The Dogist

Issue #22

September 5th, 2023

Quick Hits:

• Dog found in stolen car gets adopted by police officer

• Science suggests you should talk to your dog like a baby waby

• Dude, just throw the ball already!

• Vaccine Skepticism - Dog Edition

• Guinea Pig Heaven

If you love dogs (who doesn’t?) you will definitely recognize this massive social media brand - The Dogist. Armed with a squeaky toy, camera, and knee pads, the photographer behind the social media sensation walks the streets of NYC for hours every day photographing dogs (and sometimes owners) and capturing their unique personalities.

But who is the photographer behind the massive 5.4 million followers Instagram account and how did he become so incredibly successful?

Elias Weiss Friedman grew up outside Philadelphia with his family and Labrador retrievers Ruby and Matilda. His father had a dark room in the house, and Elias started getting into it as well around the age of 10. Being a shy kid, his dogs were an “easy” subject that he could approach and shoot.

After graduating from Boston University, Friedman worked for a marketing and branding agency in New York. Unfortunately, in 2012, he was let go from his job. As with most success stories, this was the catalyst for his success and he managed to turn a negative into a positive.

Initially, he started a web comedy series with his buddy called “Barking at Dogs” where they “interviewed” people’s dogs and then later added subtitles of what they were saying. He was having a blast but, he realized he needed something to capture people’s attention daily, and creating full episodes on YouTube took up too much time.

At the time “Humans of New York” was really becoming popular, he had the idea of “What if I do this but for dogs?” So, In October 2013, he started his blog post. Fast forward a decade later and Elias has photographed over 50,000 dogs to date.

If you are a New Yorker you’ve probably seen Elias as he tends to roam the streets for hours each day seeking the best subjects with the most exciting/interesting stories. Nowadays, when he offers to shoot people’s dogs everyone is excited, but this wasn’t always the case.

His first subject was a French Bulldog in Williamsburg. Unlike what most people think, he didn’t find it scary or a hurdle to approach strangers on the street and ask them those five magic words -

“Can I photograph your dog”?

He realized that his competitive advantage was that he took this thing that was perhaps seen as “not serious”, seriously. He knew that if he was consistent and took good photos he would be successful. It was equally important to tell a compelling with every image, especially photographing dogs. Dogs are egoless and do not express themselves differently in front of a camera which is why they make for such captivating subjects.

When asked the question did you think this would be a success?

His answer is short & sweet - “Yes”

His bet on himself took a bit of time but within a year he started to see some returns. Within the first year, he started making some money when a few brands reached out to him. After that, he started to attract the attention of some major publications who were covering him and even filming short documentaries about him. Within two years of launching The Dogist, he had amassed over one million followers on Instagram.

The rest was history - doors started to open up, more opportunities came his way, and he became synonymous with dog photography. Elias was uniquely positioned to capitalize on the upcoming growth with the same mission in mind: “out on the streets every day, camera in hand, knee pads on, shooting the best dog pics he could”.

Since he launched back in 2013, he has achieved:

• Massive social media following (5.4M on Instagram)

• Two books - The New York Times bestseller The Dogist and The Dogist Puppies

• Hired a team of five full-time staff

• Larger partnerships with advertisers

• Been on countless major publications, documentaries, news shows

• In 2022 he was invited to the White House to photograph President Biden and his German Shepherd

His advice for other photographers:

“Focus on execution, everyone’s got great ideas but until you get there, and try and fail youre not really doing anything, so get out there”

Recently, he assumed the role of a mentor for the day working with the Make-A-Wish Foundation helping Zoey Henry, 11, fulfill her wish of capturing images of dogs.

To top things up, Elias is not just a shrewd operator, but a good person altogether - A few years ago, he decided to add a philanthropic arm: The Dogist Fund. The fund helps worldwide nonprofits rescue and rehabilitate dogs through donations, merchandise sales, and volunteer opportunities.

His self-belief combined with his willingness to work hard, be persistent, and take this seemingly “unserious thing” very seriously was the exact recipe that was needed for his success story.

• Wag wants to be a one-stop shop for pet parents - Listen to this recent interview with Wag’s CEO Garrett Smallwood.

• Big raise across the pond - Butternut Box, a UK-based startup is raising $354 million in a round of funding from General Atlantic and L Catterton.

• A match made in double-digit growth heaven - Pet Supplies and Wag N’ Wash are primed for continuous growth with a turnkey franchise opportunity.

• China’s Gen Z love pets - And the market is listening.

• Cat parents rejoice - The world's first automatic litter refilling smart litter box is hitting the market.

• Televet is now Otto - With $43M in fresh funding, Otto aims to help vet teams by freeing up to eight hours each week.

• Chewy prepares for Canada launch - Having announced quarterly earnings, Chewy now sets its sights on the Canadian market.

PAWS right there!!! Don’t forget to subscribe 👇👇

• Cargill goes Latin - With a fresh new look, Cargill wants to re-enter the Latin American market.

• Human Grade Jerky - Migos, unveiled a new line of dog treats at SUPERZOO 2023.

• From (rabbit) farm to table - This indigenous woman-run pet food company is at the forefront of sustainability.

• Consumers want “natural” - 79% of US pet food purchasers are willing to pay more for healthier pet food products.

• On pace to 5.5 million - McLovin's Pet Food noted an upswing in revenue through its collaboration with retail chain Trader Joe's.

• Vegan dog food - The Pack launched a nutritionally complete, oven-baked dried dog food made from peanut butter and sweet potato.

• A new kind of online pet store - This Etsy store is focused on the little guys - Rabbits, Hamsters, Chinchillas, Guinea Pig, and others.

• Corgi wins at Pet Show - A male Pembroke Welsh Corgi recently won a world title at the World Dog Show 2023.

• Meet the newest resident - This mischievous pup escaped from the animal shelter only to find his home at a nursing home.

• Dog Euthanasia rates by state - This map shows euthanasia rates for dogs in shelters, which in 2023 have reached a 3-year high.

• Home Depot just got an upgrade - This cat who happens to be a TikTok star calls Home Dept home. No, we’re not kitten…

• Your dog actually understands you - No, youre not wrong, your dog really does understand you.

• In last week's post, we covered the story of Josh's Frogs founders, and how he built a world-class business. The Pet Industry is wide - there is plenty of room outside of the more traditional segments.

• The reptile segment is quite interesting. The data suggests that each household has on average 2 reptiles. We think this presents a tremendous opportunity for upselling your product, and not just a one-time transaction.

• The variety of reptiles being sold In Europe In staggering, can you create a following around a specific type of reptile? Niche audiences are loyal, active, and have a propensity to pay.

You reached the end, you deserve a treat 🍖

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Finally, What happens when a frog’s car breaks down?

It gets toad.

See you next week!

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