International

     “I love you.” Those are the three words that eventually changed a dog owner’s life, not just because that was what he said to his dog, but because that was what his dog said to him. The YouTube video of a 9-year-old Siberian Husky named Mishka howling something that sounds like, “I love you,” has been viewed over 72 million times since Matthew Gardea first uploaded it in February of 2008.

“At first we just howled to get her going, wolf-style. It was a form of communication/bonding between us. Then we noticed after time that she was mimicking us in tone and syllables. We noticed that she was really good at repeating ‘I love you’ and said it to her often. She seems like she is actually expressing affection for us when she says it, odd as that sounds. For years she would say it to us when our friends came over as a party trick, then I decided to put it up on YouTube–and well–the rest is history!” Matthew Gardea told me.

“History,” of course, is his YouTube channel, Gardea23, garnering over 300 thousand subscribers and 295 million video views from Mishka fans that are attracted to what Gardea describes as, “Family friendly, dog-centric entertainment.” “History” is Mishka being tapped to be the “voice” for a Purina commercial that debuted during “The National Dog Show,” being featured on “NBC Nightly News,” and being asked to appear on “Live with Regis and Kelly” and “The Today Show.” Mishka is a veritable YouTube star.

“I’m a big fan of Adam Sandler, and we got to hang out with him in the green room one time. Prior to going on ‘Live with Regis and Kelly,’ Mishka said, ‘I love you,’ to him and he thought she was awesome. He even stopped by after his interview and made a point to say ‘I love that dog!’” Gardea said

It’s clear that people love Mishka just as much as she loves them, and she has over 262 thousand “likes” on Facebook to prove it. Why are people so drawn to a dog that seems like it’s trying to communicate through human language?

Gardea said, “People communicate with their pets in one way or another; Mishka just takes it to another level. I think seeing a pet that can vocally express how it feels really touches people. Mishka, Moki, and Laika are kind of like virtual pets for the world. Their fans can check in on them through Facebook and YouTube to see what they’re up to. For people who don’t or can’t have dogs, they get to share ours.”

And how did Mishka first come to be a part of the Gardea family, before she became a part of her fans’ families?

“When my wife and I first moved in together, just out of college, we decided that we wanted to get a husky. We stopped by a pet store and fell in love with her. Mishka is both my wife’s and my, first dog. Though we purchased Mishka from a pet store, we would encourage people to adopt from either a shelter or a Siberian Husky rescue program. There are a lot of dogs out there who need good homes. If people do decide to purchase a husky, I would recommend choosing a reputable breeder.”

While Matthew Gardea says that content creation and upkeep for his 4 related YouTube channels and social media pages takes a lot of time and creativity, he still continues to work as a freelance art director. His YouTube empire includes a Gardea family vlog channel, as well as channels for Mishka and his 2 other dogs; Laika, another Siberian Husky, and Moki, a mixed breed likely composed of Jack Russell Terrier and Pit Bull genes that the Gardea family adopted from a Bronx shelter.