YouTuber Spends $14K to Look Like a Dog, Goes on First Walk in Public

A YouTuber named Toco made headlines and turned a lot of heads last week when he put on a shockingly realistic dog costume and took a walk outside. The Tokyo-based creator said that he has always dreamed of becoming a dog and he spent $14,000 to make it a reality. Everyone from commenters to real dogs were completely floored by his transformation.

Toco chose to look like a collie in his costume, and the effect is uncanny. While you might not mistake him for a real-life dog, you might be fooled for a fraction of a second longer than you'd expect. The suit has lifelike features and articulates in some dog-like ways without preventing Toco from moving around or making human-like gestures such as waving at other pedestrians. He definitely frightened some people in his first-ever walk.

He perplexed other dogs as well. The video shows some real dogs approaching Toco warily only to scurry away in confusion once they've gotten close. This project is a long time in the making, and it seems like Toco was pleased with the results.

Toco has previously explained that this is a childhood dream he could never quite shake. He said in an interview with The Daily Mail, "I think it was a desire to transform. I've thought about it since I can remember. Do you remember your dreams from when you were little? You want to be a hero or a wizard. I remember writing in my grade school graduation book that I wanted to be a dog and walk outside."

Still, Toco acknowledges that he has taken this dream to the extreme, and admits that he does not want people in his life to know about it. He hides his face in his videos and said that he tries particularly to hide his hobby from his co-workers.

Toco's costume was custom-made by a company called Zeppet, and it took about 40 days to put together in total. It's not clear what else Toco might have planned for the costume, but social media is still processing the experience as it is.