← All Of It with Alison Stewart
All Of It with Alison Stewart
The Dogist' On Canine Companionship
00:28:07
As The Dogist, photographer Elias Weiss Friedman has won over millions of fans with his photos of dogs in New York.
Loading summary
Transcript120 lines
- [00:14]
A
This is all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. Elias Weiss Friedman has taken pictures of more than 50,000 dogs. You may know him as the Doggist, whose Instagram account has. Has more than 7.6 million followers. And he takes pictures of dogs. Big, small, curious, shy, all kinds of dogs. In June, he released the book this dog will change your life, in which he writes about his own personal dog stories and the canines that shaped who he is, dogs he's encountered as the Doggist, and dogs he's owned himself. To help set up this segment, I'm joined again by AOI producer Snap Simon Close. Tell me about the Doggist.
- [00:57]
B
So the Doggist is this Instagram account that I had found unavoidable on Instagram. He takes photos of dogs, as you say, and then posts them with sort of stories about the dogs. But when I saw that he had this book coming out, I was immediately like, oh, this is a perfect call in. Like, we've just got to have the Doggist on. And it's a great example of something we do well on this show of opening up our phone lines and letting people call in to talk about a loved one, or in this case, a of lot, a loved pet. And. And that's what it ended up being. So I. What I really like about this segment, besides sort of learning more about the Doggist figure, is that you get to hear from lots of collars about their dogs. And you get some really great dog names, too. Like, I think in this segment, you'll hear a Lola, you'll hear a Muppet, and you also hear a Boo Radley. And that's what I loved about this segment.
- [01:46]
A
Here's my conversation with the Doggest, AKA Elias Weiss Friedman. And a note to listeners. Since this is an encore, we won't be taking your calls. Your book begins with a story of you as a toddler and a black lab who saved you from wandering off. Why is the story so special to you?
- [02:09]
B
I mean, this is kind of like my origin story, right? It's like I've always gravitated towards dogs, and this was like a scary story because my grandmother left me for a minute and I started wandering with the dog. And of course, I followed Ruby, or, sorry, Oreo her name was. And who knows what would have happened if she weren't there, you know? So I owe my life to a dog in more than one way, you know?
- [02:33]
A
How many stories have you heard like that from people whose pictures of dogs you've taken?
- [02:38]
B
Yeah, well, you know, the line I often hear is like, I rescued them, but then they rescued me. Which, you know, is true because sometimes we don't know the mood we're in or the we may be depressed or whatever it is. You don't always expect your dog to do all the things it does for you. And so when you get a dog, it completely changes your life. It just makes you realize and appreciate the world much more than you already did.
- [03:09]
A
When did you first think of yourself as. I'm a dog person?
- [03:13]
B
From a very early age, I was like a shy kid and dogs were just always there for me. Ruby was my first dog. She was a black Labrador. And I just thought they were so funny. And, you know, unlike people who may be in one day out, the other dogs, you can count on them. You can come home and they're. They just look at you and they roll over for belly rub and make you feel so present and appreciated.
- [03:41]
A
Did you ever consider taking pictures of different pets? About cats or. Or birds? Or was it always just going to be dogs?
- [03:49]
B
I was always fascinated with animals in general, but it's hard to find cats roaming around on the streets. You know, going into people's apartments and chasing cats under the furniture wasn't my idea. It wasn't a walk in the park like I, you know, with dogs. But I think all animals are beautiful. You know, every day on April 1, April fools, I photograph something else. So like this this year, I went to the Brooklyn, the Bronx Zoo and photographed, you know, gharial, like a crocodile type thing and lions and, you know, other animals are beautiful too.
- [04:22]
A
Let's take a call already. Linda's calling in. Hi, Linda, thanks for making the time to call all of it. You're on the air.
- [04:29]
C
Hi, my name's Linda. I'm a total super fan of the doggist Elias. Every day I hope you'll run into me and my dog.
- [04:36]
B
What's your dog's name?
- [04:38]
C
My dog's name is Lola. She'll be six years old in a couple of weeks. And I am 73 years old and she's my first dog.
- [04:45]
B
Is Lola listening right now? Wow, she's your first dog.
- [04:48]
C
Listening. She's looking up at me with her little soulful face.
- [04:51]
B
Hi, Lola.
- [04:52]
C
And I was supposedly allergic as a kid. So my sister's got a dog after I went to college. But I never had, like, responsibility or a lot of time with that dog. Anyway, Lola is just the best thing in the world. I live near Central park, and before her, I hardly ever went there. Now we go almost every Day. So she gets to run and. Happy. Happy. And I get to be in nature. She's improved my exercise tolerance dramatically. I have all kinds of arthritis, and when I'm with her, I don't mind walking. And she works as a therapy dog at local hospital in certain schools. So she's just the best.
- [05:29]
B
She's changed your life in so many ways.
- [05:32]
C
Totally. Totally.
- [05:33]
B
That's incredible.
- [05:34]
A
Thanks for calling, Linda. Let's talk to Alyssa from the Lower east side. Hey, Alyssa. Thanks for calling, all of it.
- [05:42]
C
Hi there.
- [05:43]
B
Hi.
- [05:44]
C
How's it going? Good, good. Yeah. First one, just like, thank you. Because your page has been, like, so amazing just to see how dogs impact humans and how humans impact dogs. So appreciate all of your hard work.
- [05:59]
B
Yeah. Did you have a dog growing up or a dog now?
- [06:03]
C
Yeah, I do. So I was calling in. My dog is about to turn 10 in July. We recently had to amputate her legs. So it's been like a challenge, unique journey. But she's pretty resilient. It's, like, crazy to see how resilient dogs are. So.
- [06:20]
B
And you're standing by her. That's so great that you're doing all that for her.
- [06:24]
C
Yeah, yeah. It's not always the best decision to make, but it was the right decision. But, yeah, it's just shocking to see how quickly she's kind of snapped back into like, let me sprint.
- [06:37]
B
Anyway, dogs are so resilient.
- [06:41]
A
Really appreciate it, Alyssa. And let's talk to Angelica, calling in from Bay Ridge. Hi, Angelica. Thanks so much for calling, all of it. You're on with a doggist.
- [06:51]
C
Hi. Thanks for taking my call. So, a few things in no particular order. One, I love your page and I love your work. It's just inspiring and stimulating. I have a dog, Maka, who's listening, who listens every day, who gives an open invitation to come to Bay Ridge, because there's some really fun and cool, wonderful dogs in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Okay, so if you come to Owl's Head park, they're tearing it up right now, but when it's finished, on any given day, in the. In the morning hours, lots of fun, interesting, wonderful dogs and fun, interesting, wonderful dog owners. But the other thing that I wanted to share is that my, My friend has a. My friend, my son has a very close friend that lives in Fort Greene, and you had run into his father and their family dog in Fort Greene park on one of your outings maybe sometime in the last couple of years. And unfortunately, their father passed suddenly and tragically and unexpectedly. I remember this this past Thanksgiving, and it's just such a. You know, I don't spend a lot of time with my son's friends, but when I do see Zach, it's just a. It's a memory that we can share together. And my son was the one who told me because he knows that I love your page and just a fanatic about dogs. And so it's just a very sweet memory that they. That they have now.
- [08:11]
B
You know, I'm so glad I got to create that memory. You know, it's not why I go out to photograph dogs, but I'm so just honored when people send me emails saying how important it was that this moment happened and that this photograph symbolizes much more than just, you know, Instagram post.
- [08:27]
A
I'm speaking with Elias Weiss Friedman, AKA the Doggist. He has a new book coming out. It's called this dog will change your life. As more calls are coming in. Elias, how do you pick your subjects?
- [08:40]
B
I look for something that stands out. You know, as you walk down the street, you say, oh, my God, look at that dog. I do kind of the same thing, except, you know, I've been doing this for 11 years now, so I see a lot of nuance, like whether it's a rare breed or, you know, it can even be that the person is wearing something really interesting, like, look at those shoes. I look for a photograph, you know, something that people look at and they say, oh, my God, what an incredible moment. Luckily, being in New York City, they're all over the place. You know, if I can just walk down the block and find five, ten dogs, you know.
- [09:10]
A
All right, secrets. What kind of treats do you carry with you? What kind of balls do you carry with you? I need a couple of secrets.
- [09:16]
B
Well, there's no secret about the treats and the squeaky balls, but really, it's my proprietary repertoire of funny noises that I make. I can do a couple for all dogs listening. This is the puppy noise, or I call this one, like, the goat. I don't know if a goat would say that's actually a goat. But it's funny, when we leave, when Sam, my wife, and I, we leave the apartment and Elsa's at home, we say, hey, Google, put on NPR Radio. And so she's probably listening right now. So. Hi, Elsa.
- [09:53]
A
It's interesting what happens when you see a dog, you know, you want to take a picture of, but it really won't hold still. You can't really get the angle you want. You can't necessarily take the picture that you want.
- [10:04]
B
Well, puppies are particularly hard to photograph because of their limited attention span. But my job is to make it seem like the dog is a professional model. And so some dogs will sit and really stare at you, but the ones that are more difficult to capture their attention, I just try and, you know, dig deep and find, like, a noise or something and just be quick with the camera because they will look, typically for just that moment. I'm good at sort of making them look like they're very composed and like a model.
- [10:32]
A
What do the humans. What do they most want to tell you about their dogs?
- [10:37]
B
The most embarrassing story about them. That's one of the liberating things about being a dog photographer and talking about your dog is that we never really fully express ourselves about our own lives because we might feel like we're being judged or something. So when we talk about our dogs, it's extremely liberating to just tell a story and not hold anything back. Just, you know, there's this one pops into my mind. She is like, he ate a $100 bill and pooped it out intact. Like, you would never. First of all, that's the only thing a dog would do. But it's just, like, it's just fun to say these things. And the dog doesn't feel embarrassed. You know, the dog has no ego.
- [11:17]
A
When you're prioritizing, because you do have to run an Instagram account, how do you prioritize with people sharing these stories? What's number one with you? What's your new criteria?
- [11:29]
B
Yeah, well, I try and keep things positive, you know, glass half full.
- [11:33]
C
Agreed.
- [11:34]
B
And so the doggist, to me is a place like an antidote to the rest of the Internet, because you're scrolling and you see all types of shocking or depressing things, especially nowadays. And I want the doggis to be a place where we can laugh but also cry sometimes, because I like to share the full spectrum and appreciate, you know, not all dogs are happy on a couch with their person. A lot are, you know, stuck in a shelter, need a home, have had something happen to them. And so, you know, my goal is to have us appreciate dogs more than we already do. Obviously, we love our dogs, but no amount of appreciation is enough.
- [12:14]
A
In your book, you tell the tale of Lunchbox, who was a rescue dog, we should say, and he went extremely viral. What was special about Lunchbox and also what was special about his person?
- [12:27]
B
Yeah, there's. It was a very, like, sincere post. And Lunchbox had some scarring on his nose, and it was unclear, sort of what had happened to him in his past, but something. He was probably abused in some way. And so there's just something his owner said about him having to accept that someone did that to him. And it just speaks to the thing you have to do as a person, welcoming a dog into your life that has a past, a story that you don't know, and they can't tell you the story. And so you have to sort of work with the dog and you become stronger together by accepting the. This dog for who they are. And it just sort of like, humbles you and makes you grow and mature in a way that you weren't expecting. And so it was just. It's nice for this guy on the street to just sincerely say that. And it just struck a chord with everyone. And it was a special post.
- [13:27]
A
Are you ready for some more calls?
- [13:28]
B
Let's do it.
- [13:29]
A
All right, let's talk to David. Hey, David, thanks for calling.
- [13:33]
C
Thanks for taking my call. Yes, my boy Radley, as in Boo Radley, whose brother was atticus, is now 11 years old. And we were walking down 77th street in New York, and our doggist, your doggist interviewer, I forget his. His name, I apologize, asked if he could take photo.
- [13:56]
B
That would be me.
- [13:58]
C
That was you?
- [13:59]
B
Yes.
- [13:59]
C
I beg your pardon. What's your name again?
- [14:01]
B
Elias.
- [14:02]
C
Elias, that's right. And I thought, sure, take a picture. I'm now looking at the dogga's book on the doodles section, and he's on the top row on the right.
- [14:13]
B
There he is.
- [14:14]
C
He's the sweetest thing you could possibly imagine. Oh, that's so sweet.
- [14:18]
B
I'm glad I got to meet him.
- [14:19]
A
That's kind of interesting. When you first started out, were people a little. A little ooked out that you wanted.
- [14:24]
C
To take a picture of their dog?
- [14:25]
B
Yeah, I think early on, you know, there wasn't this thing of people wandering the streets with cameras to, like, have, you know, influencers and posting things to Instagram. So it seemed a little bit crazy at the time. You know, this was the time of, like, the Sartorialist and humans of New York, they were big blogs. And so it was strange at first, but it didn't seem strange to me. You know, everyone. Everyone wants to know the story of dogs. And you wish you could stop every dog. And so I was solving that problem. I was the guy who put on knee pads and put cookies in their pockets and took this so seriously. And I think it was what we.
- [15:03]
A
Needed, you know, let's talk to Ernesto. Ernesto is calling From Williamsburg. Hi, Ernesto.
- [15:10]
C
Hi. I just wanted to call and talk about my dog Muppet, who I love a lot, and he really changed my life, like, since I got her last year. She's a year and six months, and she's really amazing. She's a half Pomeranian, a quarter poodle, and a quarter Chihuahua.
- [15:26]
B
Nice.
- [15:27]
C
She's great.
- [15:27]
B
How would you say that she's changed your life?
- [15:31]
C
She's changed my interaction with human beings completely. Like, with strangers, I just see this side to people that I never saw before. She's the first dog I've had as an adult.
- [15:39]
A
Interesting.
- [15:40]
C
And so, yeah. Yeah, it's really. And she accompanies me everywhere. Like, it's really different to have a dog by my side everywhere I go.
- [15:48]
B
Totally. One of the things I've been saying recently is before you get a dog, you know your neighbor, and after you get a dog, you know your neighborhood, they expand your circle, and they force you to just become this next level of yourself.
- [15:59]
A
Let's also talk to Cora, who's calling in from Westchester. Hi, Cora. Thanks so much.
- [16:05]
C
Hi. Yeah, thanks for taking my call. I'm really excited to be talking to Elias. We had actually met. You photographed my Chihuahua mix named Gremlin. Oh, Gremlin in New York. Yes. I think you were doing something with Orvis, and you got her in the car and you had all your squeakers, and she was turning her head, and I've never seen her even turn her head. But it was, you know, it was just such a joy to meet you. Gremlin now is going on 15, probably largely unrecognizable from. From the original photos you took.
- [16:45]
B
Does she look like a Gremlin?
- [16:48]
C
Absolutely. Yeah. Under. Under Bite unite. It's kind of my type. Yeah. Yeah. And, yeah. And I just wanted to, you know, say hi again and again. Thank you so much, and, you know, I'll look forward to, you know, having that memory in those photos long after she's gone.
- [17:05]
B
Please give Gremlin a cookie on my behalf.
- [17:08]
A
Our listeners are calling in to tell us about your dog or to have a conversation with the Doggist, AKA Elias Weiss Friedman. You've been running the Doggist for over a decade now. We've watched social media really change over the course of a decade. How much have you had to adapt the Doggist? What are some things that you've had to do differently?
- [17:28]
B
Yeah, well, it used to be just photographs, and then TikTok came around, and then everyone wanted to be TikTok, you know, to do reels and video. So I had to sort of come out from behind the curtain. You know, I thought of myself as like the Batman in a way. And so Bruce Wayne had to come out from behind the curtain, and I had to show everyone my process. And at first I was a little bit reticent to do that, but very quickly I realized this is like a whole other level of, you know, just showcasing people's dogs. You get to watch the way they say something and the inflection instead of just me reporting through a caption. Video captures so much more. And, you know, audio radio is so expressive, too. So it really just changed things very quickly and in a great way.
- [18:14]
A
You're listening to my conversation with Elias Weiss Friedman, AKA the Doggist. We'll be right. This is all of it. I'm Alison Stewart. This Dog will Change your Life is the latest book from Elias Weiss Friedman, who you might know better. Under his Instagram handle, thedoggest, he joined me to talk about the canines that have shaped his life and take calls from Dog Lovin listeners. A quick reminder that this is an encore presentation, so we won't be able to take your call today. Here's more of that conversation. Your book, this Dog Will Change youe Life is coming out June 3rd. It's sort of a memoir. Through your stories. Why did you want to write a book like this?
- [19:18]
B
Yeah, well, like I said, I think we don't appreciate dogs enough. And so dogs have taught me so much, and I wanted to just write an ode to dogs and help us understand how we become better people through our dogs. Whether it's not judging ourselves. Our dogs don't. When we come home at the end of the day, they don't ask us questions and say, oh, how's the work drama going? And oh, my God, I can't believe you're wearing that. They just accept us for who we are.
- [19:54]
C
And.
- [19:57]
B
The fact that they do that for us is just incredible. They make us better people.
- [20:04]
A
Here's a text. As someone with a nervous dog, I always appreciated how respectful you are about actually heeding owner's disclaimers. By the way, Elvis says hi. This one also says, I just want to share a little fun fact about my golden retriever, Jude. She is a fan field golden, so she has red hair. I have red hair and my partner does as well. We're a little family of gingers. Also, congratulations to the Doggus on his recent wedding. Best wishes and lots of love to you and your family. You got married last month.
- [20:34]
B
Thank you. Thank you. It was a very Exciting. We had perfect weather in Miami, so perfect. Very happy about that.
- [20:39]
A
How does the doggus fit into your life now that you have a wife?
- [20:44]
B
Well, Sam supports me in all my endeavors. Sometimes she's the woman behind the camera if we're traveling, for example, and, you know, she. She helps make it all happen. She helps me come up with new ideas and is just. Is just the best. And she takes. She's the best dog mom to Elsa, so.
- [21:04]
A
Well, tell us about a little bit about Elsa. Because you got Elsa during the pandemic, you didn't own a dog for a long while.
- [21:08]
B
I know it was like my secret. I was a dogless doggist, but I, you know, the pandemic happened and everything was turned on its head and. And I said, well, if I've lost access to dogs on the street, I can foster a dog. And so I was in Cape Cod and where my family spends their summers and reached out to some local foster networks and they said, how about Elsa? And I said, sure. She showed up and very quickly she crawled into my heart and never sort of relinquished it. So she's a beautiful husky mix from Texas, and she's the best dog ever.
- [21:44]
A
How did owning a dog change the way you approached your work?
- [21:49]
B
Yeah, I think only when you own a dog can you fully appreciate the love and that relationship you have between someone and their dog. So I was sort of a bystander to it, you know, hearing about the way other people love their dogs. But when you have your own, you. You fully understand it and you appreciate. Every interaction I've had since getting Elsa is just been more special because, you know, you witness other people with their dogs and you appreciate it from the surface, but there's something so deep that you. It's really hard to express, even in 5 minute conversations I have with people, so just helped me relate more and just, yeah, feel. Understand their love better.
- [22:31]
A
You ready for a few more calls?
- [22:33]
B
I'm ready.
- [22:33]
A
All right, let's talk to. Is it Vincy from Long island or Vinnie?
- [22:38]
C
Oh, yes, yes. Hi, Vinci. Yes, it's Vincy. Can you hear me?
- [22:42]
A
I hear you. Great. Go for it.
- [22:45]
C
Oh, I just rescued a dog. My daughter and I rescued a dog, and he was a rescue from the wildfires in California. And I haven't had a dog since I was 5. And I won't tell you how old I am, but it was a very, very long time ago. And he is the most loveliest dog, and he has changed my life in six weeks. It's unbelievable. We were told he was 2. It's instant. We were told he was 2. We really don't know that much about him, but the vet said he's nowhere near two. He's like, more like one. And we felt that he was quite puppy ish. But I feel like he lived in a home before because, I don't know, just he's, you know, partially housebroken, and he's very loving. He's super active. He's a terrier mix. But the vet told us he's mostly an Australian cattle dog, which I didn't even know what that was. And we just. We just walk through the streets. And it's so true what your other caller said. You know, I know my neighbors, but now I'm starting to know my neighborhood. I haven't even walked down some of the streets in my neighborhood.
- [23:56]
A
It's like, Vincey, thank you so much for calling.
- [23:58]
C
Go ahead.
- [23:59]
B
I was saying it's like when you walk with a dog, it's like walking with a celebrity. You're not as cool as the dog, no matter what you do.
- [24:06]
A
Let's talk to Marcia from Queens. Hi, Marcia, thanks for calling, all of it.
- [24:10]
C
Oh, thank you for taking this call. We had a Pomeranian, Dr. Dre. We loved him. He did pass away. We miss him dearly, but we have his memories. And I didn't plan to have a dog, but the love I received from Dre was more than any love I've ever known. I have to say that.
- [24:37]
A
Aw, Marcia, thank you so much for calling in. And Ann is calling us from Harmony, Minnesota. Hi, Ann, thanks for calling all of it.
- [24:47]
C
Oh, a former resident of the New York area, but I had a dog. I sent you a picture of me and this dog Duke. And my mom let us go out together. She had a trusted duke. This is 70 years ago. So she trusted Duke. And we stayed in the yard. Except one day we went out and picked flowers in the police station garden. I would pick them and he would eat them. So you can see, you can see from the picture how that would imprint. I mean, I've been my. I spent six months of my life without a dog when I lived in a dormitory in college, and that's it. So I really appreciate your Instagram. It's wonderful.
- [25:33]
B
Thank you. I hope to meet Duke.
- [25:34]
C
Thank you.
- [25:35]
A
I was going to ask you, you mostly take pictures and you take all around the world, but mostly in New York. What is unique about a New York dog?
- [25:44]
B
Well, you know, New York is an incredibly diverse place for dogs and people, so you see all different types of Breeds from all different parts of the country, rescues, you know, Westminster purebred dogs. It's just like, fascinating. And it also just, you know, New York is such a fascinating place all around the world. Everyone wants to know about what's going on in New York. And so there's just this texture to the photographs. And obviously I walk around, so it's easy to walk around the village and go through Soho and just find 10 dogs. Some are in bags, some are wearing outfits, some are rare breeds I haven't seen in 10 years or something. It's just sort of like it's unlike any other place.
- [26:33]
A
Is there any myth that you have heard about dogs? Which one that is true and one that isn't true?
- [26:41]
B
Well, I know recently there's been something about the direwolves. There's like, direwolves are back. But I just did a talk at Harvard this last weekend and spoke with one of the professors who confirmed that it's not true that this is. It's kind of bogus. It's not direwolves. They may look like them, but they just look like them.
- [27:00]
A
Okay, that's not true. What is something about that's a myth, but that is really true?
- [27:06]
B
Well, you know, I think there's all these, like, themes about. We constantly hear about unconditional love and that they, you know, they change our lives. And no matter how many times we say it, it's still true. Like, dogs will love you more than they do themselves oftentimes. And they. I just, it's like, it seems like sappy to say that they change your life and they make you more mature and evolve to the next version of yourself, but it really is true. Without dogs, we would be a very different society.
- [27:45]
A
That was my conversation with Elias Weiss Friedman, AKA the Doggist. His book is titled this dog will change your life. And that is all of it for today's producer picks from AOI producer Sarah Simon Close. I'm Alison Stewart. I appreciate you listening. I appreciate you. And I will meet you back here tomorrow with a show put together by our producer, Jordan Loff. I'm Ira Flato, host of Science Friday.
- [28:10]
B
For over 30 years, our team has.
- [28:13]
A
Been reporting high quality news about science, technology and medicine.
- [28:18]
B
News you won't get anywhere else.
- [28:20]
A
And now that political news is 24 7, our audience is turning to us.
- [28:26]
B
To know about the really important stuff in their lives.
- [28:30]
A
Cancer, climate change, genetic engineering, childhood diseases. Our sponsors know the value of science and health news. For more sponsorship information, visit sponsorship wnyc.
- [28:44]
B
Org.