There are 13 dogs on staff here at TOM BIHN, though some of them work from home most days. One day, a few years back, we all looked at each other and said: "We are designers. We have our own factory. We have dogs. We're always trying to find dog gear that works for us. We should design and make our own dog gear."

Our very first adventure in the world of designing dog gear was the TOM BIHN Citizen Canine*; a dog walking/treat bag. And, once we made the Citizen Canine, we realized we had so many ideas for dog gear that it just made sense to start a new company devoted to everything dog. And Skookum Dog was born.

Beyond gear and design, creating the Skookum Dog company was a way for us to celebrate the amazing human/canine bond: it's been 30,000 years and counting that we've been hanging out together.

Skookum is a Chinook word that translates to: "good," "strong," "brave." If you're a Pacific Northwesterner, you know this word: creeks, rivers, and trails here are often named Skookum. And that's where you'll find us in the mornings, the evenings, the weekends—whenever we can find the time: on the trails, along the rivers, in the mountains and meadows, hanging out with our friends, human and canine alike.

Skookum's Crede is this: Loyalty first. Have Fun now, not later. Be Good. Be Strong.

It's what our dogs have taught us. You are loyal to your friends. There's no reason to put off doing something fun. Being good means being who you are and being good to those around you. Being strong means remembering all of this no matter what.

*The Citizen Canine has been redesigned to be larger and with a few cool new features; it will debut with the Skookum Dog label in early 2015.