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Camp is the operative word here. Imagine your childhood summer camp, where dozens of kids would play kickball, dodgeball and capture the flag. You could swim in a lake, eat in a dining hall, and generally just be a kid. Now replace kids with dogs and remove the activities. Dozens of dogs, run, romp and wrestle on Run!’s fully fenced 24-acre farm. Most of the play zone is in the woods providing shade, old-growth stumps and boulders to climb on, and streams to swim in. Set in Vernonia, Oregon, it caters primarily to Portland-area dogs (about an hour’s drive away) which are transported via a fleet of air-conditioned Sprinter vans. A typical day sees about 50 dogs, 20 of which will board overnight in the bunkhouse. Otherwise, they are picked up between 7-9am and dropped off from 4-6pm. On the farm there are also goats, pigs, sheep and a newly acquired pair of donkeys, but only the eleven (+1) house dogs interact with the farm animals. Recently, we had a chance to sit down owner Erica.

Rovercoat: You have an impressive business. How long have you been operating, and how did you got started?

Erica: A long time ago…25 years, maybe 26, 27…who knows. After college I wanted a job where I did not have to leave my dog. I couldn’t find one, so I started walking dogs. I put up flyers in the neighborhood and used my old Volvo station wagon. I applied myself and never stopped.

Rovercoat: Your farm is amazing. What did you have to do to prepare your property for your business?

Erica: The first step was to install fences. I think I started with 10 acres. Wait, first there was the permitting – let’s not forget that fun. I had to convert a shop into a functional building. And deforestation. We had to thin the woods and clear the undergrowth. There was incremental development and there still is. The work never stops.

Rovercoat: Vernonia is an hour’s drive from Portland. How did you land there?

Erica: Clackamas County was really friendly. They were the only area near Portland whose land use options aligned with my vision of the business.

Rovercoat : You have eleven dogs of your own, including Charlie the 150-pound pig, and no two are alike. We have to ask – do you have a favorite breed?

Erica: Hmmm, Catahoula…Heelers…I like dogs with high energy that matches my own.

Rovercoat: Can you tell us how Charlie joined the pack?

Erica: Charlie was mean. He used to bully the other pigs. They got sick of it and teamed up against him. They wouldn’t let him hang around with them. So, I made the dog door bigger and now he’s like one of the dogs. He even comes on walks with us!

Learn more about Run! Day Camp for Dogs

Dog jackets: water-resistant, water-repellant, waterproof: what is the difference?

Marketing jargon can be confusing, especially when it is intentionally deceptive. We’ve all heard the terms water-resistant, water-repellant, and waterproof – but what is the difference? Water-resistant usually means that the fabric has a relatively tight weave. This prevents light moisture, like a mist, from reaching your skin…. but not for long. The next step up is water-repellant.

Typically, this adds a coating to the fabric, either before or after the manufacturing process, that makes it harder for the water to penetrate. Think of a windbreaker – it might keep you dry as the sprinkles start, but if they continue, your skin will be as wet as the jacket. Finally, there is waterproof. True waterproof is solid plastic or rubber, like an angler’s waders or the jackets on Alaskan boat fishermen. These keep ALL water out, but they also keep all water in. They do not allow sweat or body heat to escape and become quite hot and uncomfortable to wear. Science has solved this problem by creating high-tech fabrics that prevent water from entering, while allowing heat and perspiration to escape. This requires multi-layer construction, usually consisting of an outer woven fabric and an inner membrane. Unfortunately, there are still wide variations in the waterproof category. Some fabrics are not treated and will allow water to saturate in heavier rain showers. Certain membranes focus on keeping you cool rather than dry and will allow water to migrate in both directions when things get too wet. And if the seams are not taped, then all the technology goes out the window because water will find its way through the tiny holes used to stitch the fabric together.

Rovercoat uses a 4-way stretching fabric of the tightest weave. It is protected by DWR (Durable Water Resistant) coating, the best in the industry, applied prior to construction so that it is ingrained in the fabric itself, rather than sprayed on later. The interior membrane is rated to a 15k standard, which means that any single point on the jacket will withstand the pressure of 15,000 millimeters of water, or a column of more than 40 feet. Finally, all the seams are taped. Rovercoats are lightweight, breathable, 4-way stretching, and waterproof…because dogs are family, and they deserve the best.

Photos by Sam Slater | Instagram @samslatersam

Portland, Oregon is consistently rated one of the most dog-friendly cities in the country.

There are tons of dog-friendly parks including the 5,000-acre Forest Park and Mt Tabor, which hosts the only active urban volcano in the country. Over 30 off-leash areas guarantee there is one in every neighborhood. Most apartments allow dogs and so does public transportation. Many businesses cater to our furry friends.

Puppernickel is a dog bakery where you can order pupcakes, handmade biscuits, or a complete birthday kit with human grade cake, paw-ty hats, and ice cream for dogs.

The Lucky Lab Brewpub serves Superdog IPA and Black Lab Stout, and hosts an annual Dogtoberfest celebration with beer, music, and a giant dog wash. Their annual Tour de Lab bike ride dresses riders in dog ears and noses, decorates portable toilets as fire hydrants, and offers an all-you-can-eat hot dog buffet.

Cycle Dog manufactures dog collars from recycled bicycle inner tubes and has an on-site Tavern Dog Park where you and your pup can watch them work.

The Tin Shed Café not only welcomes dogs, but it also has a menu just for them with Fido Food (chicken thighs and sweet potatoes) and Doggie Dessert (blended banana, peanut butter, and yogurt).

There is a pet shop or vet clinic for every 1,000 people.

Annual events include the Doggie Dash, Corgis in the Pearl, Pug Crawl, WillaMutt Strut (playing off the city center Willamette River) and the Howliday Bazaar.

Portland is passionate about a lot of things: coffee, bicycles, microbrews, food carts, and certainly its dogs.

While the Queen Elizabeth II elevated the breed’s status, Ellen Childs has bred and showed Pembroke Welsh Corgis for over 50 years. She took dozens of dogs through their championship (this requires 4-8 show wins including at least 2 majors, meaning there are lots of dogs competing.) She has also bred “lots and lots…probably hundreds” of champion stock. In the 1980s and 90s, when puppy mills began churning out specialty breeds, Ellen became involved in Corgi rescue – placing unwanted dogs in loving homes. Eventually she rose to become the President of the National Corgi Rescue Committee. Recently, we met with Ellen to hear her story.

Rovercoat: “When did you get your first Corgi?”

Ellen: “When we were first married, in 1961. It definitely was not show quality.”

Rovercoat: “What do you like so much about Corgis?”

Ellen: “I got to know them from the aunties, and I just fell in love with them. We were living in an apartment, so we needed a small dog. We’ve had Corgis as pets ever since.”

Rovercoat: “You’ve had dozens of dogs. Do you have any favorites?”

Ellen: Oh yes, so many were special: Eli, Sonja, Shady, Lion, Ike… and others I’m not thinking of right now. They weren’t all Corgis. We often had a bigger dog too, like a hound, a black Lab, a Belgian Tervuren….but the special ones were all Corgis.”

Rovercoat: You have a lot of experience finding homes for Corgis, both your puppies and the rescue dogs. Can you tell us about both experiences?

Ellen: The biggest difference was in the dogs themselves. My puppies were bred from Champion stock selected to reproduce the best traits from both parents. Usually, they were all spoken for before they were born. The rescue dogs were only “Corgis” by the widest stretch of the imagination. When they were actual Corgis, it was easy to place them through the national network. But usually, they were bred in puppy mills and sold in pet stores. People are told they were buying a Corgi, but what they got was anything but. So that part of it was hard – trying to find homes for unwanted dogs. I wanted to support the breed but sometimes it felt like I was supporting the puppy mills instead.

Rovercoat: “How do you feel about tail docking?” (Removing the dog’s tail when they are puppies so that they are “show quality”)

Ellen: “I think it’s stupid and unnecessary. They don’t do it in England anymore (where the breed originated). Why do they still do it here? I think the US is the only place where it still happens. I wish they’d stop it.”

Ellen lives in New Hartford, CT with her 2 Corgis: XIII Maples Starbright and her son, XIII Maples Starlight, affectionately known as Bridie and Bingo. While not the Queen of England, she is effectively the “Queen of the Corgis”.