Man who spent $15k to 'become a dog' is worried his friends will think he's weird

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By Phoebe Egoroff

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We all have passions and hobbies - whether that's knitting, going to the gym, or even baking yummy treats.

But, for some of us, it can even go one step further, as one man from Japan has admitted... Even if it means his friends may think he's a little weird.

The man - who goes by the name Toco - has an expensive hobby that has seen him spend two million Yen ($15,000) on a custom-made border collie costume so that he can fulfill his lifelong desire to become a dog. Toco even has a YouTube channel - which goes by the handle @I_want_to_be_an_animal - where posts daily content of himself living out his paw-fect lifestyle such as learning how to eat, walk, and play like a pooch.

However, like anything, Toco's dedication to the canine lifestyle can have its limits. In fact, he only wears the dog suit on certain occasions and hides his secret from his close friends and coworkers because he doesn't want to be judged.

In fact, Toco hasn't revealed his face to viewers as he's worried that the people in his life will criticize his hobby and unique passion. Speaking to The Mirror, Toco explained: "I rarely tell my friends because I am afraid they will think I am weird. My friends and family seemed very surprised to learn I became an animal."

Toco revealed that he's wanted to be a dog from a young age, saying: "Since childhood, I have had this unspecific fantasy of becoming an animal," adding, "I wonder whether it was a desire for transformation." Regarding choosing a breed, Toco said he wanted to be a border collie because that is his "favorite breed" and purchased the lifelike ensemble from Zeppet - a Japanese company that makes sculptures and models for films.

"I thought a big animal close to my size would be good considering that it would be a realistic model, so I decided to make it a dog," he told the Daily Mail. "There are restrictions, but you can move in it. However, if you move too much, it will not look like a dog."

Toco has also constructed a cage for himself to sit in, posting a new video titled 'Realistic dog costume When I became a dog, I got locked in a cage!' and this time it shows him crawling into a huge dog cage.

The faux dog appears to really struggle to fit into the cage - which is obviously not made for human-sized animals - but eventually, he puts himself in it and the person recording the video then shuts the doors.

Toco then starts pawing at the door, before the lights in the room are turned off so that he can go to sleep. It then cuts to the person recording opening the door and unlocking the cage so that he can come out.

Featured image credit: Farlap / Alamy

Man who spent $15k to 'become a dog' is worried his friends will think he's weird

vt-author-image

By Phoebe Egoroff

Article saved!Article saved!

We all have passions and hobbies - whether that's knitting, going to the gym, or even baking yummy treats.

But, for some of us, it can even go one step further, as one man from Japan has admitted... Even if it means his friends may think he's a little weird.

The man - who goes by the name Toco - has an expensive hobby that has seen him spend two million Yen ($15,000) on a custom-made border collie costume so that he can fulfill his lifelong desire to become a dog. Toco even has a YouTube channel - which goes by the handle @I_want_to_be_an_animal - where posts daily content of himself living out his paw-fect lifestyle such as learning how to eat, walk, and play like a pooch.

However, like anything, Toco's dedication to the canine lifestyle can have its limits. In fact, he only wears the dog suit on certain occasions and hides his secret from his close friends and coworkers because he doesn't want to be judged.

In fact, Toco hasn't revealed his face to viewers as he's worried that the people in his life will criticize his hobby and unique passion. Speaking to The Mirror, Toco explained: "I rarely tell my friends because I am afraid they will think I am weird. My friends and family seemed very surprised to learn I became an animal."

Toco revealed that he's wanted to be a dog from a young age, saying: "Since childhood, I have had this unspecific fantasy of becoming an animal," adding, "I wonder whether it was a desire for transformation." Regarding choosing a breed, Toco said he wanted to be a border collie because that is his "favorite breed" and purchased the lifelike ensemble from Zeppet - a Japanese company that makes sculptures and models for films.

"I thought a big animal close to my size would be good considering that it would be a realistic model, so I decided to make it a dog," he told the Daily Mail. "There are restrictions, but you can move in it. However, if you move too much, it will not look like a dog."

Toco has also constructed a cage for himself to sit in, posting a new video titled 'Realistic dog costume When I became a dog, I got locked in a cage!' and this time it shows him crawling into a huge dog cage.

The faux dog appears to really struggle to fit into the cage - which is obviously not made for human-sized animals - but eventually, he puts himself in it and the person recording the video then shuts the doors.

Toco then starts pawing at the door, before the lights in the room are turned off so that he can go to sleep. It then cuts to the person recording opening the door and unlocking the cage so that he can come out.

Featured image credit: Farlap / Alamy