Eric Bleile
Founder & Owner
I have owned dogs for as long as I can remember and hope to for the rest of my life! Active Dog was founded in 2011 with my Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, Tobias. I have personally hiked with around 20,000 dogs, so your dog is in well-experienced hands! Dogs have always been and always will be a large part of my personal and professional life. I now have two retrievers, Cooper and Cammy.
I started this company 10 years ago as a one-man show with one van and one dog. Over time, I have been fortunate enough to watch this company grow and flourish with loyal clients and hard-working employees. I truly enjoy watching Active Dog grow, develop, expand and meet clients’ needs.
I was an options trader in Chicago (back when we used to trade on the floors!) and later worked at a fund in Stamford, CT. The financial system was reorganized after the financial crash in 2008, the financial system was rearranged and there was a shift in moving towards a more automated trading system. I found myself out of work and decided to go back to graduate school at night to get a financial risk management degree. Given my classes were at night, I often hiked with my Swissy, Tobias, during the day. I would cross paths with other people hiking with groups of dogs and thought, “I could do this!” The rest is history
Here’s a look at what’s happening on our nature hikes. We post photos and videos for every hike.