Episode Details

Episode 67 Show Notes

A Ruhl’s Best Friend…

In this episode, Mike and Caitlin check in with Mark and Rachel from the Outdoor Ruhls East studio for a heartfelt (and funny) conversation about dogs—the ones we’ve lost, the ones who shaped our lives, and the ridiculous trouble they sometimes get into. The episode centers on saying goodbye to Hatch, Mark and Rachel’s beloved Chesapeake Bay Retriever, and spirals into classic dog stories: skunks, stolen treats, fishhooks, and the kind of loyalty you only get from a four-legged best friend.

In This Episode

Two studios, two households, one theme: dogs as family

Mark and Rachel’s goodbye to Hatch (and what made him so special)

Why Chesapeake Bay Retrievers are built different: water-loving, tough, and emotionally tuned-in

Mike’s legendary dog Gus/Atticus stories—including the smoked trout “crime scene”

Caitlin’s childhood cocker spaniel Murphy: Thanksgiving chaos, counter-surfing, and stolen treats

The skunk incident that turned a pheasant hunt into a hazmat situation

The accidental lesson everyone learns eventually: you can’t go “just look” at puppies

The truth about dog sunscreen (yes… including that part)

Bonus: a St. Bernard + black lab “mystery litter,” groundhog wars, and a terrifying possum chase

Featured Dogs (and Legends)

Hatch (Chessie) – Loyal, gentle, empathetic, and the ultimate companion

Gus / Atticus – The obedient gentleman… except for that one smoked trout

Newt (Lab x Chessie) – Sweet, sensitive, semi-feral, and occasionally on the wrong side of the law

Murphy (Cocker Spaniel) – Food-obsessed escape artist and treat thief

Barkley (Cavalier King Charles Spaniel) – Learned to swim… then fought a muskrat and ate a hook

Trigger (St. Bernard x Black Lab) – Gentle giant, groundhog terminator, possum-fearing sprinter

Memorable Moments

Hatch “ruing” one last time on his final day

Murphy eating an entire apple pie… and smelling like apples afterward

The skunk mix-up: “That’s a cat… wait… that’s NOT a cat.”

Barkley’s pond era: from “learning to swim” to “defending the koi pond”