DOGFLUENCERS: Meet Patch, Instagram's Dalmatian Living Life on The Road

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 Purvi (Patch'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?

Sheth: I'm not sure I'd call us influencers just yet, but I do love sharing our journey with the world! When I first got onto IG, I just followed some of my fav dogs. I couldn't wait til I could be "one of them" and share my own best friend with the world. I'm learning as I go-- dog ownership, training, finding myself-- I think a lot of us are, so that resonates. I want people to know they can learn and do cool things with their dogs as they grow as individuals. And if ya happen to be single and in your late 30s like me, to know there's so much life after bad things happen and you think the world is ending... especially when you have your best pal by your side.

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

Sheth: Patch is a character. Literally, from 101 Dalmatians. He was the one who was feisty, had a mouth on him, and stood out from the crowd. He's bold and very adventurous. Oddly enough, that's my Patch! He's all of that, quirky in the silliest ways, extremely vocal, and so darn handsome. I like to share all of that with our community. I've also always been into sports, and now, he is. We've started doing FastCat last year, and he finished 2023 as the AKC's #4 fastest Dalmatian! And then there's the most obvious thing-- his very distinct heart eyes, which everyone loves.

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

Sheth: I have so many ideas and capture SO MUCH content and share maybe 1% of it, if that. But I'm determined to be a little more consistent and curated with posts this year, so I'm working on writing my ideas down ahead of time and creating a content calendar of sorts. At least a guide I can use to hold myself accountable. Mostly, I just share our experiences as they happen or as the ideas come to me, but I have a few specific topics in mind that I'd like to focus on, and I'm hoping that will help me tell better stories, and as a result, grow our community and engagement this year. And then I try to hop onto trending ideas and audio as well, but ngl, I'm always late to those parties!

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

Sheth: I've only come across a few challenges on social media, and it's mostly tied to people exclaiming their POV as black and white and finite. We may all share similar experiences, but as every human is different, so are our dogs. Just because something works for your dog doesn't mean it will work for mine and vice versa. I also tend to take disagreements (or even recommendations sometimes) into DMs where you can have deeper, more civil conversations on opposing points of view vs. comment battles with the peanut gallery.

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

Sheth: Share whatever it is that you want, but stay consistent and stay true to yourself. Tell a story, ask questions, share content that adds value to your community - whatever that means to you. And share quality content-- ideally high quality photos or videos, even from your phone. There are def a ton of accounts that have a gazillion followers and high engagement despite terribly low-fi photos and videos, and I can't explain that, but brighter, crisper photos > dark, blurry ones, always.

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

Sheth: LOL! Patch is my entire life. I don't often do things without him, but that's by design. I waited 30 whole years to meet him, so I have 30 years of love and energy to give him in whatever time we have together. My ex said I changed after Patch came into my life, but the reality is that I've always been this person. Patch was always going to be my #1. After my break up, Patch was the reason I got out of bed, the reason I was forced to go outside, the reason I put any effort into my days. He brought me back to life, one day at a time, helped me find a whole new community of dog-obsessed friends, and with him by my side, I finally left NYC after 20 years. We're now traveling the country, going on one adventure after the next. We've already tackled the northeast and the whole east coast, and next up, we're headed west! You'll have to stay tuned on our socials to hear all about that though!

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?

Sheth: Gosh, as cheesy as this sounds, every moment with Patch is memorable. And he started posing for pictures very early on. He quickly learned that staring at the little black box for a sec meant he'd get paid (in treatos). One of the most unique things he's done-- and I have yet to post this-- was when I asked him to jump onto a leaning/broken tree at some point during a random hike for a photo. Instead of just jumping on and stalling, he climbed the tree to the part furthest point about 8 feet in the air and then jumped off! And then came bouncing over for his payment as if nothing crazy had just happened! I have to remind myself sometimes that he's as bold and adventurous (read: dangerous) as I can be when we're out on patchy-mama adventures.

What is your favorite thing about being a dog influencer?

Sheth: The coolest part of dogstagram/dogtok is by far the community. We're not just sharing our experiences and advice and quirky moments with random people on the internet-- we're making real life friends around the world. And that includes small businesses and big ones alike. The network you build can create opportunities you may not have otherwise had-- and that part is pretty rad. But even cooler than that are the friendships you get to walk away with.

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

Sheth: Patch and I are just getting started! We have a lot in store for this year, and can't wait to share with you all. From conformation shows and FastCAT to roadtripping and hiking all over the US and Canada. He'll even be featured in a coffee table book that comes out this year! But first up is Meet the Breeds in NYC next weekend-- Patch will be at the Dalmatian booth on both days, so come say hi!