A man who has transformed into a dog using an ultra-realistic costume revealed that he is worried that his friends will find it strange.

As reported by Daily Mail, Toco from Japan spent two million Yen ($15,000) on a custom-made collie costume so that he can fulfill his lifelong dream of becoming an animal.

The man has a YouTube channel - which goes by the handle @I_want_to_be_an_animal - where posts daily content of himself living out his canine lifestyle such as learning how to eat, walk, play, and perform tricks.

However, Toco's furry obsession has limits as 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.

Check out one of Toco's videos below:

[[youtubewidget||https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CiHY845YZs]]

He has also chosen not to reveal his face to viewers so that he doesn't share this special aspect of his life with anyone that will criticize his hobby.

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."

Revealing why he's chosen this particular path in life, he said: "Since childhood, I have had this unspecific fantasy of becoming an animal," adding, "I wonder whether it was a desire for transformation."

In terms of choosing a breed, Toco wanted to be a collie because that is his "favorite breed" and purchased the lifelike ensemble from Zeppet - a Japanese agency 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 said, per Daily Mail. "There are restrictions, but you can move in it. However, if you move too much, it will not look like a dog."

Although Toco hasn't met anyone else that dresses up like a dog, he hopes "people like me who want to become animals can make that dream come true".

And, despite being scared about what his pals would think of his choice, there are many people online who have sent him support under his latest video after reaching 10,000 subscribers.

One user wrote: "Congratulations. Well deserved. You inspire us to fulfill our dreams too."

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While another said: "Congrats!! :) I’m new and I just wanna say ur costume is so cool! U def look like a real dog!"

[[imagecaption|| Credit: Youtube.]]

A third commented: "I admire youuuu! : D I hope I become the animal I want to be as well. You're an inspiration to us."

[[imagecaption|| Credit: Youtube.]]

A representative from Zeppet explained to the Japanese outlet Mynavi how the costume was made and said: "The point is that the skeleton of a dog can be reproduced on the skeleton of a human.

"Since the structure of the skeleton is very different, we spent a lot of time studying how to make it look like a dog," they continued.

"In addition, we collect photographs taken from various angles so that the beautiful coat of the collie can be reproduced and devised so that the coat will flow naturally," the agency added.

Featured image credit: Gabriela Bertolini / Alamy

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