If dogs published magazines (and had passports and good luggage), this is the magazine they would create.
The editors of Dog, have created a true lifestyle magazine around dogs. And it’s far different than you might expect, and unlike any other magazine out there in its niche.
“In September last year, a striking new presence arrived on newsstands around the world. The first issue of Dog magazine featured a dog (a Dutch stabyhoun, to be precise) staring out of a stark white background and fixing shoppers with its big, doggy eyes,” Steve Watson in Stack explains. “Issue two followed earlier this year with a Japanese shiba inu, and issue three arrived this week with a dalmatian taking over cover duties.”
It’s a dog magazine that is clearly not about milk bones and grooming tips.
“… each issue the magazine travels to the part of the world that breed comes from, reporting on the food and culture found there and creating a kind of dog-based travelogue,” Watson explains. “It’s all part of editor-in-chief Julian Victoria’s vision to create a lifestyle magazine that would appeal to dog lovers – one that uses man’s best friend as a jumping off point for exploring many different facets of modern life.”
The idea started with Victoria’s passion for indie print, when he realized that dogs are easy icebreakers. He saw dogs as the entry point he was looking for to launch a print magazine.
“We kind of play with the subject dog,” Victoria explained in an interview with Watson, “and use that as the common ground for all the stories. Some of the stories are not even related to or about dogs. We talk about different things that are somehow interconnected to the main topic, which is the breed.”
Traveling to the breed’s native land, interviewing owners of that particular breed, and covering the many facets of the culture from which a breed comes, the magazine takes on a breadth of topic that is quite remarkable.
The editorial team is looking to expand the breadth of their magazine brand as well, beginning with a series of podcasts. The magazine’s appeal has great appeal for dog lovers in general, plus specific attraction for those who love a particular breed. It’s a sublime way to increase reach while staying true to its niche.
It’s no secret we love indie magazines around here, and the creativity and passion of these independent publishers. We are indeed lucky to be living in this golden age for niche magazines.