The first modern-day dog show took place in听June 1859 in Newcastle upon Tyne. Tacked on to the yearly cattle show, the attraction featured only sporting breeds like pointers and setters. By the end of the century, after dog-owning became more fashionable and owners developed a more intense desire to show off their beloved pets, dog shows would become a hugely popular pastime. The first Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show was held in New York City in 1977, followed two years later by the first National Dog Show in Philadelphia. These shows served to popularize certain breeds of dogs, like the wire fox retriever, the labrador retriever, and the golden retriever.
Today, dog shows aren't nearly as fashionable as they once were. Aside from a small group of devoted fans who religiously tune in, they're largely ignored in favor of more exciting sporting events. But that doesn't mean that the general public is any less infatuated with their four-legged friends; they've just switched platforms.
Instagram has become the go-to place for dog lovers. The social media platform is to 2019 what professional dog shows were to the late 1800s. Because of the personal nature of the platform, scrollers can 听 individual dogs rather than whole breeds. Some of these dogs have become so popular they've become "pet influencers," bringing in thousands of dollars creating content for brands and uploading sponsored posts.
爆料TV has rounded up 50 of these popular and well-known dog accounts. The accounts have been ranked by the total number of followers they had as of July 29, 2019 (ties were broken by the exact number of followers). From fluffy Pomeranians to elderly mutts, celebrity dogs, and pugs with extensive closets, these accounts are all worth a scroll, follow, and several likes.
Editor's note: Not all dogs pictured are the actual dogs from the听Instagram accounts highlighted in this slideshow.听
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- Number of Instagram followers: 13k
Corgis have long been famous as the favorite pooches of Queen Elizabeth II, but is helping to introduce听the Instagram generation to this听breed. Burrito, who has been on Instagram since he was a pup, can be found exploring Austin, Texas.听
[Pictured: dog of the same breed]听
- Number of Instagram followers: 14.8k
Dagger Cannonball Thunderfang () is听one of several Pomeranians on this list. Dagger, the "fur son" of听@jayzombie听and听@acarboni,听resides in the Los Angeles area.听
[Pictured: @dagger]听
- Number of Instagram followers: 15.3k
A cross between a Pomeranian and a husky is known as a Pomsky.听With all the handsomeness of a stately sled-dog packed into a pint-sized frame, Rufio Maximus Fauria听() has got swagger to burn: He is a serious world traveler who you can see posted up from Arizona mountaintops to the Bahamas.
[Pictured: dog of the same breed]听
- Number of Instagram followers: 18.5k
The account's namesake, Lilly,听a Pekingese-terrier mix with an incredibly expressive face, died at 15 years old on April 15, 2019. However,听 lives on with Lilly's siblings:听Malthe, a (mostly) hairless Chinese-crested dog, and Gustav,听a hairless sphynx cat.听
[Pictured: Dog of the same breed]听
- Number of Instagram followers: 19.3k
Lucielle Bull () is a pooch with more than enough personality to rock the bulldog underbite. She a big fan of headwear, especially party hats.
[Pictured: dog of the same breed]听
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- Number of Instagram followers: 19.4k
Hermes () is a striking long-haired Chihuahua who resides in Austria. Hermes' mom shares some beautiful shots of her prized pup, and stars alongside Hermes in many shots.
[Pictured: dog of the same breed]听
- Number of Instagram followers: 34.7k
This smiley, white fluffball is a Samoyed, a breed of large herding dog that was used as a sled-dog in Siberia for many years. , born May 10, 2013, spends time exploring the outdoors and being a big brother to a human baby.听
[Pictured: dog of the same breed]
- Number of Instagram followers: 71.8k
Two Berlin-based dogs听named Y艒ji Miyagi and Viktor are the subject of . These dogs are all-white whippets, often photographed on white backgrounds or in beautiful landscapes.
[Pictured: dog of the same breed]
- Number of Instagram followers: 80.9k
dog Bear () is her travel companion and after her shows. Bear was one of the dogs in competition for the iHeartRadio Music Award for cutest musician鈥檚 pet, which is decided by social voting.
[Pictured: dog of the same breed]
- Number of Instagram followers: 87.4k
The only pitbull听on the list is Chase, who apparently goes by Carl when he's acting particularly weird, which explains the account name:听. Chase calls听NYC and New Jersey home and keeps his foster siblings company while they wait for their own forever homes.听
[Pictured: dog of the same breed]
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- Number of Instagram followers: 90k
Few pups are more cuddly than this pair of corgis, Corgnelius and Stumphrey (). They look so much alike, it鈥檚 almost impossible for anyone but their puppy parents to tell them apart.听
[Pictured: @corgnelius]
- Number of Instagram followers: 113k
Litter-mates on 鈥淕ood Morning America" in late 2008. Today, the duo use their platform (), and their iconic red and green vests, to advocate for pug and dog adoption.听
[Pictured: @minniemaxpugs]
- Number of Instagram followers: 138k
No stranger to sweaters, turtlenecks, bowties, and denim jackets, Sprout () is a听Brussels griffon living in New York City. Sprout made an appearance at PetCon LA in June 2019 for a meet-and-greet.听听
[Pictured: dog of the same breed]
- Number of Instagram followers: 143k
Agador, aka the听鈥淏ob Ross of dogs,鈥� lives in New York City. This small poodle mix is often dapperly dressed听and photographed in humanlike poses.听Fans can also follow 's brother: .听
[Pictured: @poochofnyc]
- Number of Instagram followers: 147k
The "King of Dachshunds," Kingsley's Instagram account () has documented his everyday life from his puppy days to his new position as a big brother. His little sister, Molly Moo, a deaf double dapple, also makes frequent appearances on Kingsley's account. If Kingsley's near-daily posts aren't satisfying your itch for cuteness, you can pick up his series of three coffee table books:听"Sausage Dogs of the World" (5% of profits are donated to ).
[Pictured: @kingkingsley_]
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- Number of Instagram followers: 179k
Trotter鈥檚 humans Sonya and Zack aren鈥檛 afraid to dress her up in whatever thematic outfit comes to mind. The French bulldog ()听is often photographed听alongside her human sibling, Evelyn,听her French bulldog brother Winter.听
[Pictured: dog of the same breed]
- Number of Instagram followers: 229k
Two rescued pointers, Henry and Gus, are the听furry faces of听. The duo are photographed by听their human, Steph鈥攚ho is a professional photographer鈥攐ften alongside听their human sister, Olive.
[Pictured: @ifitwags]
- Number of Instagram followers: 232k
Winston鈥檚 bio identifies him as 鈥渢he unicorn of Corgis. Unicorgi.鈥� The all-white 7 year old corgi loves being outside and recently underwent tibial-plateau-leveling osteotomy听surgery on both legs to stabilize his joints. His human posts all of his rehab accomplishments on his Instagram account ().听
[Pictured: @winstonthewhitecorgi]
- Number of Instagram followers: 233k
Lady Gaga鈥檚 Frenchie Asia () was shared by Gaga and her ex-fianc茅 Taylor Kinney, but it seems that the singer now has full custody. This little Frenchie is by her mom, and loves to pose in fun hats and outfits for her Instagram following. She even has starred in a .
[Pictured: dog of the same breed]
- Number of Instagram followers: 250k
Digby and Alo () are Brussels griffon brothers who live听in Wellington, New Zealand. Brussels griffons have often been cited as in George Lucas' "Star Wars" franchise.听
[Pictured: dog of the same breed]
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- Number of Instagram followers: 255k
Samson () has more than doubled his Instagram followers since earning a feature in Town & Country magazine back in 2015. In July 2019, Samson's humans brought home two of his offspring, Charley and Shea,听to live with them.听
[Pictured: @samsonthedood]
- Number of Instagram followers: 255k
Dean (), a 5-year-old basset hound living in Toronto can often be found traveling, from adventures in Chicago to strolling on the Santa Monica Pier. Dean has been featured by听Time, Vice, Rolling Stone, Forbes, The Huffington Post, Glamour, and BuzzFeed.听
[Pictured: @deanthebasset]
- Number of Instagram followers: 283k
Sumo, a 6-year-old French bulldog, is the star of this family-run account, but his four adopted Frenchie siblings鈥擳onka, Ayumi, Mochi, and Zuko鈥攐ften make guest appearances. Catch these sweet siblings doing everything from the bottle cap challenge to playing Twister to showing off their best swimwear on one of Instagram鈥檚 silliest pet accounts ().
[Pictured: @3bulldogges]
- Number of Instagram followers: 288k
Stella () is an English lab with a big personality. She鈥檚 a听fan of eating apples and isn鈥檛 afraid to get rowdy in the snow; she is based in Maine, so she has听access to wintery precipitation.听
[Pictured: @dognamedstella]
- Number of Instagram followers: 291k
You can catch Aspen () hiking, camping, and kayaking with his owners, Hunter and Sarah, all over Colorado. The Golden retriever is an outdoor aficionado, and his photographer parents capture how much this good boy loves each and every season.
[Pictured: @aspenthemountainpup]
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- Number of Instagram followers: 305k
Older dogs tend to be overlooked in favor of younger, cuter puppies, but Susie鈥檚 Senior Dogs () is looking to change that. The 501(c)(3) organization uses their Instagram platform to bring attention to听older dogs who are in need of a home. The account has highlighted thousands of different dogs who are available for adoption. These cuties have large personalities, lots of love to give, and are certain to tug at your heartstrings.听
[Pictured: dog of the same breed]
- Number of Instagram followers: 340k
Muppet, Cheese, and Crumb () are sisters to the late, but legendary, @toastmeetsworld. The Cavalier King Charles spaniels are all puppy mill rescues, meaning they were once bred for profit. These days the ladies鈥� lives are much more joyful, but they remain fierce advocates for ending puppy mills and promoting rescues.
[Pictured: dog of the same breed]
- Number of Instagram followers: 341k
Tonkey and Max () are a sweet couple of partners in crime, but it鈥檚 Tonkey who steals the show here. Tonkey, a听bear-coat Shar Pei, has a soft, long coat, differing from most Shar Peis'听coarse, short coats.听
[Pictured: dog of the same breed]
- Number of Instagram followers: 377k
This Shiba Inu () takes his costume game to the next level, and more than 300,000 followers can鈥檛 get enough. You can catch this pooch rocking hipster shades or a denim jacket鈥攜ou鈥檒l just rarely catch him looking like, well, a dog.
[Pictured: dog of the same breed]
- Number of Instagram followers: 421k
The Kardashian-Jenners are known for their many pets, but Insta-famous Norman and Bambi Jenner (), owned by Kylie Jenner, are the most famous dogs in the household. The pair听had pups, making Jenner听a grandmother to a rambunctious family.
[Pictured: dog of the same breed]
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- Number of Instagram followers: 462k
If you鈥檙e in Seattle, keep an eye out for this handsome French bulldog (). Barkley is a big brother to his little human sister, and is often photographed alongside her and her toys.听
[Pictured: dog of the same breed]
- Number of Instagram followers: 593k
Featuring not one, not two, but six dogs .听Boo, a famously fluffy Pomeranian often dubbed 鈥渢he world鈥檚 cutest dog,鈥� was the star of the show until his passing in early 2019. These days his siblings鈥擝uddy, Bluebeary Pie, Benny, Baby Girl, and Bean鈥攕tar alongside their adorable human siblings in these curated shots of everyday life.
[Pictured: dog of the same breed]
- Number of Instagram followers: 640k
Photographer Andrew Knapp () travels the world with his furry friend, Momo, and chronicles their adventures on this account. You can see Andrew and Momo everywhere from Madrid to Vancouver. The best pics are the #findmomo ones, where you locate the sweet border collie hidden in landscapes.
[Pictured: dog of the same breed]
- Number of Instagram followers: 714k
You get three dogs鈥攁nd a hamster, Ham鈥攆or the price of one with this听account. Loki, Bear, and Momo (), have some seriously photogenic chemistry. While Loki lived with his owners all his life, Bear and Momo were adopted. Momo was actually one of many foster dogs. Superfans of this account can buy .
[Pictured: dog of the same breed]
- Number of Instagram followers: 806k
The 3-pound mixed breed was the only puppy in his litter and, after he had been adopted, was trained by his human to serve as a therapy dog. Norbert () makes regular appearances at the Children's Hospital Los Angeles, has his own children's book, "Norbert: What Can Little Me Do?" and a life-sized plush toy modeled after him. The tiny dog has even made dozens of television appearances and been profiled by the likes of Time and People magazine.
[Pictured: @norbertthedog]
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- Number of Instagram followers: 828k
Golden retriever brothers ()听Watson and Kiko . Watson was adopted as a puppy and has lived his whole life with his owner, Jenny, while older brother Kiko only joined the family a few years ago. Kiko suffers from anxiety and has often leaned on Watson for support and confidence. It鈥檚 a bond that鈥檚 only deepened since Kiko was diagnosed with cancer and lost one of his front legs.听
[Pictured: dog of the same breed]
- Number of Instagram followers: 1.1m
"Philanthro-pup"听听is the face of , a 501(c)(3) based in Chicago. The organization was created to help both animal and human causes, such as raising funds for animal shelters in need of support.听
[Pictured: dog of the same breed]
- Number of Instagram followers: 1.3m
Head over to this account () for some professional shots of a听redtick coonhound named Maddie and her humans. From Yosemite to the mountains of Colorado, this pup is an adventuresome spirit.
[Pictured: dog of the same breed]
- Number of Instagram followers: 1.3m
A rescue听mutt Henry and his rescue听cat sister, Baloo, have forged a deep bond and love hiking, camping, and paddleboarding with owners, Cynthia and Andre. Follow this account () for some听awe-inspiring travel pics.
[Pictured: dog of the same breed]
- Number of Instagram followers: 1.7m
Harlow and Sage () have turned into Harlow, Sage, Indiana, Reese, and Ezra. Harlow is a听silver weimaraner with wide, inquisitive eyes. She's the big dog in this crew, often filling the role of pillow or big spoon for her smaller siblings.
[Pictured: dog of the same breed]
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- Number of Instagram followers: 1.8m
The Instagram account for the Samoyed听Maya听() features videos that highlight her most human traits, best talents, and innermost thoughts. Maya also has an , where she is the star of听ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) videos, aka "MayASMR."听
[Pictured: @mayapolarbear]
- Number of Instagram followers: 1.9m
At 17听years old, Marnie () is one of the most senior dogs you鈥檒l see on this list, but she鈥檚 got all the spunk in the world. She鈥檚 a scruffy听Shih Tzu, whose tongue is always hanging out, and who occasionally takes photos with celebs like Demi Moore and Bob Saget.
[Pictured: dog of the same breed]
- Number of Instagram followers: 2m
While social media star Jake Paul鈥檚 Instagram account听for his two puppy pals, Lil鈥� Moo and Thor, only has 80 posts, it has well over 2 million followers. The account () features artsy shots of the puppies alongside YouTube royalty like Tana Mongeau and Logan Paul. Controversially, the account still features pictures of Apollo, a Belgian Malinois the YouTuber gave up after admitting he couldn鈥檛 care for it properly.
[Pictured: dog of the same breed]
- Number of Instagram followers: 2m
Loki () is a husky, Arctic wolf, and Malamute mix. He travels regularly with his outdoorsman owner, and his account is filled with striking professional shots.
[Pictured: dog of a similar breed]
- Number of Instagram followers: 2.1m
Tuna () is not short on personality. His face evokes images of the saber-toothed squirrel, Scrat, from "Ice Age," complete with a significant overbite. Tuna is a Chiweenie, a Chihuahua-dachshund mix.听
[Pictured: dog of the same breed]
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- Number of Instagram followers: 2.2m
Carmel the bulldog () is posed听in everything from hard hats to boxing gloves to ponchos and a sombero.听Residing in Russia, the Sony Mobile Ambassador听Carmel lives with her human, who is a professional photographer.
[Pictured: dog of the same breed]
- Number of Instagram followers: 2.5m
Maru the Shiba Inu () is famous on both sides of the Pacific. Based out of the Bunky艒 suburb of Tokyo, Maru is famous for his perpetual smiles and interspecies friendships.
[Pictured: dog of the same breed]
- Number of Instagram followers: 3.2m
Logan Paul鈥檚 dog, King Broley Blue, made his Instagram debut in April 2019. His account, , is actually a continuation of the one that belonged to Paul鈥檚 late pooch, Kong Da Savage. Broley Blue, an 鈥渆xotic Husky,鈥� , who showed up at Paul鈥檚 house with the puppy unannounced.
[Pictured: dog of the same breed]
- Number of Instagram followers: 3.8m
Doug () is a willing subject rocking hats, jackets, and even tiaras for the right photo op or video. Doug,听the star of many听pop culture spoof videos,听such as "Stranger Pugs" and "Pug Story," was even invited to the CMT Music Awards in June 2019.听听
[Pictured: @itsdougthepug]
- Number of Instagram followers: 9.2m
Jiffpom听the Pomeranian听() has her very own toy line, Cutelife, which are available at Walmart and other retailers. Jiffpom is the most famous pup on social media, with more than 30 million followers across multiple channels.听
[Pictured: @jiffpom]
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