With a whopping 820,000 followers on Instagram, Crusoe the miniature black and tan dachshund, is more famous than most of us ever will be. Named after Robinson Crusoe for his deep sense of adventure and natural ability to instill fascination in the public eye, this is one celebrity pet that doesn’t let his height stop him.
It was shortly into his first year of life that he had his first debut on television for winning best trick at an annual wiener dog event, and ever since that appearance, life snowballed into that of a renowned international celebrity. Cruso has even won a People’s Choice Award for “Animal Star” of 2018.
But according to his owner and acting manager, Ryan Beauchesne, Crusoe is a down-to-earth kind of celebrity. “Crusoe is well-known for his calm, easygoing personality,” he relayed in an interview with Dogster. “We did a TV interview once where Crusoe sat on a chair in his captain uniform next to me — he just sat there the whole time, and later everyone commented on how shocked they were at how chill he was!”
Costumes are a big part of the wiener’s act, which also includes hilarious YouTube videos, where he’s seen having a blast. “Although we give a voice to Crusoe, we feel that the personality you see online is a reflection of his real personality,” explained Beauchesne. “He loves adventure and exploring new places, and for a small dog, he’s very brave. He loves to play and squeak from morning till midnight, but is also not very cuddly or kissable (hence his tough guy image online).”
His celebrity status also means that Crusoe travels frequently, including to such places as Maine, Bahamas, Florida, France, Italy, Switzerland, Mexico. “Sometimes, I wonder if Crusoe is actually a special dog or if it’s just this online character we’ve built that makes him seem special,” says his owner. “But people — even those who do not know he’s a celebrity — comment over and over how handsome he is or how human-like he is. So I think there is something different about him. He was meant to be a celebrity.”
