12 February 2024 , 15:24
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Most of us can't resist petting a cute dog - but would you pet a man dressed up as a pooch?
Toco, from Japan, spent an eye-watering £12,480 on a human-sized collie costume so he could look like his favourite breed of canine and fulfil his lifelong ambition of being a dog.
The man-turned-pooch has now revealed that he will happily let people pet him as his "owner" assured people he "doesn't bite".
While walking on all fours out and about in public, Toco was interviewed by a German TV station and was uploaded to YouTube, where people happily petted the human-sized dog on the street.
The reporter assured the parents he didn't bite (I want to be an animal/YouTube)As the reporter pretended to be Toco's "owner", she assured parents the dog wouldn't bite as children put their hands out to stroke him. Reporter Karolina Kaminska told one young child: "Don't be afraid. He won't bite," as they approached Toco, and Toco then gave a cheeky wave at the camera too. However the child's mum did admit her son was "a bit scared" by the dog.
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It seemed as if Karolina was impressed by Toco's attire as she called him "so cute" and even said the children around were "mesmerised" by Toco as he was on a walk. However, it was a good job Karolina was nearby as Toco took a little tumble and lost balance on his walk and she had to intervene. She asked: "Be careful, are you good?" as he attempted to carry on walking.
Toco is finally living his dream life (FRANCK ROBICHON/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)Toco recently opened up about how he was "sad" about the unfair "misconceptions" about him becoming a dog, admitting he gets upset when trolls judge him. He previously told The Mirror that he feared 'coming out' in real life because of the reaction, and said: "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 had become an animal.
"Since childhood, I have had this unspecific fantasy of becoming an animal. I wonder whether it was a desire for transformation," he added. Despite forking out thousands of pounds on a hyperrealistic collie costume, Toco still struggles with people's perceptions of his hobby.
When asked about the negative remarks he gets around fetish, Toco told The New York Post: "I'm just sad that people can think that. I love animals and enjoy play-acting like a collie. This is my hobby, so I will carry on. It makes me happy and other people happy, too."