PIEDMONT, S.C. -- A lot of the videos start with Johnathan Lower getting into the doghouse.
Like, an actual one.
This one, however, is on another level than a Snoopy shack.
It's indoors, for starters, and at Lower's Piedmont home. It was a closet, but now it's a luxury suite for Teddy, a golden retriever.
The doghouse has its own digital fireplace and a flat-screen TV, only fitting for a TikTok celebrity like Teddy, whose videos often draw millions of views on the social media app.
The videos show the life of gentle 2-year-old Teddy.
He visits Falls Park and gets a "pup cup" of whipped cream at a drive-through on Tuesdays. Teddy chills out in their home theater, under a blanket and sporting sunglasses, or lets Lower jump over him into the pool.
The human half of the duo often finds himself on video, squeezing on his side, wiggling his way into the snug doggie door that's an entrance to Teddy's closet suite.
The regular closet door, with a knob and all, works just fine as an alternative. But the regular door is usually saved for effect. Like when Teddy theatrically tossed Lower out for trying to charge $1,000 a month in rent.
Lower, who works in real estate, started the videos earlier this year, but the videos really took off when the dog and the person leaned into comedy.
There have been sponsorship offers. So far he's only taken up Febreeze, but there are regular packages of doggie toys and the temptation to go into producing videos full time.
But Lower plans to keep his day job for now.
Like all good slapstick, there's real heart to the videos.
Lower said he's had a handful of family and friends die in the last two years, including his dad and an aunt. Having Teddy around for those years has helped him cope with the first real close deaths of his life and with the pandemic of the past year, Lower said.
His videos include a tribute to his father, which led to thousands of people reaching out.
When Teddy buried a doggie toy for a video, it touched dog owners around the world. Many had just put their own dogs to sleep for the last time or saw in Teddy's tongue-lapping smile their own childhood dog, Lower said.
"Dogs can be a beacon of light for people; they're mood lifters," Lower said. "Some people are in bad situations and bad times, and sometimes a funny video can lift spirits. It helps."
Sitting on a raised and cushioned platform bed inside his custom closet home, Teddy listens carefully whenever he hears his name.
He has his own fireplace mantle, with a model of himself and a stuffed toy. There's a plant and a portrait of Teddy and Lower.
The secret, if there is one, to their overnight success probably comes down to Teddy's skill set, Lower said.
He's a photogenic dog who loves to please and naturally strikes a chord with people.
It's as simple, and as deep, as a dog living his best life. Tongue out, ready for adventure and happy to have people coming along.
"Dogs are just easy. People like dogs, and Teddy just resonates with a lot of people," Lower said. "I guess people just like Teddy."
You can find Lower on TikTok, TheHomeProjectGuy.
