Today we’d like to introduce you to Dylan Mansour.
Hi Dylan, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Dylan Mansour and I’ve always had a love for animals. Growing up my family always had multiple dogs. I would spend all my free time loving on them, teaching them tricks, and playing fetch or tug. When I moved out of my family house, the first thing I did was get my own dog. His name is Atlas and he is a 6-year-old German Shepherd. He is my soul pup and very best friend. I always knew I wanted another dog as well, but lived at a place with no yard. Wanting to wait until I could move, I saved up money and did lots of research on what breed would fit our lifestyle most. I came across the Australian Shepherd breed and immediately fell in love. They were such smart dogs, they were an active breed, and loved to work! It was around this time that I was able to move into a new place with a yard. I contacted multiple breeders and reserved spots on multiple waitlists for nearly a year. Though I was searching for a standard Australian Shepherd, I specifically wanted a blue merle female. Every litter I had reserved a spot on either never took or didn’t have the pup I was hoping to get. Finally, one December day I was scrolling through a Facebook page where breeders posted their pups and laid my eyes on Artemis. She was four weeks and the previous owner who had claimed her had changed their mind. I knew right away I wanted her. I immediately reached out to the breeder and said I was interested, we worked something out, and I picked up my baby girl in January of 2021. As she grew up, I took as many photos and videos as I could. I have a bad habit of losing my pictures so I created a TikTok and Instagram to always have a place to return to for her puppy phase. Artemis started to gain a big following on TikTok and Instagram all while we just had fun and created silly videos and posted cute photos. It was the best decision of my life to share my pup on social media. We’ve met so many great friends along the way and have learned so much. Artemis is my wild child who loves to work and learn new things. She has earned her Trick Dog Grand Champion Trick Title as well as her Rally Novice title. Some of her favorite tricks are painting, using her buttons to “talk”, and doing various flips for her frisbee. She’s a sweet girl who loves playing with her brother, Atlas, and has never met a stranger, but she’s also sassy and will let you know it! Her favorite sport in the world is agility and we plan to start competing now that she is old enough to be in trials.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Raising a sassy Australian Shepherd while trying to create social media content has definitely come with a lot of struggles! There are some days when we are training and it just doesn’t click right away. It can be frustrating, but that’s when I know I need to take a step back, breathe, and revisit whatever we are working on when we are both in a better place. It’s important to know that our dogs sense our state of mind. If you are getting frustrated, they probably are too! Artemis has two besties, Alaska & Olive who are both Aussies around her age. Their moms, Chynna and Sam, have given me so much advice and encouragement to get through some puppy challenges- so find yourself a supportive group of dog parents! One of my biggest struggles with Artemis has been her separation anxiety. Since she is a Covid pup and I have been working at home, she’s used to being with me all the time. We are working on her being able to be okay when I’m not directly by her and she’s made a lot of improvement! Staying motivated to post content can also be a challenge. Sometimes you put a lot of thought and effort into a post only for it to flop. It can be disheartening, but as soon as I realize that Artemis or I am not having fun with it, I take a break. I never want to create cute pictures or silly videos to come before my dogs or my mental health.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My professional job is as a Test Automation Engineer. I work on a map system for the Marines. I take our scripts and write code so that they can be run automatically instead of by hand. I graduated college with a Bachelor’s in Science in Computer Science, a Bachelor’s in Science in Computer Information Systems, minors in Math and Business Administration, and multiple professional certifications. I’m proud of the work drive I had in at school, which has translated into my career and personal life.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Atlas and Artemis. They are my babies. I know that no matter what happens, I can always count on them to cheer me up. A dog’s love is truly selfless and unconditional. I can be having my worse day and feel like a complete disaster, but my dogs are there with kisses and cuddles to let me know I’m the best thing ever and that what is wrong, will be okay! They don’t care about how I look, what I wear, if I messed up at work or if I made a bad choice, they just love me for me. I’ve always struggled with feeling accepted, but my dogs accept me no matter what and I don’t think there’s anything else that could make me happier.
Contact Info:
- Email: Artemis.TheAussieGirl@gmail.com
- Website: https://vm.tiktok.com/TTPdYt8CCD/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/artemis.theaussie
Image Credits
Jonathan Riggins
Dylan Mansour
