Goodbye, Small House, Big Dogs

The History

Way back in July 2020, my husband (then boyfriend) and I adopted our first dog, and I made an instagram account for her because some of my friends had accounts for their animals. It all started as a digital scrapbook of our new puppy. I called it @charlieshaythemutt.

Naturally, this account attracted other dogstagram accounts, and I found some to follow on my own as well. I also got very into training my <1 year old puppy, and started sharing that journey on Instagram as well. I thought “I want to be like one of those adventure and training accounts!” So, I changed the account to @ourmuttcharlie and began to “niche down,” if you will.

Reality check: We live in the suburbs of Detroit, so minimal adventuring was happening. Plus, sharing our training journey online became uncomfortable, as everyone has their own opinion on how your dog should be trained.

I started sharing our casual, cozy, at home life, and people seemed to dig it. I even started sprinkling in some home decor content here and there (something I’ve always been passionate about).

Note: I had another Instagram account I used to share about home decor related things, but I mostly used @ourmuttcharlie.

People were loving the dog + home decor blended content, so I was encouraged to share more. In fall 2021, I eventually decided to change my handle to @smallhousebigdogs.

What Small House, Big Dogs Means to Me

First of all, the literal explanation for the handle is:

  • Small house: We live in a small 876 square foot bungalow

  • Big Dogs: While we only had Charlie when I changed my handle, I knew we were going to get a second dog someday (and it’s finally happening this summer!)

In a less literal sense, @smallhousebigdogs has allowed me to be creative and has helped me find myself. It has opened the door to help others love where they live. It has helped me gain confidence to be myself and share my passions with strangers on the internet in hopes to connect and inspire.

I’m grateful for the dog accounts that still follow me (heyyy day ones!) and I’m grateful for the others I’ve met in other corners of the wild wild web.

Small House, Big Dogs will always be a part of me.


Glimpse Into the Future: By Emma Shay

To cut to the chase without giving away my big announcement coming soon, I’m in the process of creating an LLC to make my business “legit” as they say (they being the government). I have grand plans for my business, both on social media and off.

With that said, it felt like Small House, Big Dogs would not be able to grow with me for long. I thought about the decision to change the name for weeks. I toyed with many options, but nothing felt as right as Small House, Big Dogs. That is, until: By Emma Shay.

I’m so excited to soon share all of the “by Emma Shay'“ things I have planned. Some possibilities include: Gardening by Emma Shay, tea time and tips by Emma Shay, your home by Emma Shay (wink wink, nudge nudge).

Even though my handle and blog name are different, the content will essentially stay the same. My main goal with Small House, Big Dogs was to help others see (and maybe DIY) the good in their home, even if it’s not their forever home. Everyone deserves a space where they feel safe, calm, and cozy. I also always aimed for my page to exude relaxing and welcoming feelings. These messages will all stay the same with By Emma Shay. Also, Charlie will continue to make an appearance — she’s my little bff and shadow.

Ultimately, this change is bittersweet. So so SO bittersweet. But I’m ready for this next step.

Ta-ta for now, @smallhousebigdogs

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