FOR DOG HIKING FOUNDERS + OPERATORS
BUILD A BETTER
DOG HIKING
BUSINESS.
The operation. The client experience. The connected systems. Build your own version with someone who is still out doing the work.
Work directly with Casey, founder of Hi Country Hounds. Learn it, build it together, or commission the build and handoff.
The trail is the good part.Build what makes it possible.
A BUSINESS YOU CAN ACTUALLY RUN
MORE THAN
A FULL CALENDAR.
Your next stage might be the first client, the first guide, or a second market. The work starts with what your business needs to handle that stage well.
A day your team can run.
Workable pickups, compatible dogs, clear assignments, and information that moves with the hike. Less dependence on the owner remembering every detail.
A company clients recognize.
Useful updates, real trail stories, familiar friends, and a history that grows with their dog. Give the next adventure a reason beyond an empty calendar slot.
A system you understand.
A defined setup, training, documentation, and clear responsibilities. The goal is to leave you able to run the business, not dependent on endless consulting.
BUILT AT HCH. USED OUT ON THE TRAIL.
SIMPLE ACTIONS.
A CONNECTED DAY.
HCH’s field app connects the hiker’s actions to HQ, client messages, and the dog’s history. Here is one part of that workflow, without the technical tour.
One guide action. The right client update.
The hiker marks their progress. The connected workflow identifies the household and prepares the update around that dog and today’s adventure.
GUIDE STAGE → HOUSEHOLD UPDATE
“Your guide is on the way for today’s hike.”
Information stays connected to the outing.
Workflow illustration, not an app screenshot or a real client message. Actual messages depend on the guide action, available data, and configured sending rules.
More about the connected system ↓THE FRIEND MATRIX
KNOW THE DOG.
REMEMBER THE PAIR.
“Good with dogs” tells you less than knowing these two dogs have already hiked well together. HCH keeps that relationship in the record.
Who works well together.
Known packmates, shared hikes, and “Great pack” observations carry field experience into future decisions.
Who needs a different crew.
A “Didn’t vibe” observation marks a do-not-pair restriction. Pace information flags a slow/fast mix for review. Different tools for different situations.
Who is finding their feet.
Rookie, Packmate, and owner-approved Pack Leader statuses recognize experience. Seasoned dogs can become familiar company for newcomers.
Good people still make the call.
Owner review remains part of the workflow. A pace warning is not an automatic ban, and experience labels are not behavioral certifications.
THE BUSINESS THINKING BEHIND THE FUN
“MY DOG SHOULD
BE IN THAT PHOTO.”
That is the feeling the real experience can create. Photos show the adventure. Friendships make it personal. A growing trail history gives it continuity.
Belonging, with familiar faces.
Trail friends, Besties, familiar guides, and shared adventures give the client something to recognize and look forward to.
Progress worth following.
Miles, milestones, streaks, and a dog’s growing history turn completed hikes into an ongoing trail life.
And yes, the ridiculous stuff belongs, too. +
Moments, Vibe, soundtracks, leaderboards, and loser boards give HCH its personality. The dog who pooped the least. Dead fucking last at something gloriously unimportant. Your company should have its own version of the fun.
This is the intent behind the design, not a claim of measured sales lift. The dog’s fit and welfare come first. The story needs to be real.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT LEVEL OF HELP
A CLEAR START.
A DEFINED BUILD.
YOUR OWN COMPANY.
Start with the problem and the outcome. Then choose how you want to work: learn the setup, build alongside Casey, or commission it.
Learn the decisions, structure, and setup steps so you can build your own version.
01 / GET CLEAR
The Blueprint
For a serious founder or an operator deciding what to fix next.
- Business and workflow assessment
- Service model, market, and operating priorities
- System map and phased implementation plan
- Written recommendations and next steps
02 / BUILD THE AGREED SYSTEM
The Build
For an operator ready to connect the operation and client experience.
- Agreed app, database, and workflow setup
- Booking, messaging, and website connections
- A2P business-texting setup support where needed
- Testing, training, documentation, and handoff
03 / PLAN THE NEXT STAGE
Growth + Expansion
For a business preparing for more clients, another guide, or a new market.
- Capacity, pickup density, and unit economics review
- Hiring and guide-onboarding plan
- Local demand and launch-readiness assessment
- Phased growth plan with checkpoints
Project fees. Clear boundaries.We agree on deliverables, timing, price, access, and handoff before work begins. No HCH franchise royalties or percentage of your revenue. Outside software and service fees remain separate.
Later support, if you want it.Optional advisory can be scoped around specific decisions and an agreed cadence. Further builds or support are separate choices, not a condition of running your company.
GROW WHAT WORKS. THEN REPEAT IT.
A NEW TOWN
NEEDS MORE THAN
A NEW WEB PAGE.
A good operating system can make expansion more repeatable. The new market still needs demand, a dependable local guide, sensible pickups, and numbers that work.
- Test interest and understand the local service area.
- Find and onboard the right guide.
- Build a workable first route and client routine.
- Review delivery and economics before expanding further.
YOUR CONSULTANT STILL HIKES DOGS
THREE YEARS
FIGURING IT OUT.
A HEAD START
FOR YOU.
I’m Casey Etheredge, founder of Hi Country Hounds. I built the systems because I was the person trying to run the day, answer the clients, organize the crew, and keep the records straight.
You can start with those lessons instead of discovering every problem for yourself. Then we adapt the work to your company, your people, and your place.
Casey Etheredge
Founder / Hi Country Hounds
HCH has recorded five-figure revenue months. That is HCH’s history, not a projection for your company.
Evergreen roots and a Roaring Fork Valley branch, with real guide and client handoffs to learn from.
Existing operator work includes Canine Cardio in Marin County and ventures in Arizona and Summit County.
HOW THE ENGAGEMENT WORKS
KNOW WHAT YOU’RE BUYING.
KNOW HOW IT ENDS.
Share the situation.
Your market, business stage, bottleneck, and the outcome you want.
Agree on the work.
A defined brief, deliverables, price, responsibilities, and a clear finish.
Work through the plan.
The agreed teaching, implementation, or build, with checkpoints along the way.
Take it forward.
Training and handoff so you can operate it. Choose additional help only when you need it.
THE CONNECTED SYSTEM, IN MORE DETAIL
ONE ADVENTURE.
USEFUL EVERYWHERE.
The work before and during a hike
Booking, household and dog information, guide assignments, pickup context, joint hikes, client texting, live trail links, and stage actions. The app keeps the hiker close to the work while HQ carries the appropriate information into the client experience.
The dog’s history after a hike
Completed adventures support miles, elevation, friends, Trail Besties, personal bests, streaks, and milestones. Selected Moments and guide notes help tell the story; private observations remain out of the client wrap-up.
The operating layer behind it
Calendars, database records, messaging, credit balances, payment references, guide pay, and service history need useful connections. Which tools and integrations your company receives is defined by the project.
What is still being developed?
Further bond ranks, more geographic grouping suggestions, a pack passport for town crews, and staff-board editing are separate development work. Existing history and matching provide a foundation, but the proposal does not assume the whole HCH roadmap is available.
A FEW PRACTICAL ANSWERS
THE DETAILS
MATTER.
Is this a franchise?
No. This is direct consulting, teaching, and implementation for your own company. HCH does not take franchise royalties or a percentage of your revenue.
Can you build the app and database setup for me?
That can be part of a scoped build, alongside workflows, integrations, website connections, training, and handoff. We specify the features, access, ownership or licensing rights, and ongoing costs before starting.
What if I already use pet-care software?
We start with the work, not an assumption that every tool needs replacing. A focused connection or workflow change might be the right project.
Can I hire you for help each month?
Optional advisory can be agreed around a defined cadence, decisions, and limits. It is separate from project delivery and does not give HCH a share of your business.
What does a project cost?
Price follows the agreed work. A blueprint and a broader implementation have different scopes. Share your starting point and investment range so we can discuss a realistic next step.
Do you handle business texting registration?
A2P 10DLC registration assistance and messaging setup can be included. Provider review, approval, and outside service fees remain separate.
Is everything in the HCH feature story available today?
The project proposal specifies the working features, access, and implementation included. Further bond ranks, geographic suggestions, a pack passport, and staff-board upgrades are development work, not features assumed to be available in every build.
LET’S FIND THE RIGHT PROJECT
WHAT DO YOU
WANT TO
BUILD NEXT?
A short introduction is enough to start. Tell me where you are and what would make the biggest difference to the business.
- For serious founders and existing pet-care operators.
- Focused projects or broader builds.
- Work directly with Casey.
- No income guarantees or effortless-expansion pitch.
Use the form to prepare your introduction, then open it in your email app to send it directly to Casey. You can review it first.