Dogs, humans’ best friends, are known for their boundless, unconditional love. And cuteness, of course. This makes pupper videos some of the mostsearched on the internet. Several studies have shown watching cute dog videos can lower stress levels and improve one’s mood.
Kerala, too, is now witnessing the rise of ‘celebrity’ doggos and paw-parents who have a considerable fan-following.
TNIE reporter Swathy Lekshmi Vikram meets some of them.
Bubblu
Home: Kochi
My fanbase: 23.9K followers
What I eat: Eggs, curd rice, chicken, veggies, and fruits
Benny Joseph, his wife Tiny, and their two daughters, Sona and Anu, recently welcomed a new member into their family. Lovingly called Bubblu, this creamy little Dachshund is a stress buster for anyone who meets him, in person or online.
In two months, Bubblu has emerged as a ‘new-gen’ star on social media. Anu, a nursing student, uploads the pupper’s videos almost on a daily basis. “Many visitors come home to see him. Some bring him gifts,” she says.
Tiny chips in: “Though vigilant and protective, Bubblu is very friendly with everyone.” Sometimes she would lovingly call him “Inku”.
Benny mentions that Bubblu is particular about keeping his toys tidy. “He would pick up the toys and drop them in his box after playtime.”
Hailing from Idukki, Benny has raised dogs before, including a German Shepherd who accompanied him to the fields in his hometown.
The family says Bubblu recently got an Instagram message from someone who had been bedridden after an accident. “The message said that watching Bubblu’s videos helped him overcome depression and kept him going,” says Anu.
Insta: @bubblu_the_sausage
Puppykuttan & Amban
Home: Pala
Our fanbase: 103K followers
What we eat in a day: Anything that our mom cooks
Linu Shajan, from Pala, has two cats and five dogs, among which Puppykuttan and Amban have gone viral. Puppykuttan is a Spitz-Indie cross, while Amban is an Indie cat. The videos where Puppykuttan gets chased by Amban are hugely popular.
Linu began creating social media content during the pandemic, starting with training videos featuring Puppykuttan.
“My sister’s child is here, and the pets are very close to her. The positive vibes from these videos have drawn an overwhelming number of followers. Many people come to visit them,” says Linu.
Check out Puppykuttan & Amban on Instagram: @linudailytips
Unleashing love
Wayanad resident Renju T K, who boasts a fanbase of 155k followers on Instagram, is popular for his friendly chit-chat with aggressive dogs. No matter how aggressive they are, after a brief interaction, Renju would take them out on a walk. Some turn friendly and cuddly, after all that initial snarling.
“Initially, I ran a pet shop and made promotional videos, uploading them on my YouTube channel,” he says. “I decided to create something unique, focusing on aggressive dogs. In 2016, I went to a house to pick up some puppies. There, I bonded with the mother dog, which was initially extremely aggressive. Seeing her warming up to me, the woman of the house asked me to leave, alleging that I had cast a spell on her dog!”
That incident prompted Renju to befriend dogs perceived to be aggressive. “At that time, a customer told me that his Spitz was aggressive,” he recalls. “But the dog became friendly with me. That was my first video.”
Renju, who travels across Kerala for his shoots, says he doesn’t edit the videos. “I show the entire process of making the dog friendly,” he adds. “I have bonded with about 90 aggressive dogs; so far, only four have bitten me. I revisit some of the dogs just to renew the friendship.”
Renju, who has taken pre-exposure rabies vaccine shots, adds that nowadays some pet parents call him over to help calm their dogs. “Some people challenge me to befriend their dogs as well,” he says.
Keeping the dog caged for long, trauma, and abuse are some of the common causes of dogs turning aggressive, he adds. At home, Renju has a German Shepherd and also the viral indie mommy dog of Chooralmala, whom he rescued from the landslide spot.
Insta: @leash_talks
Leo & Laika
Home: Kollam
Our fanbase: 14.6K followers
What we eat: chicken & fish
Leo and Laika have taken over a legacy from Chottu, a German shepherd who used to be a social media darling. Chottu would follow his family everywhere. The video where his dad Dileep Kumar acts like he’s firing a gun and says “Dishoom”, and Chottu plays dead, made them viral. Sadly, Chottu died in an accident.
Leo is a German Shepherd, too, and Laika, a Belgian Malinois. “As farmers, we’ve always had pets. Chottu was loved by many. We decided to continue the tradition with Leo and Laika as well. My son manages the page, which is still in Chottu’s name,” says Dileep.
Recently, they uploaded a video in which Leo and Laika rush to the ‘rescue’ of the pet-mother as Dileep pretends to yell at her.
The doggos are friendly, and get snuggly with visitors once they have warmed up to them. “Many come to see Leo and Laika,” says Dileep.
Insta: @thechottuzvlog
Oliver
Home: Sulthan Bathery
My fanbase: 7K followers
What I eat in a day: Chicken/beef
Oliver, a golden retriever, loves to pose for videos, which are shot mostly over weekends. Her pet parents Nakul Anand and Aswini K C, who are lawyers, manage his Instagram page. “His friendly demeanour and gentle nature make him a favourite among everyone he meets,” they say.
“We recently had a baby. But Oliver is like our first child. He continues to sleep with us,” Nakul smiles. “Videos featuring him with the baby have become quite popular. The neighbourhood children also often visit to play with Oliver.”
Insta: @oliver_the_retriver
‘Karumban’ – The dog rescuer
Thrissur resident Dijil K Denny takes care of 15 dogs, including five native breeds, most of which were adopted or rescued. Dijil says he is building a shelter for the dogs, as his house cannot accommodate all of them.
Dijil, who has had dogs since childhood, started uploading videos two years ago. “I started rescuing dogs out of passion, and seeing their helplessness. These are innocent creatures who know only to love,” he says.
People frequently visit his place to see and pet the dogs, he adds. “Many find dog videos to be a stress-buster,” says Dijil, whose Insta page has crossed 110K followers.
“Some regulars have told me that they watch my videos when they feel low, and watching the dogs lifts their spirits. That’s what motivates me to upload the videos.”
Insta: @____karumban___
Simba & Kunjipennu
Home: Kollam
Our fanbase: 150K followers
What we eat in a day: Chicken, dog food, curd, & fruits
A computer engineer by profession, Rajesh M P is now known for his love for pets and his star dogs, Simba and Kunjipennu. Rajesh uploads videos of Simba, a Siberian Husky, and Kunjipennu, a Pomeranian crossbreed puppy, as if they were characters in a story.
While young boys are fond of Simba, Kunjipennu is a favourite among women, especially mothers. “Many women comment on Instagram that Kunjipennu reminds them of the puppies they had in their childhood,” says Rajesh.
The name Simba was suggested by some of his Insta followers, he adds. “They said it’s a dog’s name from a Vijay movie,” laughs Rajesh, who facilitates free adoption services across Kerala.
Insta: @rarehappyvibes
Shadow
Home: Thiruvananthapuram
My fanbase: 22.4K followers
What I eat in a day: I am a picky pup
The page ‘Anjali’s Vlogs’ is not about Anjali R, but about her beloved 1.5-year-old indie, Shadow.
“It’s been a year since I started uploading videos. Even now, I’m getting questions about whether he’s an indie or some crossbreed,” she says. Though Anjali started the page for her daily life updates, Shadow took the spotlight with his “expressions”. Now, Anjali always carries her phone with her to capture them. “He is a natural star – and is very spontaneous,” she says.
Besides Shadow, she also has a German Shepherd named Leo, who is not very fond of videos or posing. Recently, Anjali took a small break from Instagram, and her inbox was bombarded with concerns about Shadow. “They clearly love him more than me,” she laughs. “And that actually makes me happy.” Anjali adds that many of Shadow’s fans have been requesting her to arrange a meet-up. “Shadow would give a paw-five to that,” she smiles.
Insta: @anjalis_vlogs