Built in the Field: How Rogue Detection Teams Helped Shape the Rogue Long Line

Ruffwear
•
10/23/26

Whisper isn’t your typical co-worker. She has a unique set of skills, and when she gets interested in a certain smell and suddenly changes direction, it’s her partner’s job to follow her.

That partner is Heath Smith, and he’s a Bounder with Rogue Detection Teams, a group that has spent more than 20 years working alongside wildlife researchers and conservation organizations. Bounders are canine handlers who conduct field surveys, perform data collection, and train dogs to be skilled detectors. In their work, they have searched for more than 50 species, finding carnivore scat, owl pellets, invasive plants, insects, nests, and live animals, all to help answer research questions about migration patterns, endangered species, and the overall health of complex ecosystems.

Every one of the dogs that work with Rogue came from a rescue or shelter — many had been passed over repeatedly, and labeled unadoptable because of their energy, their intensity, or habits that didn’t fit what people expect from a family dog.

“Some of the qualities that made life difficult in a home can become tremendous assets in the field when we take the time to understand the individual,” Heath says. “Our dogs are full partners in our work, gathering information, making decisions, and helping us understand the landscape through their remarkable senses.”

A Rogue Detection Dog looks at their human in the backcountry

Communication That Works Both Ways

The teams often work near roads, cliffs, sensitive habitat, and wildlife, where wind, running water, and thick brush can swallow a voice command. Working fully off leash isn’t always safe. But a long line, which is an extra long, handleless leash, gives the dog room to search and gives their handler a way to stay in touch, and it’s an integral tool in the work they do together.

Heath describes it as something that connects both partners. “I think of myself as being on the long line just as much as Whisper.” She detects an odor, changes direction, and Heath follows. Other times Heath sees the hazard, knows the terrain ahead, or has information about the survey area, and the line carries that to Whisper. Each of them brings something different to the search.

Many of their surveys also take place in protected ecosystems, including National Parks, under sensitive species permits that require dogs to stay on a leash or long line. The team respects those rules, and the long line lets them meet the requirement while still giving their dogs the freedom to search.

The Long Line Dance

Heath says working with a dog on a long line is a bit like a delicate dance. You pay attention to each other, adjust, and learn when to lead and when to follow. A long line communicates with subtle movement, feeding information with each moment of hesitation and change in tension.

The line talks back, too. A shift in direction can tell Heath that Whisper has found something interesting. They think of the line as another instrument in the conversation between handler and dog. For that conversation to work, the line has to stay out of the way. A heavy line with constant tension will drag through brush and can change how a dog moves and investigates the world around them.

Up close shots of the Rogue Long Line out during testing

Collaborating with Ruffwear

Before the Rogue™ Long Line existed, Rogue made their own version, preferring the softer feel of woven webbing over heavier materials. They wanted something light and flexible that would move with the dog, slide through vegetation, and stay comfortable in their hands all day.

“Our relationship with Ruffwear goes back a long way, and they've supported our teams through a lot of miles and some fairly unforgiving places,” says Heath. “We’ve field-tested a lot of gear over the years, from dog boots to cooling vests and even different harnesses, sharing our thoughts, ideas, and insights.”

These insights have helped enormously in shaping the Ruffwear product team’s understanding of a dog’s perspective and movement. “It's extremely fun any chance we get to bring Rogue’s extensive field experience and expertise together with ours to solve a problem,” says Cristina Stavro, Ruffwear Product Line Manager. “Ultimately it results in gear that not only supports them and the incredible work they do, but for a whole lot of dogs and people in their everyday endeavors together.”

When it came time to working with Ruffwear on the design of the Rogue Long Line, they had specific requests:

Drag resistant: The team needed something that wouldn’t drag or catch on rocks, limbs, and brush. Any feature that can snag will eventually snag, even a logo patch, so the line needed to be completely streamlined, and constructed without a handle on the end.

Lightweight and flexible: Bounders often let the tail of the long line trail behind them instead of coiling it in their hands. Coiling can create tangles, and knots can catch on obstacles and make the line behave unpredictably. It needed to thread easily, with the kind of flexibility that allows dogs to move naturally with the landscape.

Visibility: In dense vegetation or on rugged ground, it can be difficult to see the long line if the color blends into the scenery. Designing the line in a bright orange colorway would make it easier to see and follow.

Durable webbing: Because the long line is used daily, the team wanted to use a material that could withstand the elements and shed dirt efficiently, without becoming heavy or cumbersome. It also needed to feel comfortable in their hands throughout a long day.

Rogue Detection dogs doing their jobs on a long leash.

How to Use a Long Line

When using the Rogue Long Line with a dog for the first time, Heath suggests starting with learning how to attune yourself to your dog, listening to what their movements tell you. From there, try to find a place that’s quiet and safe, where you can give your dog plenty of room to explore, and watch what happens.

Try to pay attention to your dog’s subtle, visual cues. What catches their interest? Where does their curiosity take them? How do they act when something excites them, or when they’re unsure? Then pay attention to yourself, too. Notice when you want to shorten the line, cut an investigation short, or steer your dog somewhere else. Those moments say a lot about how we communicate with our dogs.

A few practical habits can help as you and your dog become accustomed to using the line. Learn to feed out slack smoothly and gather it without tangling the line. Keep it clear of obstacles. Don’t wrap it around your hands or fingers, and practice staying connected without constant tension. Experiment to find out how to best ask your dog to stop, come back, or change direction. And once in a while, let your dog lead. You may learn something new about what catches their interest, or you might even notice something unusual along a trail you’ve walked a hundred times.

What Dogs Can Teach Us

Getting the chance to spend everyday with these dogs, and working with researchers in wild settings is a dream for Rogue’s handlers. “We've shared some incredible experiences with these dogs, and they've taught us far more than we could have imagined when we first began this work. After more than 20 years, we're still learning from them, and we hope that never changes.”

The team hopes that the Rogue Long Line serves as a reminder for everyone who uses it, to slow down, look around, and experience nature alongside our dogs. And above all, do our part to help keep it wild. “Nature is where we go to work and where others go to play, but it’s where wildlife calls home.”