Who knew the breakout star of the doggy world wags his tail right here in Greenville?
“We’re the highest-earning dog creator page on the internet right now,” marvels Johnathan Lower, the human behind enormously popular social media brand, A Guy and a Golden, and the loving owner of Teddy the golden retriever.
In spring of 2021, Lower began tackling home renovation projects as a way to stay close in spirit to his late father, who worked with his hands. He’d post the content to his Instagram account, and it did well—until he built his dog, Teddy, a truly unique indoor doghouse. Tucked into the pantry space under his stairs, this isn’t Harry Potter’s crawl space. It’s a bespoke bedroom with stonework, lighting, comfy perches, a false window that simulates the weather outside, a TV, and more. Not such a ruff way to live after all.
“Every video I was posting got tens of millions of views, and then the page automatically became Teddy Center. Viewers didn’t want to see me anymore, they wanted to see Teddy, and I was fine with that,” says Lower with a laugh. The duo has since introduced plenty of fun content, from seasonal skits to day-in-the-life reels. “Teddy’s amazing. He’s a really good dog—he’s so nonchalant. He lets you put him in a position and he’ll stay as long as we tell him to. A lot of the time, he just falls asleep,” adds Lower.
If you’re marveling over the details of Teddy’s fabulous den, there’s a good reason: Lower was a successful real estate agent before diving into content creation as a career. In fact, the idea for the doghouse came from a similar project he’d seen in a house he was showing on Lake Keowee. To build his own version, he spent hours on YouTube learning how to do DIY projects like wiring, building a functional stone fireplace, and soundproofing for thunderstorms. He then paired that knowledge with his appreciation for well-designed living.
While Lower and his pup have a few exciting new ventures on the horizon—like launching a line of sneakers for dogs called Teddy’s Tennies in 2025—the duo is most passionate about giving back. “It’s amazing how many lives we touch. We do a lot with rescue dogs and to help out the community,” says Lower, who credits the success of their channel for his family’s ability to channel that good into saving the lives of rescue pets. “We’ve donated tens of thousands to animal shelters, put together truckloads of food, and we rally our following to help out other people and their causes.”
Putting on the dog
Notable Teddy appearances:
- The Rachael Ray show
- Access Hollywood with Mario Lopez
- Forbes magazine
A pack of fans
Number of followers: 20 million+
Total views of Teddy and Jonathan’s videos: 8.5 billion and counting
Q: What’s your favorite way to spoil Teddy?
A: “With a Lambchop stuffed-animal dog toy, which he destroys immediately.” —Jonathan Lower
