DOGFLUENCERS: Meet Theodore, Instagram's Viral German Wirehaired Pointer

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 Benjamin (Theodore'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?

Engwer: We found Theo in early 2019. A German Wirehaired Pointer in Iowa had a litter of puppies, and they were available for adoption. We flew one-way to Iowa from NY, and drove back 17 hours with our new best friend. We knew from that moment on that life with Theo was going to be full of similar big adventures. We wanted to share those adventures with the world and show people how fun it can be to have a four-legged best friend that goes everywhere with you.

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

Engwer: Well for starters, he’s got a great beard. People love it. That paired with his human-sounding name of Theodore always gets a chuckle out of people because he reminds them of a little old man. Seriously though, German Wirehaired Pointers aren’t a very common breed. Most places we go with Theo people say it’s their first time seeing a GWP. However, on Instagram we’ve actually found a pretty big community of GWPs and other bird dogs. We try to make most of Theo’s content funny and relatable to ALL dog owners. That way his GWP friends can follow along on our adventures while other breeds and their owners might be intrigued by his unique look and fun content and want to follow along as well.

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

Engwer: Like most millennial dog owners with no kids, we just naturally take about 500 photos and videos of Theo per day. Usually we’ll scroll through trending reels and use photos or videos we already have paired with an audio or template that’s currently trending. Other times ideas will come naturally. Recently Theo celebrated his 5th birthday and we created a reel using “Mambo No.5” to share each of his 5 annual birthday pictures in his birthday hat.

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

Engwer: Never! We’re still growing our following, so I’m sure at some point we will face some challenges or negativity. For now though, we’re just happy to be sharing our adventures and making new friends.

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

Engwer: Have fun with it! This is the best way to share with the world the little moments with your best friend that make you happy. If other people see how much fun you and your dog are having together they’ll want to follow along.

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

Engwer: He’s changed our lives! We take him everywhere we possibly can. It’s the best feeling ever to have a companion that you can bring along when you go on your morning runs, go on a hike, or even a trip to the beach! We’ve also met some of our closest friends at the local dog parks, and we all get together while our dogs play. Even on our worst days coming home after work knowing Theo will be waiting for us with a wagging tail can change our entire mood and make things better!

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?

Engwer: We took him with us on vacation a couple summers ago and went to a dog friendly beach on the ocean. We played fetch and he was having the time of his life running up and down to shoreline. His recall is usually great, but at the end of the day he is a bird dog who loves to hunt. A seagull caught his eye and he went full speed down to beach following their path. He ran like a racehorse for what felt like forever. It was funny how in that moment nothing else in the world mattered to him except for the seagull that (little did he know) he had 0% chance of catching. The other people on the beach got a kick out of his out of shape 30yr old human dad trying to chase after him.

What is your favorite thing about being a dog influencer?

Engwer: Definitely sharing Theo with the world, but also the community. We have a lot of dog friends on social media and we follow along with each others lives. We also had a cool moment last year where we found out that the woman who raised Theo’s mom (and who we adopted him from) follows him! She commented on one of our posts noting that Theo looks just like his mom and we exchanged a few messages and updates about Theo. It was a cool moment we wouldn’t have had if we weren’t sharing him on social media!

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

Engwer: No specific plans right now. Just want to keep having fun and sharing our adventures with the world!