These Australian Instagram-famous pooches are taking over the world
Dogs are the world’s best pets but many Australians are now cashing in on their cuteness with a nice income. Here is how.
Pets and Wildlife
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Pets come with many perks.
There’s the unconditional love, the cuddles, the companionship. It can also come with an added advantage — making a nice income from them.
Dogs are everywhere on social media, particularly on Instagram, where the concept of the so-called pet influencer has become big business for some owners.
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The catch, of course, is that the pet has to be famous. Instagram-famous.
From puppy power to pawesome poses, these pooches are taking on the world, one cute photo at a time. But some prefer to play more and sit less when it comes to their Instagram duties.
This is certainly the case with Squid, a three-year-old Brussels Griffon from Adelaide. His human owner, Susanne Nicholls, said she has to take photos of him very quickly.
“He darts off after a few seconds and runs around the yard, leaving his costume for dead in his wake,” she said.
Squid’s Instagram journey began the day when Ms Nicholls started posting photos of him in human-size shoes and stripy socks.
“I have an unhealthy obsession with dogs in socks” she said.
His carefree attitude and toy-size stature has helped him build an online following of more than 330,000, placing him as one of Australia’s top Insta-pooches.
There’s nothing more popular than photos of dogs with quirky features, if they’re willing to play along.
Take Woofda and Barkley, two shaggy haired sheepdogs (also known as dulux dogs) from Sydney who have a loyal following of 25,000 fans.
But owner Maria Sykes insists the “followship” didn’t happen overnight.
“Dog photography takes a very long time. They don’t take direction quite as easily as models,” she said.
Ms Sykes believes the key to a great social media snap is a crisp, high quality photo, some great subjects and yummy snacks to bribe with.
“You also need to be active and willing to share the daily lives of your canine superstars,” she said.
A dog’s popularity can increase when it has a signature style flourish — the canine equivalent of Anna Wintour’s sunglasses.
Case in point: Coco, a toy poodle-Pekingese cross with pawsitively good looks and a furdrobe full of bows and tutus.
Roll out the red carpet, because this glamorous pooch is kind of a big deal.
The five-year-old pup from Sydney already has more than 40,000 Instagram followers and brings in modelling opportunities and brand deals for owner Alina Michaels.
She was also crowned Sydney’s Top Dog last year.
It’s just another day in the life of an Insta-famous pooch.
“Sometimes when we’re taking photos, she’ll just want to play,” Ms Michaels said.
“At the end of the day, she’s a dog and I still want her to have fun.”