Will Rogers said, “If you get to thinking you’re a person of influence, try ordering someone else’s dog around.”
Gus Jacobsen, owner of Summit Pups, holds a different philosophy: show a dog gentle, assured strength and you’ve got a friend for life.
“Dogs respond to the alpha dog, especially in terms of pack mentality,” Gus explained. “It goes beyond external commands. It really means exerting calmness and confidence.”
Gus offers Missoula dog owners a unique service: off-leash, in-the-wild hikes for their four-footed friends. And it’s his dream job. Gus started Summit Pups with what some might call the “good ol’ college try.” Armed with home-printed business cards, he searched for clients, left cards tucked into mailboxes and fences when he’d notice a home with a dog in the yard.
“I thought to myself, what would I do if money was no object,” Gus explained. “The answer was I’d be in the mountains, working with dogs.”
Missoula is a dog-loving town. There are a lot of dogs and specifically, a lot of dogs with energy. Gus noticed a trend: owners working all day and then coming home to dogs with pent-up excitement. Dogs need exercise and dogs love adventure. So, Gus takes them for a hike.
A long hike, to be exact. Monday through Friday, Gus loads up packs of a dozen dogs and hits the hills, hiking for three-and-a-half hours, hitting over seven miles of leased mountain terrain in East Missoula.
Growing up on a ranch in southwest Montana, Gus learned a thing or two about dogs.
“We always had dogs,” Gus said. “Working with dogs was a way of life and part of our livelihood.”
As a result, Gus earned a deep respect for pack mentality, specifically how build trust with a large group of dogs.
“Dogs just pick up on the subtleties of confidence,” Gus explained. “If you exude confidence and gracefulness, dogs respond to that.”
Gus’ own dog—a schnoodle named Bill—plays an integral role in Summit Pups’ hikes. For their first six months together, Gus and Bill worked on a crab boat off the Northern California coast. When they moved back to Missoula, Bill took his partner and sidekick role to a new job—sub-alpha pup to the Summit Pups pack.
“Bill listens to my every command. He’s such a helpful dog,” Gus explained. “He’s my number one employee. The other dogs notice the positive reinforcement Bill receives. It’s a snowball effect. Dogs listen well.”
The Summit Pups Instagram page boasts inspiring videos of fun-loving packs of dogs enjoying romps in the wild: leaping slow-motion out of the back of Gus’ van, running back and forth on snow-covered trails, jumping, and playing.
They’re a group of friends.
Gus starts the process with a temperament test: a meet-and-greet of sorts to get a feel for how a new pup will interact with other dogs.
“It’s like I’m watching people’s children,” Gus said. “I can’t afford to have anything happen on these hikes.”
Gus encourages his clients to choose a regular schedule for hikes so they can build a friendship with the same dogs over time.
“Socialization is so huge for any dog,” he explained. “Familiarity is huge. They’re buds. They form a relationship with other dogs. This opens them up to a friendly and safe environment.”
Julie Brehm’s dog, Ginny, is a new member of the Summit Pups pack.
“I was on the waiting list for a couple of months,” Julie explained. “I really appreciated that Gus made sure that she would be a good fit with the group. He definitely makes sure that the dogs get along, that they have a good temperament, and that they’re not aggressive.”
Julie is thrilled with her Summit Pups experience: Ginny is tired but happy after a hike and she trusts the care that Gus provides for the dogs.
“Gus sent videos from Ginny’s first day with Summit Pups. That was really nice to get updates from him on how she was doing, that she was getting along well, and that she was able to fit in with the group,” Julie said.
Gus might not call himself a dog whisperer but he takes his time to learn each dog’s story and integrate them into the pack, a method that leads to happy dogs, a successful business, and a dream opportunity for Gus.
“The beauty of dogs and why I love them so much is that they are constantly present and in the moment,” he said. “When you take them out of confinement, it opens up a whole new world. They are stimulated in such a positive way, even if we go to the same place every day. It’s a new day. Allowing them freedom allows them to be even more present.”
Summit Pups can be found on Instagram at @SummitPups or by calling Gus Jacobson at 406.580.6164.
