Elias Weiss Friedman, also known as the Dogist, has an unlikely day job: He makes a living photographing dogs on the streets of New York, and has done so for the past decade, after leaving a corporate job and casting about for a new calling. His quirky canine portraits and their accompanying stories have rocketed him and his subjects to fame—scroll his Instagram to meet Panko the wrinkly bulldog, a Dalmatian wearing yellow shoes, and June, a Chihuahua–Jack Russell mix who rides around in her human’s purse. Today, Friedman has a social media brand with a whopping 11 million followers, and he travels the world to meet and celebrate dogs.
Now, following two books of photography, Friedman has a new, personal book out: This Dog Will Change Your Life. It delves into his own story and relationship with dogs, sees him travel the world over to meet other canine enthusiasts working at shelters and at canine rescue operations, and illuminates the nitty gritty of the human-dog bond.
There are stories of Friedman’s friends and their dogs, a whole delightful chapter dedicated to “Doggelgangers” that breaks down how people and their dogs mirror one another, many references to Friedman’s own Siberian Husky mix, Elsa, and lots of advice for adopting a companion of your own. (Fair warning: You might run to the next shelter after reading).
Below, we caught up with Friedman about what he looks to capture when taking doggy portraits, adopting older dogs, and how canines make human lives better.
You write that your friends often come to you for advice when they’re thinking of getting a dog. What do you say to them—or anyone thinking of making that choice?
I ask them what type of dog they’re thinking about getting. Sometimes their answer includes a sense of their goal in getting a dog—they want a rescue, a dog that matches their lifestyle, a look they’re going for, etc. If they’ve been thoughtful about that aspect, they’ve probably been thoughtful about managing the responsibility of having a dog. If it seems like they haven’t done enough research into getting a dog, they may not be ready for one. We love to hear about great dog–person relationships, but sometimes there can be a misalignment that can create issues down the line. Not everyone’s ready for a Belgian Malinois.
Highlight some of the inspiring characters you met along the way while writing this book. I loved boxer and canine rescuer Chrissy Boom Boom.
Chrissy is a great example of someone with an unwavering spirit and a devotion to helping dogs live great lives with great people. She illustrates one important principle, at least—that you have to get your hands dirty to do so. Most people don’t know the amount of work it takes to get that cute puppy delivered to your arms at the airport. There’s so much that happens before you take that puppy home. Saving dogs from a life of starvation, dehydration, disease, injury, and more is a noble, selfless thing that we should support.
Got any words of encouragement for someone considering adopting an older dog from a shelter?
Do it! All dogs in a shelter deserve to be adopted, but senior dogs are often overlooked in favor of puppies and younger dogs. An older dog is often a great fit for someone with a relaxed lifestyle. I also think senior dogs possess wisdom that will grow your heart in ways other dogs cannot.
Tell us about your own pup, Elsa.
Elsa is pawfect in every way! We’re truly lucky to have a dog like her. We can bring her anywhere, leave her at home without worry, take her to cafés, introduce her to any person or dog (except Frenchies for some reason). She doesn’t bark really, is non-destructive, and doesn’t eat random things off the street. The only thing about her—I won’t say it’s a negative thing, because it’s not negative, just a thing—is that we have to keep our vacuum fully charged at all times because she sheds. “All just proof that a dog lives here,” as @josiebalka’s poem goes.
When you go to photograph a dog, what do you try to capture?
I look to capture that dog’s personality in an honest and positive way. I want the Dogist community to learn something about each dog’s unique personality or situation. If an image or story can make someone smile, laugh, learn something, or cry, I’ve created something meaningful.
Talk about the power of dogs to connect people to each other.
Oftentimes, when it comes to meeting other people, we get in our own way. Our egos make us feel self-conscious, reluctant, lazy, scared. Dogs aren’t burdened with an ego—they’re entirely free to be themselves, whether that’s introducing themselves to complete strangers or scooting their butts on the rug at the busy coffee shop. They just don’t care how they’re perceived in the same way we do. Simply by being around dogs, we’re able to take after them and be more confidently ourselves.
You write that the central argument of your life is that “a dog can help you understand yourself and your needs better. It can clarify matters of human identity, both practically and psychologically.” How have you experienced that yourself?
Dogs often force us to do things that are good for us. “Scratch my belly!” brings us to the present moment; lets us engage with another being; gives us eye contact, which releases oxytocin; makes us feel useful and caring; and strengthens the bond we have with another being we live with. It’s similar when you take your dog for a walk, with the added benefit of fresh air, exercise, seeing new places, stress relief, and likely meeting a bunch of new people. Can your phone do any of that?!
What do you hope that people come away with after reading the book?
I hope that people appreciate their dogs more, or for that matter, dogs in general. We certainly give them a lot of praise. If aliens came to earth, that’s one of the first things they would notice: “Okay, so these upright walkers worship these things called ‘dogs.’” But no amount of appreciation is enough, I believe. I just find dogs to be such a fun, funny, caring, entertaining, interesting, loving, meaningful part of being on earth and I hope to try and articulate all the ways they do that through my book.
You write: “I find no greater sense of joy and purpose in my life, than when I’m crouched down photographing a dog.” It’s funny that what started as a Humans of New York–style dog blog became…all this.
There’s a lot going on in the world. Just look at any screen, any video or article. It’s all designed to suck you in and make you feel something extreme—usually something negative, whether it’s anger or powerlessness. I’m lucky that my job takes me away from that matrix. Dogs are one of the few things tethering us to our more natural, human selves, so it’s no surprise to me that when I’m crouched down next to them, I feel even more like a dog—happy and unbothered by all the other noise.
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