Who are the Top Pet Influencers and Should Your Dog Join In the Fun?

We all know how much fun it is to check out social media feeds and check out the dog photos. But have you ever thought about turning your dog into a pet influencer? If so, you’re not alone!

In a recent article by the New York Post, a survey found one in four pet owners hope to turn their fur babies into social media stars.

We’ve rounded up some of the most recent surveys covering how much top pet influencers are making, which breeds are showing up the most on Instagram–and even tips for photographing your dog for Insta-fame!

Which Dog Breeds Are Most Like to Become Dog Influencers?

A recent report from CenturyLinkQuote about which dog breeds are most likely to become influencers had some interesting results.

The results of their findings were interesting: the dog breeds most likely to become Instagram influencers were:

• Mixed breed dogs
• Pugs
• Chihuahuas
• Corgis
• Golden Retrievers

How much do pet influencers make on Instagram?

Veterinarians.org has calculated the average per-post earnings for the top 50 pet influencers. Here are the top 10:

1. Jiffpom–  $27,153 
2. Nala Cat– $11,517
3. Doug the Pug– $10,575
4. Juniper the Fox– $8,026 
5. Grumpy Cat– $6,659 
6. Lil Bub– $6,244 
7. Smoothie the Cat–  $5,897 
8. Henry & Baloo–  $5,637 
9. Tuna–  $5,599 
10. Mr. White–  $5,405

CenturyLinkQuote also looked specifically at how much the top 10 dog influencers were making per post on Instagram:

Similar results were found by ProDog Raw, which carried out the ‘Dog Instagram Rich List’ study.

The raw dog food company analyzed social media data to discover the highest-earning dogs on Instagram. Pomeranian Jiff, who has 10.2 million followers, can command the highest price per sponsored post at $34,800, but they deemed Loki the husky the most successful dog influencer of the last 12 months, earning an estimated $189,430 through more than 50 sponsored posts and a paid partnership with Toyota USA.

How do these dogs make their money? Although the top earning dog in the world can earn the equivalent of a newly-qualified teacher’s salary in one post, 70% of the dogs on the rich list earn revenue predominantly through the sale of merchandise such as calendars and books. 

According to their results, the top 10 in the 2021 Dog Instagram Rich list are:

1. Loki – 2m followers $6,809 per post = $381,252/year
2. Manny – 1m followers $3,191 = $201,065/year
3. Harlow and Sage – 1.7m followers $5,247 = $52,479/year 
4. Jiffpom – 10.2m followers $34,889 per post = $34,889/year
5. Crusoe – 824k followers $2,695 per post = $16,168/year
6. Tuna – 2.1m followers $7,091 = $14,183/year
7. Doug the pug – 3.9m followers $12,905 per post = $12,905/year
8. Reagan Doodle – 501k followers $1,702 per post = $8,509/year
9. Maya – 2m followers $6,665 per post = $6665/year
10. Turboroo – 307k followers $1,091 per post = $6,550/year

On average, top dog influencers earn $8,223 per post and will partner on 15 sponsored posts a year.

To conduct the research, ProDog Raw analyzed the Instagram accounts of dogs that have shared a sponsored post within the last 12 months. If the account showed that no paid partnership, ad or promotion of a product was posted, then the dog influencer was discounted from the study. 

Heidi Maskelyne, founder of ProDog Raw, said, “It’s truly amazing to see just how much money dog influencers can make for their families and owners, you certainly can’t accuse them of not earning their keep! But with dog-related content proving popular among social media users, it’s hardly surprising that charismatic dogs can command such high prices when they partner with brands. Over the past year these accounts have provided much needed respite from the doom and gloom of the pandemic, and we’ll be sure to keep the Dog Instagram Rich List updated, because you never know, there might be some rising stars who take the Instagram crown!”

Which dog breeds are most common on Instagram?

OK, this is all starting to sound pretty good, right? So it’s time to check out the competitors. How many dogs of your dog’s breed are currently on Instagram? This can spell a lot of competition–but it also shows there’s a lot of interest.

Comparison site CoCompare recently released a new report revealing the MOST popular dog breeds on Instagram! 

Analyzing hashtag data, GoCompare combined the top three hashtags for 50 common breeds. Where does your favorite breed score? 

The top 50 most popular dog breeds according to Instagram:

Rank	Dog breed	Combined Hashtag Total
1	Chihuahua	42,892,924
2	Pug	40,801,203
3	French Bulldog	38,434,239
4	Bulldog	36,763,615
5	Golden Retriever	35,868,256
6	Labrador Retriever	33,549,865
7	Siberian Husky	26,843,242
8	Dachshund	25,721,830
9	Poodle	22,680,467
10	Pomeranian	22,032,063
11	Boxer	21,076,734
12	Corgi	20,842,111
13	Border Collie	18,899,601
14	Beagle	18,864,207
15	Shih Tzu	18,837,626
16	Jack Russell Terrier	14,905,904
17	Boston Terrier	13,843,914
18	Maltese	12,949,996
19	Shiba Inu	12,709,439
20	Cocker Spaniel	11,309,393
21	Toy Poodle	11,002,900
22	Rottweiler	10,602,996
23	Great Dane	7,929,466
24	Yorkshire Terrier	7,873,586
25	Cockerapoo	7,515,181
26	Bull Terrier	6,898,088
27	Labradoodle	6,708,395
28	Italian Greyhound	6,279,417
29	Staffordshire Bull Terrier	5,397,236
30	Whippet	5,009,403
31	Bichon Frise	4,800,173
32	King Charles Spaniel	4,732,063
33	Weimaraner	4,571,231
34	Hungarian Vizsla	4,416,993
35	Shetland Sheepdog	4,399,052
36	Chow Chow	4,262,681
37	Dalmatian	4,033,796
38	Bernese Mountain Dog	3,784,786
39	Shar Pei	3,219,114
40	Newfoundland	3,112,623
41	Miniature Schnauzer	3,110,637
42	Springer Spaniel	3,069,589
43	Lhasa Apso	2,591,435
44	Border Terrier	2,342,065
45	German Shepherd	1,848,540
46	Saint Bernard	1,382,278
47	West Highland Terrier	1,283,480
48	Doberman	1,282,360
49	Bloodhound	811,674
50	Scotch Collie	598,939

All dogs are beautiful, but small dogs seem to have stolen the show gaining the most Instagram exposure. 

With a staggering 42.8 million posts on Instagram, Chihuahuas claim the crown for the most aesthetic dog breed.

The photogenic Pug comes in second with a HUGE 40.8 million tags. The third is the adorable French Bulldog comes with 38.4 million posts on the platform. 

Could your dog’s Instagram account pay off your mortgage?

While most of us would be happy if our dog’s Instagram account could pay for food and treats, many are thinking much bigger.

Honest Paws recently conducted a study to see how quickly the 50 of the highest-earning pets could pay off mortgages even in the increasingly unaffordable home prices of today–and the results were pretty inspiring!

Key findings:

• The average American mortgage is $192,781. Jiffpom, the number 1 pet influencer on Instagram, can pay that off in just seven posts – making an average of $27,153.00 per post.
• Other highest-paid pets are Nala Cat, Doug the Pug, Grumpy Cat, Lil Bub, and Tuna.
• Number 50 on the list, Boris the Chameleon, makes $334 per post.
• Juniper, the fox, is the highest-paid among pets that are not cats and dogs, with an average of $8,026.00 per post.
• In West Virginia, top-earning pets can pay off their mortgage in the shortest amount of time (27 posts).

Why are Companies Hiring Instagram Pets?

Interested in the rise of petfluencers, OnBuy Pets Supplies used Influencer Marketing Hub’s Instagram earnings calculator to learn more about top earners–but WHY are they in such demand?

10% of consumers said they were likely to purchase a product promoted by a famous pet face, compared with the 3% who would consider purchasing a product from a celebrity endorsement, according to Marketing Profs. 

The trend for online pet pages has been continuously increasing in popularity, gaining millions of likes and earning staggering salaries from brands who pay for sponsored posts. 

Brands such as Claire’s Accessories and LuminoCity have taken full advantage of this opportunity by creating deals with some of the biggest petfluencers of Instagram including Doug the Pug, Smoothie the Cat and White Coffee Cat.

Which Country Has the Most Insta-famous Pets?

Pets from the USA rank highest, with only three of the 15 pets living outside of the USA – Smoothie from the Netherlands, Maru from Japan and Maya from Germany.

Celebrity Dog Influencers

Instagram and TikTok have turned many dogs into celebrities–but what about the ones whose pet parents were celebrities to start with?

OnBuy Dog Beds scraped Instagram to find the follow count for other famous pets. They also used Influencer Marketing Hub, to find the calculated average estimated earnings per Instagram post for some of the biggest celebrities’ fluffy friends.

Top 10 Celebrity Pet Influencers:

Rank	Instagram username	Celebrity Owner(s)	Instagram Followers	Estimated average earnings per post ($)
1	@oskietheposkie	Justin & Hailey Bieber	867,808	$3,456.37
2	@mrs.maverick	Nina Dobrev	479,795	$1,914
3	@normieandbambijenner	Kylie Jenner	358,604	$1,434
4	@declanandfrankie	Emma Chamberlain	338,132	$1,363
5	@ginothegerman	Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra	292,610	$1,172
6	@thewibbles	Ed Sheeran	291,411	$1,170
7	@nachoflay	Bobby Flay	242,274	$1,007
8	@missasiaxoxo	Lady Gaga	226,302	$969
9	@ramenpairedwithpinot	Kaitlyn Bristowe & Jason Tartick	212,076	$850
10	@therealwacha	Andy Cohen	206,996	$830

• Justin and Hailey Bieber’s ‘Oskie’ claims the number one spot, with nearly 900,000 followers, with the potential to earn more than $3,000 per post. 
• In comparison, Nina Dobrev’s dog Maverick earns significantly less. With almost 50% fewer followers, Maverick can earn more than $2,000 per post.
• This post by @oskieandposkie features music by Ariana Grande (who is also tagged) which has over 1 million views as of 23rd November. 
• Kylie Jenner’s famous pooches Normie and Bambi are Greyhounds. One of the accounts most viewed posts features her mother Kris as well, garnering almost 800,000 views!

How to get Insta-worthy dog photos!

If you want your next photo to score some #dogsofinstagram fame, then the experts at tails.com have shared 10 tips for capturing the perfect puppy picture. 

1. Don’t Be Afraid To Bribe

Dogs are easily distracted, but if you’re a dog owner you know the best way to make sure all eyes are on you is by using treats. If you want your dog to look directly at the camera for their picture, don’t hesitate to use small treats (to make sure you don’t overfeed them!) to gain their attention. 

2. Smartphone Attachments

If you find that your hands are a bit too full to bribe with treats, or you’re trying to get a cute selfie of you and your dog – there are plenty of clever attachments for your smartphone on the market. Including the classic selfie sticks (we all made fun of them, but you can’t deny they come in handy) and specialized attachments that hold dog treats or a tennis ball. 

3. Get Them To Smile

If you want to capture your pup’s award-winning, cheeky grin – get them excited! Taking them for a quick 5 minute run around the garden or playing with their favorite toy is bound to get them smiling in no time. 

4. Take Lots Of Pictures 

Dogs can’t keep still, that’s a fact we all know as dog lovers. If you have an excitable puppy or a fussy dog, you might have to adjust your photography to them. Instead of trying to get them to sit and pose, follow them and take lots of pictures at once! You’re bound to get one (or ten) good ones.

5. Faster Shutter Speed

We believe that every dog owner should be able to capture amazing pictures of their dog, no matter what equipment you have – so we don’t want to get overly technical. However, if you happen to have a DSLR, a faster shutter speed will ensure you get the clearest, crisp images of your pooch in its natural state. 

6. Avoid Flash

Whilst using automatic flash when photographing your pet is still considered safe, it can still disorientate or scare your dog – especially if they’re naturally nervous. Using flash can also cause overexposure leading to flat photos.

7. Get Down To Their Level

If you want to work your dogs’ angles, get down on their level! Get down on one knee (or all fours) to take your dog’s photo from their height. Seeing eye-to-eye might even get them to stay still for a little longer. 

8. Know Your Pet

The best photos of your dog will always be when they’re doing what they love most – and you, more than anyone, will know what that is. Capture your dog’s personality, rather than your dog themselves. If your dog loves nothing more than lying in a comfy spot most of the day or couldn’t think of anything better than chasing a ball around a field, catch them then! 

9. Know Your Limits 

You know what your dog likes and dislikes, whilst those photos of dogs in fancy dress, sunglasses, or a woolly hat are adorable…if you know that your dog wouldn’t be up for getting dressed up – don’t do it. The best pictures will always be when your four-legged friend is at their most comfortable.

10. A Good Background Is Everything 

When capturing any kind of photo, a good background is one of the most important factors to take into consideration. If you want to capture your dog’s personality, take them to their favorite park or field if you’re after an outdoors shot. If you’re inside, surround them with some of their favorite toys or catch them in their most-loved spot – whether it be in their bed, or on the settee in front of the TV.

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