🐶 Meet the Real Tahoe Dog Co. Dogs
Meet the Tahoe Dogs
Every Tahoe Dog has a story — a mix of loyalty, adventure, goofiness, and the unspoken bond that comes from mountain life. At Tahoe Dog Co., our designs are inspired by real dogs who live right here in our Tahoe community. These are the pups who shaped our earliest patches and continue to shape the spirit of our brand.
And this is just the beginning — with more Tahoe Dogs joining the lineup as new designs drop this spring and summer. 💛🐾
🥇 Dottie the Golden Retriever — The Heart of Emerald Bay
Dottie is my next-door neighbor’s Golden Retriever — a mischievous puppy turned shockingly responsible young adult (well… mostly responsible). When she was little, she had a tiny white dot on her forehead, which is where her name came from. The dot disappeared, but the personality stayed.
I’ve known Dottie — and her equally lovable brother Finn — since their goofy early days. At one point, she even had the cops called on her for jumping on someone (truly… people are wild). These days she splits her time between Tahoe and Healdsburg, where her parents recently celebrated their 40-year wedding anniversary.
Her patch, “The Dottie,” captures her perched above Emerald Bay, surrounded by granite and wild lupine — joyful, social, water-obsessed, and convinced every human is just a new friend she hasn’t met yet.
She’s the classic Tahoe Dog: warm sun, cold water, and a happy tail.
🐾 Otto the Australian Shepherd — The Resilient Explorer
Otto was one of my favorite foster puppies — a tri-color Aussie I cared for at around three months old. He lived with my pack during those wobbly, soft-pawed, chaotic foster days, and the bond stuck. To this day, when he and his mom walk around the corner from their street to mine, he loses his mind with excitement.
This year was a hard one for Otto. He underwent two major surgeries to correct issues with his shoulder and legs, and he handled each recovery with so much courage. We’re all hoping those days are behind him so he can get back to being our favorite visitor, playmate, and hiking buddy.
His patch, “The Otto,” shows him sitting proudly in front of Le Chamois at Palisades Tahoe — snow piled high, gondola overhead — a tribute to the adventurous, big-hearted mountain dog he is.
🖤 Steven the Border Collie — The Original Tahoe Dog
Steven was my first real dog — and the dog who started all of this.
He belonged to my boyfriend Casey before I met them four years ago, but he quickly became mine too. Wise, soulful, and laser-focused in everything he did, Steven spent his days exploring Sand Harbor, supervising us, and teaching me what real devotion looks like.
He passed last year at 11, and creating “The Steven” patch was one of the most meaningful things I’ve ever done. It captures him laying calmly on the beach at Sand Harbor — alert, peaceful, and completely at home.
Steven’s spirit is the heartbeat of Tahoe Dog Co. Everything about this brand started with him.
🍁Lily the Husky Pup — The Mischievous Free Spirit
Lily is my other next-door neighbor’s mostly white, toasty-eared Husky puppy — a mischievous little spitfire who has big feelings about everything. She loves my dogs so much that she still pees every time she sees me… which I’m choosing to interpret as flattery (thank you early treat bribery).
She rides everywhere with her humans — nose out the window, ears flattened by the wind, tail thumping. She’s playful, loyal, slightly chaotic, and completely irresistible.
Her patch captures that youthful Tahoe magic: movement, joy, messiness, and all the things we love most about puppyhood.
🏔️ More Tahoe Dogs Coming Soon
These four — Dottie, Otto, Steven, and Lily — are the foundation of our brand and the inspiration behind our very first designs. But the Tahoe Dog Co. pack is growing.
This spring and summer, we’ll be introducing new dogs, new stories, and new patches that celebrate the pups who make Tahoe life what it is.
And if you love these stories, stay tuned for our next feature: “Meet the Resident Tahoe Dog Co. Dogs — Sampson & Riley” — a behind-the-scenes look at the two pups who get to live this brand every single day.
🐾 Join the Pack
Meet the Tahoe Dogs, shop their patches, and discover new releases at tahoedogco.com.
Because every good dog deserves their badge of adventure.
