Dog-gone it. Even a pup needs to earn a living.
In this day and age, a simple video posted to social media can make anyone famous. Even a golden retriever.
But when Courtney Budzyn first posted a video of her dog, Tucker, pawing at an ice cube, she didn’t expect anyone but herself and maybe some of her family to be interested in her dog’s life. But she soon got a shock.
“We gave him an ice cube and he pawed at it,” Courtney, a Michigan resident, said. “I was floored that many people were as interested in my dog as I was.”
By the time he was 6 months old, he had 60,000 followers … It was insane.”
Now, Tucker, along with his son, Todd, have more than 3.5 million followers on Instagram alone. Courtney and her husband, Mike, both know how lucky they are that their dogs have such a large following, even if it wasn’t expected.
From left, Todd and Tucker Budzyn. Photo from Instagram
The earnings that have poured in, Courtney said, allowed both of them to quit their jobs and promote Tucker and Todd full-time. Courtney had been a house cleaner, while Mike worked as a civil engineer.
But the popularity of their two dogs became a way for the family to earn a living, while enjoying the lives of their pets at the same time. “A YouTube paid post can be anywhere between $40,000 and $60,000,” Courtney told reporters. “For Instagram, we make about $20,000 for three to eight stories.”
It’s not just Instagram that loves Tucker and his son. The duo has amassed more than 5 million followers on YouTube, 4 million on Facebook and more than 60,000 on X (formerly Twitter). The Budzyns have deals with brands like BarkBox, as well as plans for their own line of doggy products.
Despite the money, the videos were always a way for the family to share their love for their dogs. As well as their own brand of humor.
For example, a recent post had Tucker and his son, Todd, dressed up as characters from “Star Wars.” Another video showed Tucker dreaming, with Courtney’s well-done edits showing him chasing a giant chicken around their yard.
Hilariously, she captioned the video with, “Never stop chasing your dreams frens.”
Courtney Budzyn, with her dog, Tucker. Photo from Instagram
The cuteness and simple charm of the animals and the clever video editing has drawn a huge group of fans from all over.
One Instagram user, @labradoggers commented: “I follow Tucker and Todd Budzyn. The videos add some joy to life. And they are quite well-behaved.”
Another user, @goldengirl, wrote: “I am a follower of Tucker and Todd. Their videos are awesome! I love that they call her “Linda”. I would be curious as to what mine call me. Actually, I don’t want to know!”
In a day and age where so much divides us, it’s heartwarming to see not only a success story of a couple doing something they love and have fun with, as well as seeing two well-cared for pets enjoy their moment in the spotlight.
For a look at the silly antics of Tucker, watch below!
