Do you have any irrational fears? Do they sometimes get in the way of you doing what you want to do?
If so, one B.C. celebrity has a message of perseverance that might help lift you up. And he’ll do it on all fours.
That’s right, he’s a dog.
To mark National Pet Day, the internet-famous Bentley the dog and his human Bradley Friesen joined CKNW’s Lynda Steele Show to talk about Bentley’s hangups, his high flying adventures — and how he’s inspired people around the world.
WATCH: Bentley and Bradley Friesen join Lynda Steele in studio
Bentley really is world-famous.
The Vancouver-based three and a half-year-old English Bulldog has more than 173,000 followers on Instagram, and 11,000 subscribers on YouTube.
Friesen said the dog’s path to internet superstardom began with some of the pup’s hangups.
“He has some really weird quirks and phobias, he’s afraid of essentially everything,” Friesen said.
“One of his big fears is shiny floors with objects that shouldn’t be there. So some videos went viral of him moon-walking out of situations, a very awkward slow bulldog backwards walk.”
Ironically, while the idea of a power cord on the ground will make Bentley go ballistic, there’s one activity that doesn’t phase the pup. Riding high in a helicopter.
Friesen is a commercial helicopter pilot, and discovered that popping the dog into the co-pilot seat, complete with a pilot’s cap and goggles, keeps his friend happier than almost anything.
In fact, even the use of the “H” word will set the dog whimpering and running for the door, according to Friesen.
“He actually loves flying it’s his favourite thing to do,” Friesen said. “He prefers to be in the helicopter.”
The contrast between Bentley’s virtually incapacitating phobias and his spirit of high-flying adventure has been part of his online success.
Friesen said he’s regularly bombarded with messages from people who’ve found Bentley online and drawn inspiration from him.
“They’re like, ‘If he can get over his fears and he can fly in a helicopter, and he can take them on…whether it’s backwards… I can do things myself,'” Friesen said.
“It’s crazy to think that somebody is inspired by your dog but it actually happens.”
Friesen said he’s now in discussions with a helicopter company about developing a “fly with Bentley” package that would raise money for charity, while letting the public have the experience of riding with the pup.