A chiweenie with an overbite and 1.9m followers: how Tuna and Instagram’s other top dogs rake in thousands per post

Pampered poms and Chappell Roan-loving pugs are taking over social media – but what makes a successful petfluencer and how much can they earn?

Tuna is a chiweenie with a hyperbolic overbite, a tongue that sticks out aggressively when he sleeps, a neck shrivelled like a raisin – and 1.9m Instagram followers. Fans tune in to watch him pose as Harry Potter next to platform 9¾, dress as a spicy tuna roll or to savour no-frills shots of him in closeup.

The miniature dachshund and chihuahua cross first came to the internet’s attention around 2012 and has been eliciting heart-eye emojis, lolz and thousands upon thousands of comments of admiration ever since. “He looks like someone’s grandpa on the couch after a plate of turkey and mashed potatoes”, reads a typical one.