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 Tiffany (Raven & FeeFee'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?
Pena-Rayne: I was always taking pictures of my dogs (I call them my kids). I would see other Pet Influencers online. So I looked into it and decided, why not? I started with Instagram and then TikTok. After a while I also started them with Threads and Facebook. We also are affiliates and now Amazon Influencers. I just leaped into it and have been learning, teaching myself.
What do you think sets your dog apart from other dogs on social media? What makes them unique or particularly interesting to your followers?
Pena-Rayne: Well you have to kinda decide what your theme is going to be, because with Pets you’re already going into a niche area. Once you’ve established it, then stick with it. So I did ours based on “them” and what came natural. Raven (Miniature Doberman) is a spoiled little Princess and honestly kinda bratty. She is bossy, and has us wrapped around her little paw. She was an only “child” for a couple years. FeeFee is a rescue dog. She had been running the streets and she sadly had been abused. Because she was able to get along with Raven, we were able to take her in. FeeFee (Pitbull) is SO sweet and kind. She is the definition of, don’t judge by breed type. Or, don’t judge a book by its cover.
How do you come up with ideas for your dog's posts and content? Do you have a specific creative process?
Pena-Rayne: Sometimes I will just see something on TV or wherever and get ideas. I also toss around ideas with their dad. I also just take a lot of pictures and videos. Sometimes the ideas form from that. I literally had to upgrade my phone and storage because I was always taking so many pictures/videos. My old phones memory was FULL I couldn’t even take one more pic. It’s funny now, was annoying then. Obviously not everything gets used. But I have it, and can bring them up if the pics/vids fit when I’m creating content.
Have you ever faced any challenges or negativity on social media, and how have you dealt with it?
Pena-Rayne: We have been Very lucky with this. Literally we have had only one video that got a negative reaction. I had bought Happy Meal boxes and the kids (dogs) were sharing a hamburger and a couple fries on the video. Someone’s said it was bad to feed them that, because of the salt. So the fries actually had no salt. & the burger- was just a little treat. They don’t get stuff like that hardly at all. I don’t recall what I said exactly, but I wasn’t rude or anything. People are entitled to feel whatever. & even though I didn’t necessarily agree, the person was just showing concern. I figure it is a choice to watch us, or not.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to start their own dog influencer account or share their dog on social media?
Pena-Rayne: Well if you are doing the influencer thing, do a little research. I just looked stuff up online and YouTube. If you’re going to try to build a following it’s a time commitment. You have to post regularly. If you’re doing it for fun, sharing your dog on social media it’s all about having fun. If your pet isn’t in the mood for a photo shoot, don’t force it. If you get aggravated easily and don’t have a lot of patience it may not be for you. On social media you might see a super cool picture, what you don’t see are 40 pictures that didn’t make it lol. Above all it should be FUN for your DOG and YOU!!
How has your dog influenced your life outside of social media?
Pena-Rayne: My dogs constantly influence me. Raven despite her spoiled side, is very sweet. She has a “little raggedy looking” monkey. His name is Monkey Pup 🐒🐶. That is her puppy. She tucks him in every night, keeps him warm and protects him. I always tell her what a good mommy she is and I try to do the same. FeeFee is always so sweet. She is all about chasing squirrels. They tease the heck out of her. Ultimately it’s a game. She shows me it’s about having fun. You will probably never actually catch that squirrel, but even if you did you wouldn’t hurt it because it’s your friend.
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?
Pena-Rayne: Together taking pictures is hard. Usually Raven is doing fine because she likes to pose and model. FeeFee on the other hand often has a look of “I’m bored!” & trust me it looks like it too. Raven likes to be the center of attention and doesn’t want to sit too close to FeeFee. Inevitably as soon as I stop taking pictures or stop trying, they do what I want. You just gotta laugh and try again some other time. They are always cracking me up.
What is your favorite thing about being a dog influencer?
Pena-Rayne: That’s easy, spending time with my “kids” dogs. & getting to show everyone how awesome they are. There’s nothing better than going to the vets office and one of the technicians saying “I saw Raven or FeeFee on TikTok” or whatever. Or, one of their daddies co-workers saying that.
Lastly, what's next for you and your dog on social media? Any exciting plans or projects in the works?
Pena-Rayne: Well we are trying to get more people to check out our Amazon Storefront. We have LOTS of cool Ideas Lists, Shoppable photos and videos. We also recently partnered with this REALLY cool PET Smoke Detector called RESCUE RETRIEVER. It was developed by FireFighters to help save pets. Did you know 40,000 pets are lost in house fires every year! The Rescue Retriever is paw shaped and will activate when smoke hits it. It sets off a silent strobe light. So if you place it on your pets crate, bed rails or wherever they seek refuge when scared, it can help responders in finding your pets. It also comes with a weather proof decal, that you can place on your window or door to indicate how many pets you have. It’s a really cool product and could really help save your pet if there’s a fire.