Doug the Pug (born May 20, 2012) is a pug living in Nashville, Tennessee, who has gained a large internet and social media following, and has reached the status of a "celebrity dog".[1]
Doug became famous on social media in 2014, when his owner Leslie Mosier created the Instagram account Doug the Pug. In 2016, a book named Doug the Pug: The King of Pop was published, which was accompanied by an international promotion campaign.
Forbes named Doug the Pug the second most influential pet in 2018.[2]
In 2022, Doug the Pug Foundation, a charity that helps children fighting cancer, was started in his name.[5]
He is the most followed pug on the internet with over 18 million collective followers. Doug's Facebook page has over 6 million likes and 10 billion Facebook video views; his Instagram account has 3.9 million followers, and his Twitter account has just hit over 2.6 million followers as of 28 November 2021.
Doug's owner, Leslie Mosier, is The New York Times best-seller author of Doug the Pug: The King of Pop Culture, released in November 2016. Following the release of her book, Mosier took Doug on an international book tour with stops in England, Paris, and the United States.[8]
To accompany her book, Mosier has released a line of calendars and a line of Doug the Pug apparel. Doug's first children's book was released with Scholastic in September 2019.[9]
Doug has a line of merchandise at the retailer Claire's, with a range of Gund stuffed animals, backpacks, and apparel.[13] Doug also has a line of greeting cards with American Greetings, sold at Target and Wal-Mart,[14] a pair of shoes with Skechers,[15] and a line of dog toys with Outward Hound.