This Dog Will Change Your Life

Friedman reflects more on how dogs have saved his life. He recalls when he first moved to New York at 25 and was working at a marketing agency. The work wasn’t fulfilling, and Friedman struggled to keep up with deadlines. He soon realized this wasn’t what he wanted to do. He considered quitting, but was laid off not long later. Losing his job felt like a saving grace because it pushed Friedman to follow his dreams. He spent some time traveling, bringing his Nikon along with him. The photos he took of dogs in his travels gave him the idea for The Dogist. He launched the account on several social media platforms, and his new career began. This new online identity felt authentic and freeing to Friedman. He was finally doing something he loved. For a long time, he’d worried about disappointing his family, as he came from a long line of doctors who’d hoped he’d pursue medicine, too. He’d discovered his preference for the arts over medicine in college, but it’d taken him a few years to turn this passion into a realized dream: The Dogist.

Since starting The Dogist, dogs have given Friedman a purpose.