DOGFLUENCERS: Meet Saidee, Instagram's Adventurous Australian Shepherd

Welcome to the ultimate destination for dog enthusiasts and social media mavens alike. At Dogfluencers, we're passionate about showcasing the best and brightest in the world of four-legged fame.

Whether you're looking for adorable photos, heartwarming stories, or expert tips on how to turn your own pup into a social media star, we've got you covered.

Today we got the honor of interviewing Haydee (Saidee's Human). You can find a direct link to their Instagram here.

Here is their story:

Can you tell us about your journey to becoming a dog influencer? What inspired you to start sharing your dog's adventures on social media?

Fernandez: I created Saidee’s Instagram handle within the week of her coming home. I never looked into dog accounts until my brother mentioned it and said I should give it a shot. After I looked up a few Australian shepherds on Instagram, I was hooked. I didn’t think there was an entire community of others who loved their pets as much as I loved Saidee. In knowing this, it gave me an outlet to post her frequently without spamming my own personal handle. I loved sharing all of Saidee’s puppy quirks into adulthood maneuvering life with our girl.

What do you think sets your dog apart from other dogs on social media? What makes them unique or particularly interesting to your followers?

Fernandez: There are numerous red merle Aussies on social media, and with Saidee being one of them, we always receive reactions because of her coat color; it gets her a lot of compliments as well as messages from followers stating that she reminds them of the Lassie dog for some reason.

I’d also say navigating our lives with Saidee because of her breed, but overall, her lifestyle. It’s infused with training, dog sports, exploring dog-friendly places, play dates and balancing our lives between New Jersey and New York City. My husband and I are from NYC and moved to NJ two months before bringing Saidee home. We still, very much, have an active lifestyle in NYC as well as living in NJ.

How do you come up with ideas for your dog's posts and content? Do you have a specific creative process?

Fernandez: I don't really have a creative process, I typically capture Saidee in her element versus posing for the camera. Sometimes I do have an idea of the kind of content I’d like to create, but most of the time, whether Sade decides to sit or stand, I love capturing a candid moment of hers. When posting, I usually wait until I leave a location or until I'm settled at home and able to look over everything I captured over the course of the day. I love editing photos in Lightroom and coming up with ideas for reels. Sometimes I’ll have quite a few reel ideas in mind (overload) and will end up not creating them. It happens. I will say though, coming up with captions for Instagram can be troublesome at times because I only know how to write novels, but I eventually figure it out to shorten what I want to say.

Have you ever faced any challenges or negativity on social media, and how have you dealt with it?

Fernandez: I’ve been told when owning an Australian shepherd, I should have a house with a backyard to let her “burn off energy” and not be cooped up in an apartment. Those people couldn’t be more wrong about having this breed in an apartment. Simply put, the world is her backyard, from going on leashed walks to decompression/sniff walks, park/field days, hikes, play dates, all her needs are met. We have Saidee involved in dog sports, we work on obedience training at home and in classes, we also incorporate enrichment, puzzles, fitness conditioning, and other activities.

By displaying our journey with Saidee on social media, I can only hope to educate, inspire, and bring awareness to the breed because I’ve seen way too many Australian shepherds and other high-energy/herding breeds brought into shelters because they’re “too much to handle.” It breaks my heart every time I see it done, owning Aussies because they LOOK cool isn't a reason to have them without researching them. Yes, they are beautiful dogs who are loyal, affectionate, and silly but also very smart and active herders to own. Living in an apartment with an Aussie is doable. Don’t be discouraged, be creative and dedicated. Find ways to train that Aussie brain of theirs because it will build a bond that you wouldn't have ever imagined.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to start their own dog influencer account or share their dog on social media?

Fernandez: Don’t compare and be yourself. Everyone’s journey is different with their pup and remember Instagram isn’t usually reality for the person behind the account, you're only seeing a portion of someone’s life.

Also, don’t be discouraged by your following count, Saidee has over 5k followers and I appreciate every single one because they genuinely care for her. If you were to put me in a room with five thousand people who wanted to know more about Saidee and our journey of owning a herding breed, I'd be overwhelmed to say the least.

How has your dog influenced your life outside of social media?

Fernandez: In many ways, I was born and raised in NYC, more of a city than a nature girl. Saidee has brought out a much more adventurous side of me that I didn't think could ever be possible, and I thank her for this. She’s made me appreciate waking up early on a Saturday to start our day in the park or even hitting the trail to go on a hike; something I don't think you could’ve had me do 4 years ago.

Saidee was also a big inspiration for our road trip back in November 2023 from NJ to Utah. Of course, a flight would have sufficed but bringing our girl along motivated my husband and I to create our greatest adventure yet. Being out in the desert with her was quite an experience but also gave me a new perspective on life. Learning to grasp the moment of taking in what this globe has to offer and pushing us out of our comfort zone. It’s safe to say Saidee has changed our lives in more ways than one.

Can you tell us about a particularly memorable or funny moment you've had with your dog during one of your photo shoots or adventures?

Fernandez: Oh boy, before anything, quick backstory. During this time, I was giving Saidee dehydrated cod fish skin snacks about every two days or so.

We had a pup date on the beach with Sade’s best pal Aiko (IG: @aussie.aiko_). The pups were ahead of me and Aiko’s momma, running around, chasing each other, playing fetch, etc. Towards the end, we decided to start heading back to the car and again the pups were ahead of us sniffing around the shore line. All of a sudden, I see Saidee sniffing something that’s caught her attention, picks it up, and is proudly trotting her happy little auss back to me. When I realized what she picked up, I won't lie, I freaked. Saidee was bringing me a dead fish and almost slapped it on my leg as she normally does when bringing something over to me (insert sliding face emoji). I just know this has to do with the familiarity of eating cod fish skins.

What is your favorite thing about being a dog influencer?

Fernandez: Sharing our experiences and learning from them because we aren't perfect. Also, the connections we’ve made in the dog community are priceless.

Lastly, what's next for you and your dog on social media? Any exciting plans or projects in the works?

Fernandez: After our road trip last year, there's definitely more to come and currently planning our next one this year along with maybe entering Saidee in her first agility trial this year.