Instagram dogs taking the lead

THESE Instagram stars may not have as many followers as the Kardashians, but they’re fast becoming Tasmania’s cutest and most-followed fourlegged celebrities.

Freddie and Bandaid both have upwards of 2000 followers on their Instagram accounts.

Bandaid’s owner James Erbacher, from Summer Hill, said he coincidentally started taking his beloved pet to the same doggie daycare as Freddie, whom he initially recognised from Instagram fame.

Soon he was told by staff that Freddie and Bandaid had become the best of friends.

He said the pair became inseparable,

IT WAS PRETTY FUNNY BECAUSE SOMEONE ACTUALLY CAME UP TO ME AT THE DOG PARK AND ASKED, ‘IS THAT FREDDIE FROM INSTAGRAM?’

DOG OWNER HOLLY CORBETT

prompting him to connect with Freddie’s owner Holly Corbett, from South Launceston, with whom he is now friends. Ms Corbett said her Instagram famous cavoodle boosted her mental and physical health, and her social life. “There are lots of cavoodle playdates at Wobbly Boot Vineyard,” she said.

“There’s a whole social component for the adult that is really lovely. I really connect with people who can show compassion for animals.”

She said she had Freddie trained as a therapy dog for nursing homes and schools due to his fun and warm nature, but never dreamt that her hobby of taking photos of the loveable dog would gain thousands of followers.

“It was pretty funny because someone actually came up to me at the dog park and asked, ‘is that Freddie from Instagram?’,” she said.

“It was very bizarre.”

She said her favourite fourlegged “menace” also benefited from his Instagram fame. “I put a lot of thought into making sure we go to different places for photographs, so it’s enriching for him to go to new places, smell new things and meet new people.”

Mr Erbacher said his “spoiled only child” was the ultimate lapdog.

He said he bought Bandaid the cavalier after growing up with two of the dogs as a child and “missing that feeling of having a loving animal”.

He said his dog’s high number of followers was “kind of exciting”, but his real joy was posting photos of Bandaid’s “cute face”.

The dogs can be followed on @Freddie_the_therapy_cavoodle and @bandaid_the_cavalier