Not at all that surprising, actually, when you learn that the Pomeranian breed we all know and love today is actually the result of the intervention of royalty. Queen Victoria’s love for Pomeranians—dogs that originally weighed close to 30 pounds instead of the 4-6 pounds we’re all used to today—made her begin the process of breeding them down to a smaller size that would fit right in her lap. Thank you, Queen Victoria, for breeding the perfectly sized lapdog in your English backyard.
But Blue is not a lapdog by any means. According to his owner, Blue is something of a natural model. “When he … sees a camera,” says Jay, “he immediately poses.” That attitude made Blue a star who has his own fan club, and it’s been said he’s been hailed as one of the most popular dogs in the Philippines. But that was before his official Facebook fan page was, sadly, hacked.
On that page, Blue amassed a loyal following of over eighty thousand people who would check for updates on Blue or just to see what he does on a daily basis. Jay says that Blue’s charisma is what has people actually paying attention to Blue — his unique features and confidence on camera are just added bonuses to this model pup.
Blue already has more than 30 awards under his belt and several modeling gigs, both for print and television. Not only that, Blue has also been featured in magazines, print ads, and even on websites—not to mention, he was also a model for a grooming station and a doggie clothing line. Clearly, Blue is a natural born star and a seasoned veteran at dog competitions and contests. Having owned Blue since 2009, Jay has entered Blue in all sorts of contests, with Blue’s last contest being four years ago.
With all that experience and exposure, what is a seasoned vet to do? Give back and inspire others, of course. What Jay wants to achieve with Blue winning is for him to inspire others and let people see that it is possible for animals to pose for the camera.
Jay still posts updates and photos of Blue on his own Facebook page, and he does so knowing that people are still looking for Blue online, and miss the canine’s presence on social media. Jay’s family and friends have been incredibly supportive of Blue and his endeavors as Jay’s model pup.
Having a photogenic pet, though, should not be the goal, Jay cautions. With the rise of pets becoming internet famous, it is easy to for things to blur into having to keep social media accounts up to date and to come up with witty and clever Facebook posts and aesthetic Instagram posts.Jay says to “not get a pet for fashion trends.” To him, pets are not just pets; he considers pets as family members.
Jay says to “not get a pet for fashion trends.” To him, pets are not just pets; he considers pets as family members. Jay considers Blue as his baby and even named his photography studio, Blue Pix Studios, after him. An admirable and absolutely adorable thing when you note how it is such a parental thing to do to name a business or an important part of your life after your child. Blue is behind his every success, even being something of a lucky charm to him.
This story appears in Animal Scene’s March 2017.
