The story behind TurboPup bars, energy bars for dogs, begins somewhere in the Oregon backcountry.

Kristina Guerrero, 33, an occupational therapist, avid backcountry skier and former Air Force pilot, despaired of packing extra weight in food for her dogs, Dunkan and Odin, on outings with her husband, Brandon Sylvester, 32.

“I was, like, ‘I’m pretty headstrong and you’re a food scientist; why don’t we start a business?’” she said recently.

And TurboPup bars were born.

Each 500-calorie, 4.4-ounce bar has a “complete nutritional profile,” she said, made from human-grade ingredients.

“The bars are designed to specifically sustain energy levels for a dog,” Guerrero said. So far, TurboPups come in two flavors: bacon and peanut butter.

Guerrero said she and Sylvester, who works full time as a brewer for Crux Fermentation Project, in Bend, tested their product on 10 consumer dogs volunteered by their owners. Nine out of 10 dogs liked TurboPup bars, she said.

Guerrero said she uses top-shelf ingredients, which cost more but produce a healthier product.

“We made a very simple ingredient list (with) highly digestible ingredients, so it all gets digested by the dog,” she said.

The La Pine couple transformed their guest house into a commercial kitchen, where they produce 500-600 TurboPup bars a month. They already distribute through local retailers like Bend Pet Express and online with www.usoutdoor.com and others. The bars sell for $3.45 to $4 online, and a medium-sized dog would need 2-3 per day.

The next step for TurboPup is wider distribution, Guerrero said.

As an entrepreneur, Guerrero said she learned by doing, which is not always a smooth process. Some days, she said, she thinks an MBA from Stanford is what she needs. But entrepreneurs may find plenty of people and resources to fall back on. In October, Guerrero made a pitch at the Bend Venture Conference. She came away without financial backing, but with plenty of encouragement.

“Whatever I lack, someone else is willing to educate me on,” she said.

Having a life partner as a business partner also presented challenges.

“I’ve learned to be a manager, and I think that’s what kind of helped us. His role the entire time has been a support role,” she said.

— Reporter: 541-617-7815, jditzler@bendbulletin.com