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 Alison (Kai'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?
Buxton: I had so many pictures and videos of Kai and I felt I needed to put them out to the world! At the time I was working for a doggy daycare and would make social media videos for them, so that definitely inspired me to start my own account for my dog. I started the account in June of 2023 and within a couple weeks we gained 1K followers so then I knew I had to keep going. I was getting DMs of people saying how Kai was making them laugh and people were sending me pictures of their dogs, it was such a good feeling to know Kai can make other people smile just like us.
What do you think sets your dog apart from other dogs on social media? What makes them unique or particularly interesting to your followers?
Buxton: I mean there’s a lot of lab accounts out there since they’re one of the most popular dog breeds. But I think I’ve done a good job at making people relate to the content! I think it’s just the fact that owning a dog can be so funny and I really focus on that, all the funny and weird things they do and people really see themselves in it. When I get the comments like “that’s us” or “my dog does that” it’s like a sense of wow we’re literally all living the same lives with our dogs and it’s awesome.
How do you come up with ideas for your dog's posts and content? Do you have a specific creative process?
Buxton: I have like a million videos of Kai and it can be so effortless because it’s things that he does that I think are hilarious so I just post them and find out other people's dogs do it too. A lot of times I’ll find an audio I like and then find a video and caption that fits it! Also in the community there’s a lot of trends and those are the easy type of video where we just hop on a trend that’s going around on social media but I love curating “compilation” style videos of things that make Kai, Kai! Or focusing on the fact that he’s a lab.
Have you ever faced any challenges or negativity on social media, and how have you dealt with it?
Buxton: Luckily not as much as other people have, at least not so far. Most of the people that interact with our content are dog obsessed parents like me so they just find the fun and cuteness in the videos. Whenever we get something negative I feel the urge to respond but a lot of times that’s what they’re looking for so I just either delete them or ignore them.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to start their own dog influencer account or share their dog on social media?
Buxton: Definitely make the content that feels natural to you! There’s nothing wrong with finding the trending audios or viral trends to make content, we all do it. But I think when you make content that makes you happy, you’ll find people that enjoy it just as much! And the biggest thing!! LEAVE THE VIDEO UP even if it’s not doing well at the beginning because the algorithm is so weird and you never know when that same video will blow up.
How has your dog influenced your life outside of social media?
Buxton: He genuinely brings so much joy to our lives. I think he’s had an impact on big things, he’s taught me patience, lots and lots of patience and if you have a lab you know what I mean. He’s definitely made me a more responsible person, he depends on me to meet his needs and that’s a huge responsibility for anyone. Another big thing that I keep trying to learn from him is to not take things so seriously, dogs have so much joy and silliness and I think that’s something that us as people need to learn to have. And lastly, because of starting this account about him, I found a job/career that I’m passionate about and I know I wouldn’t have if it wasn’t for him and this account I created.
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?
Buxton: We went on a hike to a mountain near us, Kai has been there multiple times so this wasn’t his first time doing it. But after going up for around 3 hours, Kai started to put his paw up in discomfort and when I checked it, it was torn, his skin was cracked and falling off (poor baby) and we knew that Kai had high pain tolerance but this was another level, I have no idea why he only showed discomfort that far in. We think it was a reaction to the terrain plus cold water! Anyway we had to turn around and we tried to put a sock on it with some tape to help him but it wouldn’t stay up, he just wanted to keep running. After him still walking about halfway down he fully stopped and didn’t want to walk anymore I bet it hurt so much. So my younger brother and my dad had to take turns carrying Kai on their back for 3.5 km!!! They were so brave for taking an 80lb dog down a mountain! Kai absolutely loved being carried, he looked proud. So from now on, booties it is!
What is your favorite thing about being a dog influencer?
Buxton: Getting to meet other people and their dogs and learning from everyone in all aspects. It’s so fun to interact with people from all over the world! And definitely just talking to people who feel the same about their dogs as I do about Kai.
Lastly, what's next for you and your dog on social media? Any exciting plans or projects in the works?
Buxton: I definitely want to start adding something different to our content which can be a little scary. I’d love to start sharing about me and him, and all things about being the dog owner. One of my new year resolutions is to go on more adventures with Kai, he loves to be in the mountains, so hopefully some of that!
