🏠 Meet the Resident Tahoe Dog Co. Dogs — Sampson & Riley
Every brand has a heartbeat — and for Tahoe Dog Co., that heartbeat is carried by two very special dogs who share our home, our trails, our adventures, and our everyday moments. Sampson and Riley aren’t just “inspiration”; they (and their big brother Steven) are the reason this brand exists at all. 🍃💛
These two red & white border collies — one smooth-coated, one fluffy, both with the same freckles and Shepherd’s Lantern tails — show us, every single day, what it means to live a joyful, connected, adventurous Tahoe Dog life.
Here are their stories.
🖤 Sampson — The Soulful Survivor Turned Tahoe Adventurer
Sampson came into our lives when he was about two years old (or five, we don't really know). He’d been rescued from a dog-hoarding situation in Tehama County and brought up to the Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe. I went there “just to walk him” because he looked so much like my first dog, Steven.
But the moment I met him… that was it.
Ten minutes into our walk, I was crying. His eyes — soulful, pleading, hopeful — made it feel like he had chosen me before I even realized I was choosing him. My boyfriend took my phone call, listened to what was happening, and said: “Just bring him home. What’s the big deal?”. Shout-out to supportive partners everywhere. 🌿
Sampson came with some understandable quirks from his past. After years in a stressful environment, he became very serious about food and water. He once got into the kibble bag and ate four times his daily amount… which made for a long night. (He has zero regrets.)
But Sampson loves life with a level of intensity that’s contagious. He’s happiest when he’s doing something — anything — active and with his humans (who really could be anyone who feeds him). Some of his greatest joys include:
- eating
- fetch
- swimming
- hiking and trail running
- dock diving
- frolicking in snow
- learning new commands
- tug
- gnawing on a bone
- following me from room to room with purpose
We DNA-tested him and, despite his smooth coat, he came back 100% Border Collie. Everyone assumes he’s a McNab — and honestly, we get it — but under that short coat sits classic Border Collie intensity and devotion.
Sampson is the definition of a Tahoe dog: resilient, loving, energetic, and ready for adventure in every season.
🤎 Riley — The Independent Spirit With a Big Heart
Riley joined our family this past spring, adopted from Res-Que Reno when she was about a year and a half old. They told us she likely came from a Native American reservation near Fallon and had probably been roaming with a few siblings who looked just like her.
Her DNA test confirmed what we guessed the minute we saw her:
about half Border Collie, half Australian Shepherd — and 100% personality. 🍁
While Sampson is velcro, Riley is breeze. She’s affectionate and loyal, but she’s also perfectly content to go investigate something interesting, explore her own route on the trail, or take her time returning when called. She’s the definition of “I hear you… I’m just choosing something else for the moment.”
Despite that independence, she learns commands beautifully — one-and-done style — and she took to paddle boarding with surprising ease. Turns out she loves the water just as much as Sampson, and she’s become a true Tahoe water dog. And snow. And trail. And sun. Whatever:)
One of Riley’s funniest quirks is her instinct to “herd” Sampson. When they play fetch, her first move used to be herding him by nipping at his haunch… which we’ve now trained her not to do (mostly). And the two of them wrestle and tumble around in our living room every single morning.
Which means everything to us — because all we ever wanted was a dog who would play with Sampson. He’d never played with other dogs, not even our fosters. But with Riley, something clicked. They found a rhythm, a bond, something that makes sense only to them.
And now? They’re a pair. Short-hair and long-hair. Freckles and freckles. Boy and girl. Lantern tails bouncing down the trail side by side. I couldn't have designed it better myself.
🏔️ Our Home Pack, Our Heart
Sampson and Riley aren’t featured on patches yet, but they are the daily inspiration for everything Tahoe Dog Co. creates — from the way we think about adventure, to the joy and silliness behind our brand, to the love we have for real dogs living real Tahoe lives.
They remind us why we do this.
They remind us who we’re doing it for.
They are the heartbeat of this home and this company.
Stay tuned — their turn is coming. 🍂🐾
To meet the rest of the Tahoe Dog Co. dogs — Dottie, Otto, Steven, and Lily — check out our companion post: Meet the Real Tahoe Dogs.
Their stories, together with Sampson and Riley’s, paint the full picture of what it means to be a Tahoe Dog.
