A canine of influence
Yes … you can call him The Dude. Photo courtesy Ryan Brinkman
by Marsha Chartrand
The name just seemed to come to him naturally, says his owner.
“My last dog was Buddy, and that was a pretty routine name for a dog,” Ryan Brinkman explained. “So when I got him as a pup, I wanted something that wasn’t so common. Someone suggested ‘Dude,’ and it seemed to suit him.”
The Dude is now 3.5 years old; in July 2022 he and Ryan made a trip to Maine together. Ryan had recently started an Instagram account, “Adventures_of_the_Dude,” but he rarely posted on it. But he figured it would be a good way to keep family and friends informed about their progress on their journey. They left on their trip with about 40 followers and much to his surprise, returned with almost a thousand.
“And then we just kept gaining followers from there,” he said.
By last week, Ryan and The Dude had reached a level of popularity — micro-influencer (10,000 – 100,000 followers) that Instagram considers significant enough to engage with potential brand sponsorships to gain an income from posts and product endorsements. Which is all well and good, but Ryan believes there is something even more important going on here.
“It’s really kind of rewarding — knowing that he brings a smile to so many people, that we’re sharing so much joy," he says. “His personality is just geared to this. He loves the camera; he loves people. He’s good around other animals. This just works for him.”
Ryan also enjoys being able to promote pet-friendly places around Michigan and beyond. This summer he took an extended trip across the Upper Peninsula and found plenty of spots where the Dude was welcomed, including the Mackinac Island ferry, a carriage ride on the island, the riverboat at Tahquamenon Falls, and lots more. The fodder for the Dude’s Instagram account was excellent and his followers continued to grow like crazy.
“People love to bring their dogs with them when they travel. I feel like The Dude and I can lead the way and let them know where their dogs will be welcomed; give them more ideas of places they can visit; and promote those places around our state.”
Ryan now has a new, high-quality camera instead of just relying on his phone for photos and videos, and he’s working with a laptop that has some great editing software in hopes of coming up with some videos that might go viral and take the following even higher.
In December, the duo plans to head south and will investigate the opportunities in Hot Springs, Ark., and New Orleans, along with other sights along the way.
And, yes … there probably will be ice cream involved. If you already follow The Dude, you’ll know that Ryan has been making healthy homemade dog “ice cream” for him every time they reach another 1,000 followers. He doesn’t want it to get too old, so he is probably going to have to come up with a new idea (not to mention new levels of achievement), but it’s a pretty safe bet that The Dude will cooperate with whatever his dad decides.
After all, he’s easy. He’s The Dude.
Follow him on Instagram @adventures_of_the_dude_
The Dude loves to travel to sandy beaches and state or national parks. Photo courtesy of Ryan Brinkman.
A good game of fetch is always high on the list of The Dude’s favorite activities — especially when water is involved. Photo courtesy of Ryan Brinkman.
A trip to Niagara Falls gave The Dude a great photo op with a rainbow in the background. He loves the camera! Photo courtesy of Ryan Brinkman.
A ride in the car with Dad always means The Dude gets to stick his head out of the sunroof. Photo by Marsha Chartrand.
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