Instagram’s Cutest #DogMom Bonds
Your life and home is filled with drool and fur. Mornings and evenings are spent on long walks and carrying smelly poo bags. In return, you get lots of licks and cuddles. Welcome to the world of a dog mom.
Earlier, "crazy dog lady" used to be considered an insult. Today’s dog moms are proudly embracing that status, sharing every bit of their fur baby’s life on social media. They wear matching clothes, pamper them with everything from organic dog food to electronic leashes, and take lots of gorgeous photos and selfies together. And the pooches? Well, they’re living their best lives — getting treats and snuggles at home, and going on trips and explorations outside.
Here are Instagram’s most popular dog moms who are all giving us a serious taste of dog-parenting #LifeGoals.
Hillary (Duff) and Her Dog Family
Hilary Duff is a dog lover and has had many dogs over the years. Now, she’s momma to senior dog, Lucy (adopted earlier this year after her older dog Dubois passed away); the chug (pug Chihuahua mix) Momo; golden retriever Izzy; and Yorkshire terrier Jack. Momo and Lucy were both adopted from the non-profit Love Leo Rescues.
Momo is the naughty one; Lucy loves strolls and snuggling in bed; Jack accompanies Duff on outings; and Izzy loves kisses. Duff shares fun videos of scratching the dogs and of her “team of detectives.” She doesn’t mind if people question her about kissing her doggo on the lips because, after all, they’re all her (fur) babies. The dogs live with her and don’t mind sharing her with Duff’s son, Luca, and the new baby Banks.
Sara and Ginger
Sara Ortin León is a full-time nomad, traveling the world in her campervan with her rescued Zambian dog, Ginger. The two first met in 2015 when León spent a year at a sanctuary in Zambia researching chimpanzees. León left after a year and didn’t think it was fair to take an African wild dog back with her. But, something pulled her back. She bought a one-way ticket to Zambia and managed to hunt down and rescue Ginger from working as a security dog. León rented a campervan, and set out to explore Africa (Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Malawi) with her baby.
Now, the two are inseparable and seek out adventures together. Ginger loves paddle boarding, enjoys the snow, chasing the Northern Lights, hiking in the African bush and camping. She makes sure she is always by her mother’s side, keeping her calm in the wild, being her companion when recuperating from malaria and even helping her plan trips.
Tori with Lucy and Burt
Tori Mistick is a Pittsburgh-based fashion obsessed #dogmom to chocolate lab, Lucy. The two of them own a site, Wear Wag Repeat, where they share fashion posts, reviews of doggie-friendly products and DIY tutorials. Mistick writes, and Lucy is a willing model (they even wear matching clothes) and ensures everything, especially the treats, are lab-approved. They visit farmer’s markets together (Lucy says shop local!), visit the beach and go on road trips.
In September, the two became three as they adopted Burt from a shelter. Now, the three of them go shopping; explore woods; discover dog-friendly bars, parks and restaurants on road trips; and ace those Halloween costumes!
Lindsey (Vonn) with Lucy, Leo and Bear
Lindsey Vonn is an Olympic skier who has adopted three dogs: Lucy, Leo and Bear. Vonn adopted Leo after her second surgery — he was hit by a car and had a bad knee — and they healed together. Bear and Lucy followed, and Vonn has gone on record saying the dogs helped her deal with depression.
Lucy, being the smallest, goes most places with her mom, urging her to exercise well and accompanying her to business events and talk shows. Together, the three help out in the gym, work out together in the pool, go fly-fishing, offer extra cuddles before Vonn leaves homes for long trips, star in her photo shoots and, sometimes, fly private with her. They are the perfect mascots for the Lindsay Vonn Foundation.
Katie and Her Canines
Katie Ostendorf is a pet-sitter and a fur mama to Mr. Gibbs, Cowboy, Oster and Grahm. The four dogs love their new life on a farm with their humans and other animals. There, they also help their mama ‘taste-test’ all her doggy treats and make friends with all the doggos she pet sits.
They will readily pose for photos, without a fuss, if it’s on the sofa or with their Halloween gear. On rainy days, the four love cuddling up with their mama, and on holiday weekends, they go camping or hiking with friends. And, they certainly know how to celebrate their birthdays in style, on a pawty bus!
Holly with Sophie, Ruger and Buddy
Holly Lynn runs a boarding facility (Miswest Canines) and is a dog trainer in Minneapolis. She has three dogs — all rescues — the border collie Sophie, and doberman pinschers Ruger and Buddy.
Buddy is camera-shy and likes giving hugs; Sophie is a certified therapy dog and loves playing, kayaking and running; and old man Ruger loves exploring, even if in wine country! They also hang out together outside the house, going camping or hiking, and exploring corn fields together. Their biggest duty is ensuring that even on Lynn’s hardest days, their mom has a reason to get of bed.
Priyanka (Chopra) and Diana
The Indian actress first met Diana during a video shoot with Animal League and Buzzfeed. The pup snuggled in her arms and didn’t let go. Chopra took Diana home and their love story began. Diana has her own account but frequently appears on her mother’s page.
Diana lives in New York, and was recently a part of her mommy’s bridal shower. She made her television debut on “Good Morning America,” meets her mommy’s friends and her Quantico team, accompanies her to sets and is a willing model for the latest fashion. She is a versatile doggo — she can be mommy’s arm candy, her dumbbell and will share morning cuddles and even magazine covers.
Brooke and Sassi
Brooke Lacey is a model and TV host who calls herself the #HollywoodDogMom; her favorite co-star is her four-year-old maltese Sassi Lee.
They’re living their best Hollywood or should we say, Hollywoof life, in Los Angeles. They have judged costume contests, sought out pup-friendly cafes, brush up on their Hollywood knowledge and wear matching jerseys to cheer on their favorite team. Sassi has her own “star” on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and has walked the ramp! Beyond living the high life, they are responsible citizens, urging people to vote and co-hosting a fundraiser pawty called Poochella that brings together the L.A. dog community.
Eva and Cooper
Cooper is a Doggo Argentino, aka a big dog who lives with his humans in America, and occasionally visits his mom’s home in Germany. He was an important part of his humans’ wedding where he was the Best Doggo.
His dad is often away on deployment, so Cooper spends all his time with his mom. They both love the outdoors, as it gives Cooper a chance to explore. He even occasionally stays still for a photograph. His favorite season is fall when he gets to visit pumpkin patches and go on hayrides; he also enjoys frolicking in sunflower fields and going swimming. This photogenic pupper is almost as tall as his momma and loves pouncing on her, (playfully, of course!), napping on her feet, smothering her with licks and kisses, and snuggling with her by the fire.
Mandy and Elliott
Elliott is a Great Dane, Mandy is his artistic mama and the two have many adventures together. They especially love hiking so they can enjoy the views of gorgeous mountains and forests, going for runs in lakes, dancing in the snow and exploring sunflower fields.
Elliott can give proper hugs and sometimes bullies his ma into wearing the same clothes and taking selfies with her. Elliott’s elder brother is Allister, a lab mix, and they love playing together outside and going on hikes together.
Marta and Tank
When Marta Gajewska moved to California she started documenting her life as a Polish girl in the U.S. Then, she met her husband Darek and his dog Tank (a yorkie), and it was a match made in heaven. Now, Marta and Tank are inseparable.
Tank hangs with his mum at the pool, they go whale-watching on Sundays, visit vineyards, go on hikes and to the beach. His mum likes to keep fit by running, but because his short legs cannot keep up with her, he waits at the window and then joins her on her last lap. And if Tank likes a place or season, he tells his mom, and then she blogs about it!
Erin and Her Squad of Five
Erin McKenzie has five dogs, all rescues, which live with her in the Canadian town of Winnipeg. A fitness enthusiast, Erin loves being outdoors and ensures she takes her pack with her. They go for walks in thick forests, to the beach and take ice cream breaks when tired. They go canoeing, backpacking (wearing paw pads and carrying their own gear) and will patiently pose for pictures. But their favorite part of the day is when their mom reads them bedtime stories.
Gunner, the bull mastiff, is the most adventurous of the lot. He has accompanied McKenzie on a 500-mile backpacking trip through the Rocky Mountains, runs with her daily and can swim for hours during their portaging trips around Lake of the Woods.
Priyanka with Cruise and Frodo
Frodo is a golden retriever and Cruise is a labrador from Mumbai who love to travel with their humans. They are especially protective of their adventure-loving mother, scuba-diving mom, Priyanka Jena. They love it when she takes them out to explore nature, be it flowers or sunsets, waterfalls, exploring caves and forests, hiking, camping or off-roading. They particularly enjoy monsoon treks and discovering new pet-friendly places away from the polluted city.
Cruise started traveling with Jena when he was just three months old. He loves hikes, skateboards, and swimming or playing fetch in every possible body of water (like this dam) with her.
Amanda (Seyfried) with Finn
There’s no denying actress Amanda Seyfried loves her nine-year old Aussie shepherd Finn. She even has a T-shirt with his face on it! She adopted Finn from a litter of puppies that appeared on the sets of her show, "Big Love."
Finn has his own account on Instagram but is a regular feature on Seyfried’s personal one. She shares hilarious photos (like this gem for National Dog’s Day and the odd family picture) and videos (like this recreated popular video meme) of Finn and her.
Finn has shared the spotlight at an ELLE cover shoot and accompanies his mom in sending out appeals for important causes, like raising awareness about shelter animals. But, they do ordinary things like hanging out in a barn looking stylish, doing an OG pose and taking lots of selfies.
Divya with Marcopolo and Tigress
Marcopolo and Tigress are two Indian dogs (or Indies) living in Delhi. They will soon be moving to Paris with their humans.
And they love traveling with their parents and posing for photos with their mum Divya Dugar. Their first trip together was a five-week road-trip, beginning with a train ride followed by a rental car. Goa, a state on the western coast of the country, is their favorite destination. There, they hiked Chapora Fort, hung out at the beach and made new animal and human friends. Marcopolo, Tigress and their momma want to teach others that it is possible to travel with dogs in India (by train and by auto) as well as the importance of slow travel and picnics in the field, all while sharing pet-friendly destinations along the way.