situation. And if they are really, really lucky, they are part of the Ruff Wear ambassador program, sporting super cool harnesses as members of the Aspen, Mammoth and Mt Bachelor rescue teams.

Either way, with winter starting and the snow beginning to pile up (at least here in Nederland, CO), we wanted to show our appreciation for all the rescue dogs and their handlers who help save lives. Hopefully, in the near future, we'll be able to provide them with our jerky snacks and trail food, helping to keep them energized while they rescue people in the backcountry.