A Japanese individual who goes by the online name Toco has spent approximately two million Yen ($14,000) to transform himself into a canine by donning a specially-made collie costume. Toco shared a video of himself in the costume on his YouTube channel, which boasts over 32,000 subscribers. In the video, he can be seen frolicking on a lawn, rolling on the ground, and even playing fetch, expressing that the costume has allowed him to fulfill his dream of “becoming an animal.”
Documenting his transformation journey, Toco uploaded a video titled “I want to be an animal” on his YouTube channel, attracting significant attention with over 1 million views and gaining more than 31,000 new subscribers. The video was filmed about a year ago during an interview conducted by German TV station RTL.
犬になって街に出てみた！
I turned into a dog and went out on the town! pic.twitter.com/t26bxtnwQa— トコ（Toco） (@toco_eevee) July 20, 2023
During the video, Toco captured himself experiencing his first-ever walk in public as a dog, attracting the amazement of passersby as he strolled along a busy street. The clip quickly went viral, amassing 1.7 million views.
In the dog outfit, Toco mimics canine behavior, sniffing other dogs in the park and playfully rolling on the ground. He admitted feeling nervous and scared when going out in public in the costume, which boasts hyper-realistic features and includes a harness strapped around his furry abdomen.
The realistic collie costume, crafted by the company Zeppet, took 40 days to make and cost approximately $14,161 USD. The outfit perfectly replicates the appearance of a real dog walking on all fours, fulfilling Toco’s dream of becoming an animal that he has had since childhood. He specifically chose to become a collie due to the breed’s similar size to humans.
Despite his online fame as the “human dog,” Toco prefers to keep his unusual hobby a secret from most of his friends and family, fearing they may find it strange. He chooses not to share this aspect of his life with his colleagues at work either.
In an interview, Toco expressed that he rarely reveals his hobby to friends because he is afraid they might judge him. Nevertheless, he remains passionate about his unique transformation and embraces his identity as a human dog.
