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 Elaine (Louie'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?
Chou: Our journey to becoming a dog influencer started with our 3-year old pup, Louie! He is a rescue from South Korea with a bit of a mysterious past, but he braved the long 10-hour trip to Sea-Tac airport to be with us. Louie is extremely sweet, and over the past year, we've loved seeing him come out of his shell. We wanted to share his personality, day-to-day life, and our experiences as new pet parents. Every day, we're learning how to help Louie gain more confidence, and it's been such a rewarding journey to see how much he’s grown in just the past few months. Sharing his story and life has allowed us to connect with other pet lovers and show just how life changing adopting a rescue dog can be.
What do you think sets your dog apart from other dogs on social media? What makes them unique or particularly interesting to your followers?
Chou: When you see Louie, you can’t help but wonder what the heck he is. He has the body of a corgi, the face of a little wolf, and the coloring of a German shepherd, which always gets him attention wherever we go. We did a DNA test and found he's 100% Korean Village Dog, which definitely fuels some interesting conversations. Beyond his looks, Louie has the playful energy of a puppy, and we've captured some hilarious moments like his tendency to pounce and play with new food and new toys. Louie is on an ongoing journey of coming out of his shell. We've shared his experiences with reactivity and the need for decompression walks, hoping to show that while it's not always easy for rescue dogs to adjust to our world, there are loving steps we can take as pet parents to make their lives better.
How do you come up with ideas for your dog's posts and content? Do you have a specific creative process?
Chou: Our ideas for Louie's posts and content are pretty organic! We just showcase whatever Louie is up to these days. We want to share his life with everyone in a genuine way. Right now, we're focusing on decompression walks because the weather in the Pacific Northwest is stunning. Louie loves running through fields, and it turns out that makes for great content!
Have you ever faced any challenges or negativity on social media, and how have you dealt with it?
Chou: Negativity on social media can happen. We knew that came with the territory when sharing anything on the internet. Luckily, we haven't encountered any negative feedback or challenges with Louie's IG.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to start their own dog influencer account or share their dog on social media?
Chou: My advice is simple: Just do it! Why not? Dogs make people happy, and as pet parents, we love learning about other dogs. Personally, I enjoy discovering what other pet parents are doing—what they're feeding their dogs, their daily routines, how they work on their dogs' fears or reactivity, and how their rescue dogs are acclimating. I'm a curious person, and I know I'm not the only one!
How has your dog influenced your life outside of social media?
Chou: Louie has helped me become a more patient and empathetic person. As a dog parent of a dog with anxiety and reactivity, you quickly learn that you are their advocate in getting them out of unwanted situations (which could literally mean just being next to another nice dog). You also learn that reactive dogs cannot help but react because they are afraid. That fear is so ingrained that they react by barking, lunging, or growling. As their advocate, you realize you need to work at their pace because fears are not something you can easily unlearn or ignore. Funny enough, it's almost like he has humanized me more. Louie reminds me to treat situations with even more understanding and to approach challenges with kindness and patience.
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?
Chou: We live in the PNW, infamous for the rain year round. After several days of serious rainfall, Louie was itching to go on a long walk. We went to the field we usually do and the grass had grown out significantly—it was taller than me, and for some context, I am 5'2''. With that said, I was hesitant to step onto our usual trails, but Louie ran right into without hesitation. Remember Louie is a short dog. He ran right in and started bouncing around the field. It was hilarious to see just the top of his head peeking out above the tall grass. His tongue was dangling and I could tell he was so full of joy and carefree. Louie was enjoying his life and it was super heartwarming to see.
What is your favorite thing about being a dog influencer?
Chou: It is simply the ability to share more of Louie with our community. I also love showing that Louie, despite his anxiety and reactivity, is living a full and happy life. When we first started our journey with Louie, we sought education on how to help him. We went to trainers and classes, but we also wanted to see how other pet parents managed their daily lives and routines with reactive dogs. It's been incredibly helpful to see that we're not alone. It's not easy, but I hope that by sharing our experiences, we can have the same positive impact on others.
Lastly, what's next for you and your dog on social media? Any exciting plans or projects in the works?
Chou: We're excited to announce that we've just kick-started Louie's Chewies, a pet treat brand! The idea came about after all that training with Louie led to some weight gain. With Louie being a shorter dog, weight gain is something we have to take seriously. we started doing more research on nutrition and realized that minimally processed treats were the way to go, especially considering how many we were using. We wanted to create healthy yet tasty treats, knowing that many pet parents face similar challenges. Louie's Chewies is a pet treat brand that emphasizes health, offering wholesome, all-natural treats made with high-quality ingredients. Just like we wouldn't feed Louie something full of fillers or mysterious ingredients, we want to ensure we offer the best for your pets. In fact, all our treats are human grade. We're really excited to share this new venture with our community 😄
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Brendan Cox
Brendan Cox
Brendan Cox
Brendan Cox
Brendan Cox
