Unleashing Possibility with Cara & Kiva

With the right gear and a bit of that eagerness to explore that comes so naturally to our dogs, there’s no telling what adventure you and your dog can unleash next. And as Cara and Kiva show, sometimes, it's our dogs that actually Unleash Possibility within us.

I've always loved hiking and outdoor adventuring, but have often felt afraid to go out on my own. Having Kiva empowers me. For Kiva and me, Unleashing Possibility feels like anything is possible with your best friend by your side.

When Kiva came into my life, I had been living on the road in an RV and at the time was in Longmont, Colorado. Just a few days after I adopted her, we hiked a trail in Boulder with my aunt. It was May, and the wildflowers were showing off. With my new companion by my side, the sun shining down on us, taking in the plentiful, brilliant yellow blooms I remember wearing the biggest smile, and thinking just how lucky I felt.

While I had dog adventures previously with family, friends, and former partners, it was different once I found Kiva – she and I belonged to one another.

When we first started exploring together, I think I was most nervous about if she were to run off chasing a deer or squirrel or marmot that she wouldn't find her way back to me. There was a time in southern Wyoming that she took off after some cattle and was missing for about a half hour. She eventually made her way back to the RV, panting and proud.

Luckily, she keeps her exploratory radius smaller these days.

Ever since we've been a pair, we've tried to take as many opportunities as we can to get outside and play. I think dogs have a way of making us better – they get us off the couch and on the trails, they keep us moving and paying attention to our surroundings and to the beauty of the world.

Featured Gear: Home Trail™ Hip Pack, Front Range™ Day Pack, Knot-a-Collar™