Our Story

👋🏻My name is David and I am the owner of Northwoofs, and this is the story of how it all started:

Big Dreams and Bigger Lessons

At 19 years old, I graduated from high school, then decided to study photography at one of the best universities in Latvia. I left my home and loved ones to pursue my future in the capital city of Latvia, living and studying in an apartment with two of my childhood friends.

Everything seemed to be in place. For a start in the world, what more could a 19 year-old want? However, something was missing. As the days went on, I began to feel emptier and emptier. I did not know what was hurting me, but I did know I needed to escape the environment I was in. The city and school were sucking the life from me. Leaving was all I could do.

Changing Course

Starting the following summer, I made the executive decision to put more work into my passion for photography and videography. For a year I worked at my father’s agriculture business, saving every bit of money that I earned until I could afford all of the necessary equipment.

Once I had what I needed, I worked another year while developing my visual storytelling skills during any spare time I had.

My time spent was paying off. I got better with my camera, but did not like the idea of working for someone else. I wanted to be my own boss, so it was now time to start developing my professional portfolio. I simply needed to find the direction I loved.

Meet Gloria

One fateful night browsing through Instagram, I stumbled upon the extraordinary Instagram account of a White Swiss Shepherd Dog. I immediately fell in love, and knew I needed to get the same breed of puppy. Since I always wanted a dog, It was the easiest decision I ever made, and also represented a photogenic opportunity to kick-off my portfolio.

October 27th, 2016 marks the anniversary of when I got my gorgeous Gloria. She was 2 and a half months of age. Since then, my life has changed quite a bit. She helped me to become more disciplined, confident, and loving for whatever the world has to offer. Together we hike about 1 hour a day and she has expanded my love for nature. In fact, she opened up my world in a way I never thought possible. After a few weeks of getting used to being a “stay-at-home dad”, I made an instagram account - @gloria_wssd.

Building Connections

In almost 2 years, the profile grew from 0 to 34,000 followers. The unanticipated growth has been an incredible experience. These aren’t just numbers, these are real people genuinely interacting with us on a daily basis.

What was also surprising was that varying brands began to send me their dog-related products to feature with my lovely pearl-white model on Instagram. I was able to test how different materials and design decisions affect performance in a variety of environments.

The Birth of Northwoofs

The insights born of this testing sparked the thinking and development of my own brand. This was something that would enable me to pursue my passion for outdoor life and my canine companion, inspiring other adventurous dog owners to enjoy time with their furry friends.

That is the story of how Northwoofs came to life. Adventure gear for active dogs. Made to last; made with love.