This is so easy. All you do is participate in the troop program. When you earn your first patch you will be added to the troop members list. Anyone who participates in 2023 (our founding year) will also automatically be a founding member. You can see members and learn all about it on our Members page.

All you need to do is pick a patch, complete the requirements, and submit through the shop.

Troop Rugged Mutts is a self paced program (a lot like earning troop patches for children would be in different programs around the world). This makes it really easy to participate! 

All pets are welcome and encouraged to participate!

While we are a dog training company and this program is designed for dogs we are thrilled to see any pets participate. Please just make sure that your pet is safe and comfortable with the level of participation required for each patch. For example if the patch requires travel or outdoor activities in public only complete that activity with pet who can safely and comfortably travel to and complete the activity in its intended setting.

Similarly to how other troop programs have meetings and award ceremonies where patches and other achievements are distributed to the members Troop Rugged Mutts has a set schedule to send out your patches. At this time they are mailed three times a year (May, September, and January).

Your first mailer will include your troop membership card, the completed patches, awards, and achievements for that window, and any new or relevant info to update your troop booklet.

You can also choose to have any other Rugged Mutts shop items included or held for your mailer if you wish.

There are a number of reasons for this. The first is to more accurately reflect how troop program award systems work.

But from a logistical and inclusive perspective we chose to do it for a number of reasons. We wanted to create a timeline but know that 1-2 months is often not achievable when life happens. We also wanted to have a consistent release of patches for participants but not hurry anyone through activities just to earn a patch or participate - then be looking for more on an unobtainable and maintainable turn around. We wanted to help form healthy habits and exploration past the patches themselves, and we also wanted to minimize and mitigate cost as much as we could for participants so they could earn more patches and have more fun for the same price without supporting a two day turn around shop mentality with this program. 

We will be packaging and shipping out packages the first week after the trimester ends. All packages will have tracking and shipping is included in the cost of submission for all US participants.

We will mail everyones orders that are stocked. Please note if we have a surge in participants within the last 2-3 weeks of a trimester those later orders may be held for restock or shipments may be split due to back order. Everyone will be notified of their order status immediately if this is expected so that no one is left wondering or worried about their order. 

Of course! We love having international participants. Honestly, y’all were part of why we chose to batch the shipments. We sadly can not include shipping universally in the price, but reach out to use before submitting and we will work with you to set a shipping price or provide an add on for your last patch of the trimester to make sure that you are getting the best and most accurate rate.

We can also always include tracking but we work with you individually to determine the most feasible and affordable shipping option for your specific needs and location.

Different patches call for different files. You can submit photos in jpg or png. Videos can be submitted as links as long as we can view the video. For videos you can just provide the link. For patches that require one or more file type feel free to put all files/info in a pdf.

If you ever think that patch requirements are unobtainable or not a good fit for you but you want to participate we encourage your to reach out. This is a small minority run company. We pride ourselves on accommodating and encouraging the personal growth and enrichment of our clients lives. We want you to be safe and confidant in your participation.

While we will not compromise the integrity of the program and negate requirements we understand that different pets (and people) have different abilities and restrictions. Accommodations must be approved, but reach out and we will figure out a way to make it work.

Examples: Sundog 6K requires a log of your 6K. It can be split into as many walks as you like. Maybe you have a puppy or a kitten that can only safely go up and down the block? Perfect! That counts. For Trail Dog we require 10 miles. Maybe you go for a walk and your cat or puppy gets tired and ends up in a carrier for the last mile, or is put up and down a lot. Great! They were still out on the trail and active exploring with you. Maybe your puppy or cat can’t do longer training sessions and your videos are a lot of missed adventures. Compile a few repetitions and sessions into one video to hit the length required. Don’t force your training habits that work for you and your pet into uncomfortable parameters to earn a patch. Be creative in your presentation and work with the spirit of the program and patch to improve your team.

We have designed the patch requirements to make it to where no specific training tools are ever needed to achieve the patches. We highly encourage positive training and reinforcement. But we also know and accept that each dog is different and needs different things.

We do reserve the right to refuse to award a patch if we see unbecoming or unacceptable behavior that does not alight with he spirit and mission of safe and positive learning and exploration to develop a team relationship, but we will not exclude or penalize someone for submitting football or photos if a dog has tools present.

Training patches are designed to be achievable in closed environments are will not allow the use of any adverse tools or methods to achieve a patch.