DOGFLUENCERS: Meet Dutton & Dually, Instagram's Viral English Labrador Duo
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 McKenna (Dutton & Dually'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?
Plowman: Our daughters were across the state at college and we have family members scattered across the country, so we thought posting progress photos of Dutton’s growing up journey on Instagram would be a great way of making everyone feel connected to him, and would give everyone easy, centralized access. We had no idea the Instagram dog community even existed, let alone how incredible and kind everyone was! It was such a positive and supportive community, so we decided to continue sharing special moments of Dutton’s growing up journey, and here we are nearly two years later!
What do you think sets your dog apart from other dogs on social media? What makes them unique or particularly interesting to your followers?
Plowman: We are just normal folks sharing a normal doggo life…nothing crazy, flashy, or unrealistic! We love sharing our funny moments, adventures in the PNW, doggo advice & favorites.
How do you come up with ideas for your dog's posts and content? Do you have a specific creative process?
Plowman: We try to keep it as authentic & natural as possible…we are busy folk with full time jobs, so we just try to make things work in our crazy schedules! We currently work with a few small businesses that require regular posts, shares & reposts - we keep a simple calendar.
Have you ever faced any challenges or negativity on social media, and how have you dealt with it?
Plowman: Yep! Dutton & Dually are our family’s third and fourth English Labs…we have chosen to crate train all of our doggos for a multitude of reasons. We often receive negative comments criticizing us for keeping them in “prison” or “confined” but we just stay true to ourselves & know that it works well for our family and Dutton and Dually! Oftentimes, if we cannot find the boys during the day, they have curled up in their crates to take a nap - we know they love their kennels & find security in them, so we just block all the negativity out :)
What advice would you give to someone who wants to start their own dog influencer account or share their dog on social media?
Plowman: I think our biggest piece of advice would be to stay authentic & honest! If you personally don’t actively use a product or wouldn’t feed/use/etc. a product on your own dog, don’t promote it…the small businesses we work with, we truly believe in & use their products on the daily!
How has your dog influenced your life outside of social media?
Plowman: Dutton & Dually (and our angel pups Brody & Gapper) are true members of our family…the bring us indescribable joy, happiness, and love every single day. They have taught us invaluable lessons - unconditional love, the power of positive energy, stop to smell the roses, greet everyone with a smile, live in the moment & so much more. Our lives would not be the same without our fur babies.
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?
Dutton: as a puppy, whenever Dutton got a treat (even if it was just an ice cube) he would toss the treat up in the air & dance around it…SO joyful & excited - the cutest!
Dually: we had standing bowl for Dutton when we brought Dually home, and he would poke his head up through one of the holes to reach to get to Dutton’s water bowl, despite having his own water bowl on the ground where he could reach.
Dutton & Dually: the boys LOVE going on hikes in the PNW…we live in the greater Seattle area and hike multiple times a week. When we go on hikes in the woods when the boys can be off leash, they go CRAZY with zoomies, swimming, digging in mud, and running as hard as they can - absolutely pure joy!
What is your favorite thing about being a dog influencer?
Plowman: sharing joy & happiness in a world often so consumed with negativity
Lastly, what's next for you and your dog on social media? Any exciting plans or projects in the works?
Plowman: We are excited to continue our partnership two of our favorite small business - Woof (our favorite enrichment treat) and Lake & Paw (our favorite bandana company)! We are pumped to continue to share our PNW adventures!