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 Katie (Wrigley & Paisley'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?
Easton: This journey to becoming a dog influencer happened in a completely natural and unexpected way! Wrigley joined our family in 2019 when she was only 8 weeks old and Paisley was already 8 years old. Our kids at the time were ages 2, 4, and 6 so I really just wanted to showcase the relationship of our kids growing up with Wrigley as she also grew up over the years. I also appreciate authenticity via social media so I have kept it real by sharing the highlights of course but also sharing some lows we’ve had to navigate through. We are a very active family so by default, Wrigley is too which means she goes on daily walks and jogs with us as well any hike we can get out on around various lakes and state parks! We live in Iowa so while we don’t have any beautiful beaches or picturesque mountains, we have each other and that’s enough to bring us joy while we find adventures around us to go on together. I hope when people stumble across our page, they’re inspired to get out there with their families and aren’t afraid of a little bit of chaos by raising kids and puppies together!
What do you think sets your dog apart from other dogs on social media? What makes them unique or particularly interesting to your followers?
Easton: First off, because her name is Wrigley, everyone assumes that we are from Chicago! So that is always a fun conversation starter as we are just simply big Chicago Cubs fans who happen to live in Iowa. We just loved how easily the name Wrigley paired with “Wheatie” since she is a soft-coated wheaten terrier. Wrigley has three other fur-siblings and also three tiny humans so there’s always something going on and someone she can play with which keeps things entertaining on our end. Paisley is our silent but steady dog who has been with us since 2011 so she’s been through it all - every move, new job, new baby, and each time we have added another furbaby to the family. In 2021, she suffered a major stroke which permanently damaged her right eye and it had to be removed. Ever since then, she has become our ever resilient and laid-back pirate pup. While some people might be embarrassed to have a one-eyed dog or share her story, we’ve connected with so many amazing humans and dogs because of it! Paisley has been a source of inspiration and truly is living her best pirate life now!
How do you come up with ideas for your dog's posts and content? Do you have a specific creative process?
Easton: Like I said previously, I like to keep things real and unfiltered so I just share what’s happening in our lives at the moment. Sometimes that means daily posts for a few weeks or I might go a few weeks without sharing a single post. If there’s a holiday we celebrate or any big events like an election or the Olympics, I usually tie that in with my content to keep it timely in that sense. We also definitely always a big deal each year about birthdays so that’s one yearly tradition that is well documented and shared year after year! I hope our content brings happiness to others and a smile to their face when there’s so much in our world around us that does the complete opposite of that. The biggest thing in my creative process is to find a way to spark joy and make people laugh. What better way to do that than with two dogs and two cats along with their three tiny humans?! I always joke that we live in a small zoo so surely we can brighten someone's day through our own chaos!
Have you ever faced any challenges or negativity on social media, and how have you dealt with it?
Easton: Shockingly, I have not faced any challenges or negativity on social media! I can only remember one time where I shared something about having Wrigley wear boots on super hot summer days to keep her paws safe from the hot concrete. A follower and a friend actually responded with some very helpful information that I didn’t know regarding more specifics about dogs' paws and how they respond to heat. I appreciated the feedback so much especially because it was shared in such a respectful way. Now that I know better, I can do better. I really had to think if there was a time where I felt challenged or questioned but I truly believe that dog people are the best people so this entire online community has been nothing but supportive towards us!
What advice would you give to someone who wants to start their own dog influencer account or share their dog on social media?
Easton: My advice would be to just start sharing! I know that is easier said than done and I still overthink a lot of pictures or videos before I actually press the “share” button but seriously, just go for it! Someone out there has the same breed or a similar family dynamic who is looking for a connection. I also recommend staying true to yourselves by sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly of dog ownership. I like to think social media is slowly making a shift from being only the highlights to people sharing more of their real and raw lives. I think that’s why people love Wrigley and Paisley so much because we’ve happened to find a good balance of that. We are always sharing the fun, fluffy puppy stuff but also sharing the hard, sometimes heartbreaking senior dog stuff. That’s part of life! There’s always room for more doggies to shine on social media!
How has your dog influenced your life outside of social media?
Easton: Six weeks after Wrigley joined our family, my dad died unexpectedly. There were moments in those following days and weeks where I could barely move… until I would feel Wrigley nudge me on the couch. Because of her, I would get outside and go for a walk with her. The fresh air and breath in my lungs gave me a little bit of life and soon I felt it lift my spirits a little bit more day by day. Wrigley helped me regain some confidence and I know I’m a lot more capable than I give myself credit for. She has inspired me to talk more openly about my depression and anxiety with others who have been through similar situations. I have always said that Wrigley is like my very own personal therapy dog because she's helped get me through some really dark days and in turn, I’ve been able to help others when they need it too. She will always be the goodest girl in my book!
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?
Easton: Without fail, EVERY time we are out hiking or around town, people stop to ask us, “what kind of doodle is she?” And then they look at us like we’re the crazy ones when we say, “she isn’t a doodle of any kind!” It always makes us laugh especially when people double down and ask again, what kind of doodle is she because they really can’t believe she isn’t one. We love being able to educate people on her breed because in our opinion, wheatens are truly the best and we think every family should have one! During most photos, we have to be really quick with Wrigley to get the shot before she starts doing the infamous “wheaten wiggle” which is where her tail wiggles back and forth so fast, it literally makes her entire body wiggle. It’s the funniest and cutest thing ever! She just gets so excited and is such a happy, loving dog that she can’t help but wiggle so you have to be quick with the camera!
What is your favorite thing about being a dog influencer?
Easton: My favorite part about being a dog influencer is the connections we’ve made with so many others! Dog people are always willing to share their favorite brands or products with others and they seem to have a recommendation for just about anything you can think of. We have collaborated with some fun brands whose products we use daily and we value any collaboration we have by making sure the product is a good fit not only for Wrigley or Paisley but also for our family as a whole. On our page, you will never find sponsored content that is being shared without an honest review because being authentic is more important to us than having collabs. Of course, most influencers want any sponsored content and collabs they can get but we try to really only work with brands who align with our values so it’s mutually beneficial for both sides. With that said, we’ve had some really unique opportunities over the years and are always excited when a new one comes our way!
Lastly, what's next for you and your dog on social media? Any exciting plans or projects in the works?
Easton: We have some content from Uproot Clean that we will be rolling out over the next few weeks but other than that, we don’t have any big plans or projects in the works! Uproot Clean has been one of our favorite collaborations because our whole family can utilize their products and it all just naturally works for us. It doesn’t feel fake or forced to share because we love it and it’s solved so many problems for us. Now that the weather in Iowa is starting to warm up and get nicer, we will be spending A LOT more time outdoors which means more walks and hikes for Wrigley! If any projects come our way with to use something that Wrigley could utilize while being active on our walks and hikes, we would love to entertain that idea and see what kind of content we could come up with!
