9 things that will give you a LEG UP (pun intended) for your dog’s Instagram

In March of 2017, my parents gifted my partner and I with a miniature Labradoodle puppy for our engagement (check out the wedding website I designed). Since then, our little Ollie has made us happier than a dog with two tails (don’t worry, he only has one tail).

Our adoration for our little furball has flipped our entire way of life upside down in the best way possible. Weekends that used to lazily be spent watching Netflix in bed are now spent going for hikes with fellow dog owners (or at the very least searching on amazon and pinterest for dog-themed decorations for his birthday party). Evenings that used to be spent catching drinks with co-workers or checking out new restaurants are now spent cuddling with our little canine on the couch. When it comes to our social life, pretty much every decision we make now revolves around whether or not we can bring our dog.

Another dog-related past time that has enveloped our former lifestyle has been our experimentation with the world of “Dog Instagram.” If you were to peek into our apartment window on the average evening, roughly 50% of the time, you’d find us posing our pup in various costumes and positions to find the *perfect* shot for his Instagram account @OllieThePupperdoo.

Boy, did we ever stumble upon a whole new side of social media. Before delving into this realm of the internet, I had no idea how many people have beautifully curated and thoughtful social media accounts for their pets. Dog “pawrents” working to make their fur-babies famous on The ‘Gram are a dime 12 dozen, but there are definitely certain traits that can put you and your pup “ahead of the pack.” When it comes to succeeding on dog instagram, here are some of the things I’ve learned can help you in this fun, strange, and ridiculous internet realm:

She may be a little creepy lookin’, but I promise her insta game would be off the charts.

1. Having a unique dog.

Do you have the rare kind of dog breed that is usually only seen in movies (*cough* afghan hound *cough* )? Does your dog constantly stick its tongue out in a strange, but adorable manner? Does your dog have a heart-shaped pattern on its forehead? If so, dog Instagram is definitely for you and your pooch.

This unspoken Dog Instagram rule is so strong that I told my mom that she should consider starting an Instagram account for her hairless dog… This recommendation made sense to me, despite the fact that my mother avoids taking photos like the plague and the dog is actually a little creepy looking.

2. Having a puppy… like, a LITTLE puppy.

I’ll admit it, Dog Instagram has a strong bias for young pups. When your dog is a puppy, take as many pictures of it as humanly possible so that you will have a treasure trove of puppy throwback thursday (#tbt) content for years to come.

3. Having an expensive camera.

Dog Instagram also has a strong bias for pawrents rich enough to own and know how to use fancy photography equipment. I mean, having a thousands of dollars worth of photography tools is not a requirement for Dog Instagram (heck, we’ve been using our iPhone cameras), but having a nice camera and a knowledge on how to use it will immediately set you apart from your Insta canine competitors.

4. Being clever enough to come up with good dog puns for your captions.

Dog puns are a near requirement for your social media game. Check out this incredible page full of dog puns if you get stuck.

5. Having a lot of time on your hands.

Unfortunately, there’s no way to get around this fact: maintaining a successful Instagram account for your dog takes a lot of time. You need to be willing to spend a lot of time taking and editing photos, coming up with captions, and engaging with other Instagrammers. Posts should be fairly frequent for you to see any sort of growth in your number of followers.

6. Being able to channel your inner dog while still staying relatable to humans in your captions.

You have to literally pretend YOU ARE YOUR DOG when writing each caption… Well, if your dog could hold a phone, choose a flattering photo of themselves, type on a touchscreen, and post pictures with witty captions. This persona must NEVER be let up.

7. Being open to being a little out there with your dog’s costumes and posing.

Seriously though. You won’t succeed on Dog Instagram if you only post photos of your dog making the same face in the same position on the couch. Be creative! Take of photo of your dog from different angles. Change the lighting to make your images more visually interesting. Heck, throw a hat and some sunglasses on your pup! Your account stats will thank you.

8. Using A LOT of hashtags.

Instagram allows 30 hashtags. That isn’t to say you need to use 30 hashtags… but you should use 30 hashtags. This will increase your exposure across the site and therefore increase your engagement.

9. Having the stamina to trudge forward when some of your posts inevitably bomb.

Listen, not all of your posts are going to go viral (or, to be frank, get more than a few likes). This is especially true when you’re just starting out in the Dog Instagram world. Don’t get discouraged! This is a marathon, not a sprint.