When we think of an Instagram influencer, we typically think of a human… Holding a Starbucks and promoting something for you to buy with a lot of candles behind them.

The influencers that I and so many others are interested in following come with four legs and a lot of fluff… Dougie the Shih Tzu (DailyDougie) is living proof that some of the top influencers on Instagram are in fact animals and I couldn’t be happier about it.

Dougie is an insanely cute Shih Tzu who lives in San Francisco, USA, and has over five hundred thousand followers. Dougie’s no doubt a bonafide top dog on Instagram with his verified account, huge following and incredibly high engagement rate day in day out… Fun fact, he was the first dog account I followed on Instagram many, many years ago and he still makes me smile daily.

Anita is the thumbs behind Dougie’s Instagram account, and kindly spoke with me to chat about Dougie’s rise to Instagram stardom, brand collaborations, and why she believes the account is so successful.

How did you and Dougie end up together?

My two boys were both older tweens and I decided it was time for our family to finally get a dog. I took an online quiz as to what breed would be best for your lifestyle and it came back Shih Tzu. It had never crossed my mind before the quiz that we should get a Shih Tzu. I started looking up that breed's characteristics and decided the quiz was right! We wanted a small companion dog that didn't shed and didn't bark. Who wouldn't want that?!

Did you think Dougie would be such a celebrity?

I had no idea the instagram account would become so popular. I started it with the idea that I would post my new puppy photos there and not bore my Facebook friends with endless photos of my new "baby." He didn't become popular overnight (we've been posting photos for almost seven years!), but we did get a lot of followers when Buzzfeed did an article about him in 2014.

Why do you think Dougie became so successful on Instagram?

I think the account is successful because he is an unusually cute dog who has a great personality. He's also just our regular dog. We don't do elaborate videos or dress up (except Halloween) or anything staged, really. I think people like to see him doing his every day regular things as part of our family.

How long does an Instagram snap take? Is Dougie a patient model?

I try to minimize how much the camera is in Dougie's face and don't spend too much time trying to get a photo. I take a number of photos in a short amount of time and then delete the ones I don't use. He's pretty relaxed (ie., lazy) and is a pretty easy model to work with.

Does Dougie do brand collaborations? How do you pick and choose?

Dougie does do brand collaborations, but not very often. It's probably only 3-4 times a year and we limit it to dog products we feel good about endorsing or entertainment, such as movies that highlight dogs. We also refuse to travel long distances with him so we have to decline some opportunities.

Is there any challenges with running a major social media account?

Running the account has not been that much of a challenge because I love taking photos of him and it doesn't take long to get a good photo. However, because I have a full-time regular job and a family, I don't interact that much with followers. If I had more time, I would do that because it is gratifying to know how much joy he brings to people.

I cannot thank Anita enough for taking the time to answer these questions about Dougie. Not only interesting, it’s a great excuse to post photos of Dougie on Honest London.

If you’d like to see more of Dougie, you can follow his Instagram (I insist) or even buy his 2020 calendar!

Written by Co-Founder L