Dogs ‘influencers’ in Bilbao: Dogs with fans? This is how the new ‘influencers’ who walk around Bilbao are
Gone are the human accounts. As has already happened in other countries, the first canine profiles are now appearing in our city. Its protagonists, the undisputed kings, appear in magazines and even have fans with whom they are photographed
The life of an ‘influencer’ is more hectic and complex than we can imagine. Although in front of the gallery they appear smiling and with apparently perfect lives, the days of bloggers can be exhausting, since they are full of trips, dinners, promotions, events, photo sessions, interacting with the ‘followers’… Everything, everyone the days. They have us hooked on their recommendations, plans, and even pregnancy firsts, and the truth is that they spent more hours than we should consuming this type of information. But this is no longer a field limited only to people, because, as unlikely as it may seem, the dog universe has taken giant steps in this regard. His ‘voice’ and presence is becoming more normal on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Today we dare to talk about super star dogs spread all over the planet. Gone are the years 2000, when Paris Hilton walked through the Big Apple with her chihuahua safely inside his Chanel bag. The new urbanite dogs go together with their owners, publish books, appear in magazines, take out fashion collections, take photos with their fans and have gone from skimming the ground to being sheltered in baby carriages.
Tacha, the ‘influencer’ dog of the interior designer Natalia Zubizarreta.
A month ago, some statistics of the town were published in this medium that were overwhelming and, at the same time, quite illuminating for the future. Getting hold of a ‘perrete’ and making him our life partner far outweighed the simple fact of having a child. It is true that dogs have always coexisted harmoniously in our homes -each one chooses what prominence and attention to give them-, but the general feeling is that these animals have ‘promoted’ particularly in category. Precisely, the accounts of Bilbao dogs begin to flourish strongly in the town. dogs that usually give you the eye in the street have decided their adventures and days in their shared social networks. And although it may seem strange because there are not many yet, they are gaining more and more impact thanks to their adorable publications.
Aitana’s life, known for participating and reaching the final of the seventh edition of ‘MasterChef’, turned around in July this summer when her husband Álvaro gave her a dog for her anniversary. «She had been dreaming of having a puppy for many years. The day we met Bimba and introduced her to the family was quite an adventure, because we got up at 5 in the morning and I, completely deceived, expected that I was going on a trip to Port Aventura”, he laughs with amusement. The fate of her faithful companion, a 7-month-old Australian Cobberdog, was of course to cross her path, since she is the right breed to take care of her son Nico, who suffers from a rare disease. “Her docile character of her, how affectionate of her she is of her, seeing how she helps her… She has changed our lives with her,” the cook clarifies proudly, who enjoys her a lot watching her innocently interact with the television.
In the same way, Anubis and Izahr have ended up sweetening and saving the life of Juan Carlos Salazar Herrero, from Portugalete. “Before he took seven pills and now I only take one,” he says. It was in January of last year that he had to adopt his first Afghan greyhound, an impressive breed that is very rare in our territory. «Izahr, on the other hand, was a gift from Tania, from the Tartangala clinic in Asturias. We went looking for her this summer », he explains, still moved and grateful that they suddenly appeared and chose him. Male and female understand each other perfectly, and their walks along the quay of the estuary are already famous. “We can spend two or three hours walking, in the end many people come to take photos because it is a real spectacle to see them together, a beauty”, he points out. Eaters and patients, their kindness with children and the elderly stands out.
Anubis and Izahr
Natalia Zubizarreta, renowned interior designer and decorator from Bilbao, also longed for a furry companion, specifically, a giant dachshund. But, in reality, she didn’t even know if that existed. After an exhausting Google search, she finally came across a curious little dog up for adoption “with matted golden hair, long ears and a pink muzzle.” She immediately felt that it was her, her dear Tacha, who had been abandoned to her fate because she was not fit for boar hunting. This griffon griffon from brittany arrived when she was one year old and has already been with her owner for six years, which affects her fun and special character. «She has a ritual in the morning, and that is that she goes by the table of all the members of the office to greet us. She is very funny to us because she does not have conflicts with anyone, although she sometimes goes to the ball with her », she adds, being creative. The dog is already famous, because she has posed for the best projects and appeared in the most important decoration magazines in the country. In fact, she soon changed into the image of the Getxo area for the Basque Tour’s ‘Bizkaia with a dog’ guide.
Tacha, used to appearing in interior design magazines.
These Biscayan stars are sure to take a canine celebrity as an example: the chihuahua ‘Lou the Chichi’, with almost two million followers on TikTok. His newly released love affair with another chihuahua named Cedric is priceless. Their romantic dates having a glass of wine by candlelight will make you laugh out loud. And what about his trip to Paris to place a padlock on the bridge and seal his eternal love. When it comes to fashion, the Chihuahua is way ahead of him, but little ‘Doug the Poug’ is even more famous on his social media and across America. This dog not only presents books and kindly greets his fans at events, but also has a collection of ‘merchandising’ that includes watches, t-shirts, calendars, caps, stickers and many more things that one cannot imagine. And you will say, but what do these special dogs have to attract the interest of so many people, large companies and magazines as important as Vogue magazine? We find the answer in his funny ‘reels’, the fun poses, the careful photographs and the colorful outfits. What’s more, the former has –although it sounds like a movie– its own clothing line and wardrobe: Lou’s Closet. His motto: “style is a way to say who you are without having to bark.”
When it comes to canine fashion, we don’t just see the classic raincoats, those that save us from spending a long time drying and combing our ‘friends’. We are talking about more elaborate garments -and made with very rich fabrics such as cotton and wool- such as polo shirts, t-shirts and wool sweaters that can cost a whopping 400 euros. Recognized giants of the fashion industry, such as H&M, Ralph Lauren and Gucci, have managed to capture this new market niche: customers who, without a doubt, want to fill their pets with the latest news and trends. These new dog celebrities can have it all if their owner scours the internet right, from items like the newest toilets, wellies and cold weather boots, vegan cosmetics and grooming products to costumes for any themed party or event.
In this changing new world, this ‘humanization’ of dogs is still a complicated phenomenon to understand, but no less noticeable for that. The behavior of their owners, all of them grateful for their infinite love, loyalty and company who – if you have a dog will understand what we are talking about – represents a change in the conception we have of our pets, family and consumption. The concrete reality is that this type of content has become a barbaric hook. Dog videos are already winning over people’s videos, and that is precisely why they are in the spotlight, because they have a very high market value. Readers, the future is today, and sometimes it’s scary.