Have you heard of Good Boy Ollie?
If not, where have you been?! Ollie has been taking Instagram and TikTok by storm over the past year thanks to his wide range of talents.
The chocolate Labrador rose to prominence on social media for his ability to balance objects on his floofy booty.
In more recent times, Ollie’s activity jar has been keeping his millions of fans entertained as they watch this charming Lab get up to all manner of adventures at the weekend.
We spoke to Ollie’s mom Alex to learn more about Ollie, his popular Instagram/TikTok accounts and day-to-day life with a social media furry star.
You can follow Good Boy Ollie on Instagram (@good.boy.ollie) and TikTok (@good.boy.ollie).
1) What attracted you to the Labrador breed?
As a family we all wanted a Labrador Retriever because they’re known for being gentle with lovely temperaments. We’re an active family, so an active and clever working breed was a perfect match for us.
2) How did you end up with Ollie?
Good Boy Ollie (Photo: good.boy.ollie / Instagram)
It’s actually fate that Ollie ended up with our family! We would love to rescue one day, but for our first dog we decided to get a puppy. So many things happened leading up to getting Ollie that makes it feel like he was always supposed to be ours. Originally, we had tried to find a suitable Nova Scotian Duck Tolling Retriever breeder – But they’re a pretty uncommon breed and it takes a long time to find a responsible breeder who felt like the right fit for our family. Eventually we decided to wait and look for a Labrador instead. When we met Ollie’s breeder and the puppies, we knew immediately which one we wanted – there were a bunch of dark chocolate pups, some yellow pups, and just one little light brown boy sitting quietly in the middle looking right up at us. He was already taken, so we started looking at the darker chocolates. My dad couldn’t help himself and still picked up the little light brown boy for a cuddle. The breeder then let us know that he was the first pick of the litter, but right before we arrived, the family had called letting her know that they could no longer take him. It was fate! We put our name down for him and visited him until he was old enough to come home. He’s been by my side ever since!
3) Can you give us an insight into Ollie’s personality for any readers coming across your account for the first time in this interview?
Ollie is exactly like he appears in his TikTok videos – he really lives up to his ‘Good Boy’ namesake. He is the sweetest, most gentle boy who makes us smile every day. He loves nothing more that taking care of his babies (his cuddly toys), visiting the ducks, and learning new tricks. He’s just so smart and in tune with other peoples’ feelings.
4) What does an average day look like for Ollie?
Good Boy Ollie (Photo: good.boy.ollie / Instagram)
Ollie is very much like any other family dog! He has long 60+ minute walks every single morning and evening. We’re lucky to live in the countryside, so there are plenty of fields to explore. He has breakfast and dinner (which is his favourite part of the day). He usually naps whilst we work from home with plenty of breaks for playing and training. He loves joining me wherever I go; he loves to come to the stables and see the horses, he loves to visit his Nanny Biscuits, he is pretty much happy anywhere! He also attends agility classes which he really enjoys.
5) How did Ollie’s amazing booty balancing skills come about?
The booty balancing was just an unplanned surprise! Ollie and I spend a lot of time training together, and one day I decided to teach him ‘bow”. He picked it up super fast, so I decided to take it further and balance a pumpkin on his booty for a photo. He did it perfectly first time, so we continues practicing with more and more objects. As it’s a trick no one else had done before, I decided to share it online and it really took off!
6) What are some of the most surprising items that Ollie’s managed to balance?
Ollie’s balanced some really funny stuff. My favourites have probably been a full glass of water, a bowl of his dinner, and even a ukulele. Of course the wine glass (like Kim Kardashian) is probably his most popular.
7) How does it feel to see Ollie go viral? Are there any comments or reactions that standout?
It still blows me away to think about how many millions of people have seen Ollie’s videos. We constantly get comments and messages saying that Ollie has made their day happier – and it’s the best feeling in the world to know that Ollie is brightening so many peoples’ days – it’s why I do what I do!
8) Can you share some of your creative process that leads to your funny videos?
Good Boy Ollie (Photo: good.boy.ollie / Instagram)
I’m always looking for fun activities to do with him, I don’t know where the ideas come from, they’re just in my head! Aside from the activity videos, a lot of my video ideas come from watching Ollie’s behaviour. Most of the time, I am just sharing videos of things that Ollie already does. I think that’s why people love him – he’s just a true genuine good boy!
9) What are some of the fun experiences that have come about as a result of Ollie’s viral success?
We have had such incredible opportunities since we joined tiktok. Ollie has been featured on TV all across the world, he’s filmed an advert, we have made incredible friends through our platform, but my favourite has probably been the opportunity to meet Ollie’s followers. He gets recognised fairly frequently, and I am always so exited to meet everyone and let them give Ollie a cuddle.
10) Do you have a favourite post on Ollie’s channels or perhaps one that really created some momentum behind your account?
My favourite content we’ve created is the ’Things my dog does that make him a good boy’ series. It’s just a collection of little things Ollie does that some dog owners may take for granted, but I cherish so much. Those videos really gave our followers an insight into the wonderful boy that Ollie is. The activity jar series is a close second though!
11) What advice would you give to someone who is looking to start a page for their pet or grow their page for their pet?
Good Boy Ollie (Photo: good.boy.ollie / Instagram)
The one bit of advice I’d give is to have fun with your pet. I think it’s clear when your pet is enjoying themselves – and that’s the most important thing!
12) Do you have a preferred platform – TikTok, Instagram or another one?
It’s hard to choose between TikTok and Instagram. I am incredibly grateful for the platform that has grown on TikTok – currently Ollie has over 3 million followers. I have found our Tiktok content reaches more people which is amazing. However, although his Instagram page is smaller, it gives us the opportunity to speak with and interact with Ollie’s followers more – which I really love.
13) What are some of the pitfalls dog owners should avoid when it comes to social media and pets?
Good Boy Ollie (Photo: good.boy.ollie / Instagram)
Keep your pet safe – that’s the main thing. Avoid anything that may make your pet uncomfortable of stressed. We’ll only ever film a video that Ollie enjoys! Also, I think you just need to not take things so seriously and remind yourself that it’s just for fun. I used to get pretty upset when I saw other pages copying our content, but I’m learning as I go – and it’s actually a compliment!
14) What advice would you give yourself knowing what you know now if you could go back to when you first got Ollie?
Honestly, I’m not sure I’d do anything differently. I have loved him and cherished him since the day he came home. Maybe I’d tell myself one thing – join Tiktok and Instagram sooner!
