Good.Boy.Ollie Q&A

“Funnily enough, All About Dogs Newbury in 2015 was the first ever doggy event that we took Ollie to!” says Ollie’s owner, Alex. “I was 15 and Ollie was only 6 months old. I had no idea events like this even existed, my mum bought me tickets for Christmas that year. Ollie and I had the best day, and he even got a rosette in all three of the dog show classes that we entered!”

What is it that keeps bringing you and Ollie back to the All About Dogs Shows?

“I have just always loved the fact that it’s a day out specially for the dogs. It’s full of people who are dog-mad just like me. Ollie always has the best day trying all of the activities. His favourite part is going round the shopping stalls and getting all of the stall holders to give him a treat!”

When you first started Ollie’s social media pages, did you ever dream that he’d get the following he has now?

“I had Ollie’s original Instagram page for a good couple of years, it was a place where I could upload all of my photos of him instead of filling up my own personal pages. It wasn’t until early 2021 still in lockdown that we started making video content and his page took off.

“I never started sharing him with the intention of growing the giant community we have now, so it’s the best feeling ever to know that Ollie is able to bring so many other people joy. It still doesn’t feel real! Grateful doesn’t feel like a large enough word, we’re so lucky.”

How did you feel when Ollie went viral? It was that Booty Balance that really got people talking – what’s the strangest thing Ollie’s managed to balance?

“It all happened so quickly, it still doesn’t feel real. The very first videos I uploaded to TikTok took off, and we’ve been fortunate to gain so many followers from there forward. Everybody loved his original ‘Booty Balance’ videos. He’s balanced loads of funny items, from teapots to laptops. But the best or strangest has got to be another dog! It was Honey, my Nan’s Shih Tzu.”

How do you come up with the ideas for your content? We LOVE his activity jar and were so pleased that the All About Dogs Shows featured in Ollie’s adventures last year.

“Most of the time I’m just inspired by things that make Ollie happy. The whole point of our videos is for Ollie to have fun anyway! The activity jar came about because I knew I wanted to dedicate one day a week to doing something new and fun with Ollie, but I’m not that great at making decisions. So why not write down all of my ideas and let Ollie choose them himself!”

Do you prefer Instagram or TikTok?

“That’s a tough one. Obviously our video content began on tiktok and we have the ability to reach millions of people on there which we are so grateful for, so tiktok will always have a special place in my heart. However Instagram gives us the ability to interact with our followers through stories and messages more, which is just incredible. So I think Instagram has the edge!”

What advice would you give someone who’s trying to grow their social media pages?

“Just have fun with it! I think you can tell when a dog is really happy and having a great time, which is why so many people love Ollie’s videos. As long as you and your dog are enjoying yourselves, that’s the main thing, and that will be clear in your content!”

Has Ollie always been a good boy? What was he like as a puppy?

“He has indeed. Of course he had the typical puppy energy and chaos too, but he has always been so kind and sweet natured. He’s definitely always had his good heart.”

And now Ollie has had a puppy to look after too – good.boy.tato. Has Ollie now got competition for the goodest boy on Instagram and TikTok?

“There’s absolutely no competition between the boys, Ollie adores his little brother. Tato has fitted into our family perfectly, and there’s more than enough room for two good boys here!”

Will you be bringing Tato to one of the All About Dogs Shows when he’s older?

“One of the great things about coming to these shows is that we get the chance to meet hundreds of our followers. Ollie is a seasoned pro at this point, and adores greeting everybody. Tato has never experienced anything like that yet, so we’re working on all of our training and socialisation first. He’s got a very different personality to Ollie, so we make sure to cater to each dogs’ needs differently. If I think he’ll enjoy it when he’s older, of course he’ll come along! But for now whilst he’s still a baby we’re taking things slowly.”

Come and see Good.Boy.Ollie officially open the All About Dogs Show Newbury at 9.30am on Saturday 15th April 2023. Alex and Ollie will also be taking part in a special Q&A at 12pm in our Village Green.

The All About Dogs Show Newbury takes place at the Newbury Showground from 9.30am to 5pm on Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th April 2023. For more details click here.