Man who spent $15,000 to 'become a dog' is looking for love

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By Kim Novak

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The man who spent $15,000 to 'become a dog' has revealed that he's looking for love and is hoping to find a girl dog to be his life partner.

The anonymous man who lives in Japan and goes by the name of Toco while in costume spent a small fortune having a very realistic collie costume made to be able to live out his lifelong dream of being a dog.

He found fame after videos and photos of him in the uncanny costume went viral, as he updated his followers on his milestones as a dog, including going for his first walk on a lead. 

One thing that's missing from his new canine life, however, is a girl dog for him to fall in love with - and he's hoping to find his perfect lady soon.

Toco revealed to the New York Post that he wishes to find a woman who's into the same pastime of living as a girl dog, adding: "I think it would be great if something like this existed. I would like to meet them."

According to the outlet, Toco is what psychologists describe as a 'therian', which is someone that identifies as a nonhuman species, rather than being a 'furry', which is a subculture in which people dress as dogs or other animals for sexual gratification.

Toco also revealed why he chose to become a collie of all the dog breeds, explaining: "The reason I chose a collie dog breed specifically is primarily because I like raising them.

"Secondly, because if it wasn’t a naturally large size breed, it wouldn’t look unnaturally disproportionate when worn by someone as a costume."

Well, he certainly wouldn't make a convincing chihuahua, that's for sure.

The strikingly realistic costume tends to draw attention when Toco leaves the house, with many people stopping to stare or interact with the human dog.

He is hoping to channel his viral fame into a movie career next, and would love to star in films as a dog in future.

While Toco is living his best doggie life, he still keeps his double life a secret from friends and colleagues in case they think he is "weird", however, his family knows what he does in his spare time.

His journey to becoming Toco began two and a half years ago when he first approached companies to make a realistic dog costume for him, which took around six months to manufacture.

It was finally completed last spring and Toco initially wore the suit in private for almost a year before revealing his transformation on his YouTube channel.

He now shares updates of him going for walks, playing fetch, and even pretending to eat dog food, delighting his online followers.

While his lifestyle brings him great joy, spending the day walking on all fours - which humans aren't designed to do - cam take its toll on his body.

He told the outlet: "Rather than being tough or physically uncomfortable, the feelings of excitement and fun I receive from this experience are stronger,"

Here's hoping Toco finds a lady friend to complete him soon, too.

Featured image credit: Getty Images