Bertie the Lakeland Terrier: UK pup's bid to find new dog walker drives him to social media stardom

A British dog has become an accidental international celebrity - with thousands around the world now following him on social media.

Bertie the Lakeland Terrier’s social media social media stardom began after his owner posted an appeal for someone to walk him. But the pup’s page on X, formerly known as Twitter, soon swelled to more than 67,000 global followers - from as far as New Zealand and the US.

Photos and videos on Bertie's account show the pooch out on walks, sitting outside and inside cafes and restaurants and playing with his fellow canine friends. His owner, Philip Stader, 61, told SWNS he only initially made him a social media page in a bid to 'find a dog walker'.

Mr Stader, of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, said his cute pet was "slightly hard-work". "Originally I just wanted to find a dog walker, and someone said to create a social media page for Bertie,” he said. "I gave it a whirl on X - and I did find a walker at first, but after 20 minutes of taking Bertie out they quickly gave up and I received a text saying 'a horribly misbehaving dog, we're taking him back’.”

He kept going with the account - posting everyday photos of Bertie going about his daily business, and it generated a big interest. "Bertie, who is eight, loves life and enjoys everything - he loves the outdoors and other dogs too, and is very social. The followers just kept coming from then on and so I've just kept it going.”

Mr Stader said the two aims of the account were “to bring a smile to the world”, and to raise awareness of Lakeland Terriers - a breed with birth rates decreasing each year. "It's such a lovely thing to see and it is just a bit of fun that brightens up people's day. We didn't find a dog walker - but we found an interest in Lakeland Terriers, which is the most important thing.”

The dog lover believed Lakeland Terriers were now a dying breed, and they have been listed as a ‘vulnerable’ native dog by the Kennel Club. He describes them as "a bit rough and tumble".

“They are slightly hard work... but make up for it in other ways,” he said. "Their birth rates are decreasing but since starting this account we know of 10 to 11 people who have got Lakeland Terriers now, which is great.”

He also praised the breed’s loyalty and love for their owners. "It's funny because if they like someone they’ll spend all day with them but if the person tries to leave they try and grab their trousers to stop them from going.”