DOGFLUENCERS: Meet Luna Skye, the Classy and Sassy Golden Retriever

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 Heidi (Luna Skye'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?

Ziemann:Ever since I was a little girl who grew up around Golden Retrievers, I always knew that I wanted one. Between life, college and work I had waited a very long time to be able to care for a dog and the responsibility that comes with it. Luna kind of fell into my lap in 2021. We were looking to add a Golden into our family at the time but it wasn't a solidified decision. I found Luna and it turns out that she was the only one left from her litter who hadn't found a forever home, so we became her forever home. Upon getting Luna I knew immediately I was going to share her on my social media. Dogs are pure joy and who doesn't love seeing the sweet face of a puppy? I thought back to college when I struggled with mental health issues and the one thing that brought me joy was visiting with the therapy dogs on campus or seeing the cute posts on Instagram of dogs. Specifically one of my favorite dog accounts who ultimately inspired me to share Luna was Candice Sedighan (@thatgoldendog) & her sweet Golden, Champ. Her posts brought so much happiness and serotonin into my day. I knew that if Luna can bring that same joy into another person's day, even just one, it would all be worth it.

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

Ziemann:I think Luna is definitely a character of her own. She has such a sassy demeanor that shows up heavily through her photos. Luna is such a big goofball on top of that, she always has someone laughing at her antics. My followers absolutely love when I dress her up or include her in photo projects. For Halloween this past year I did a 31 days of costumes series and they loved that so much. The thing about that is Luna also loves to dress up so she really gets into character. It really gives her photos a big piece of her personality.

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

Ziemann: I am a professional photographer so I think my brain is pre-programmed to constantly be creative. Even if I'm not shooting something, I am always thinking about it. I am blessed to be surrounded by some very talented creatives rather it be digital art, photography, etc. They have a heavy influence on how I'm inspired. Once I get an idea I think about how I can level it up, what it would look like with my dog being the main subject, how I would shoot it and what I can do to give it the wow factor. I do have my days where I have zero creative process and just snap photos. Sometimes, those end up being the photos that everyone loves the most.

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

Ziemann: I think because I don't have as big of a following as some influencers I haven't really had any harsh run-ins with negativity just yet. I have only dealt with it here and there. I tend to find the best way to deal with it is to ignore it. People who take time to comment negativity are just people who want that attention from you. I'm here to spread joy to people and to be supportive of others and I want my space to reflect that. At the end of the day someone is always going to have something to say and you have to be okay with the fact that it might not always be something positive. We cannot control what others do, but we can control how we react.

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

Ziemann: Just do it. Seriously. Do it for yourself. Think of it as your digital scrapbook. If you can change one person's day in the process, then it doesn't matter if you have 100k followers or 10 followers. If you are wanting to do it seriously, quality content matters. When I am viewing content on social media, the thing that sticks out with me first is always the quality. Quality goes beyond the camera you are using. It is having a photo/scene clear of distractions, paying attention to the comfort level of your dog, the angles being used and how you are editing. Lastly, patience and consistency. It takes a lot of patience. You have to be okay with things being on a slower timeframe than you are expecting. People may not find you right away and people may not align with your content right away. This is where consistency comes in. Keep posting! Keep creating. Keep coming up with new ideas. Your people will find you.

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

Ziemann: My dog has really shown me how to slow down and appreciate the little things. I used to be a very point A to point B person. Luna has turned me into the type of person who appreciates the tiny things that get overlooked on the journey from point A to point B. She's taught me patience. A lot of patience. She's also brought me a ton of happiness. Happiness that can't even be explained. I don't think I can think of a single day where she hasn't made me smile.

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?

Ziemann: I think this would have to be during a Halloween costume shoot. The theme for the day was Barbie and I had pink stuff everywhere. I had put a pink feather boa on her and some pink daisy sunglasses. She immediately sat down in front of the camera and crossed her paws like the queen she is. She would go from a serious face to smiling, and that was already hilarious to me because it had felt like she got completely into character without having a single clue what a Barbie is. However, one thing about Luna is that once she is done shooting, she's done. Well, she tried to carry the feather boa in her mouth and feathers kept getting stuck on her tongue. So I was chasing her around the coffee table trying to take away the boa while she was running and shaking her head with her tongue out trying to get feathers off of her tongue.

What is your favorite thing about being a dog influencer?

Ziemann: 100% making someone else smile. I am so proud to say Luna has brought so many smiles to people's faces, and that's all I could ever want.

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

Ziemann: I am currently working on various personal photo projects, so I am always looking for ways that I can include Luna in those. My groups absolutely love when she gets involved. That is always a lot of fun because the majority of these projects include human subjects, so it's a blast coming up with ideas surrounding a dog. I have also started playing around with leveling up the creativity in her shoots so I have been playing around a lot with digital compositing to add an extra flair of fun.