It all began in 1994 with a simple idea: a lightweight, foldable dog bowl that made it easy to provide food and water while on the go. This small innovation opened up a whole new world to explore with our dogs - a world full of challenges that sparked inspiration for even more inventive products.

But the story really started two years earlier. In the summer of 1992, Ruffwear founder Patrick Kruse set out on a mountain bike trip through California’s Los Padres National Forest with his partner Liz and her dog Moqui. During that ride, he encountered a challenge that would lead to a wave of innovation - and ultimately give rise to an entirely new category: high-performance gear for dogs.

When Liz tried to give her dog Moqui a drink, she poured half of her water bottle into a plastic bag and held it open while the Rhodesian Ridgeback took a few sips. Moqui trotted off, panting happily - leaving Liz quite literally high and dry. If she set the bag down, the water would spill everywhere, and pouring it back into her own bottle wasn’t exactly appealing. “We’ve got to do something about this,” Liz told Patrick. That moment sparked the idea for Ruffwear’s very first product - a foldable, waterproof dog bowl designed for adventures on the go.

At the time, Patrick was designing clothing and accessories for paddle sports with his company, Salamander Paddle Gear. With his experience in technical fabrics and design, Patrick set about developing a waterproof bowl from a dog's perspective. It needed to hold food and water in a way that would appeal to dogs and fold up into a compact size to pack for outdoor adventures. Sixteen months of research, development and testing later, Patrick developed the first collapsible Quencher™ food and water bowl.

The Quencher accompanied Patrick and Salamander Paddle Gear to Outdoor Retailer in the summer of 1994. The collapsible, waterproof fabric bowl, set up on a table at the front of the booth, drew curious crowds.

A buyer from L.L. Bean who was in the crowd immediately placed an order for 8,000 units. Ruffwear had officially begun. Since then, Ruffwear has pioneered a new category by making high-performance dog gear that inspires outdoor explorers and their human companions to new adventures.

Over the years, the Quencher has evolved - changing in colour and adapting in size and shape - but the form and function of the original has remained the same. Here's a look at the design of the bowl over the years, which was last updated in spring 2021 with a revised colour but still in the iconic shape.