Toco, the Japanese man who captured worldwide attention for his transformation into a realistic rough collie, has recently shared a video of his first public walk as a "dog." The heartwarming and fascinating footage was posted on Toco's YouTube channel last Friday and shows him engaging with people and other dogs during the outing. According to Toco, the video was actually filmed last year as part of an interview with German TV station RTL, and he has now been granted permission to release it to the public.

In the five-minute video, Toco skillfully embodies the mannerisms and behaviour of a four-legged furball, earning admiration from onlookers and their canine companions. While some dogs initially display hesitation when approaching Toco, the overall response appears to be positive and welcoming. However, some who are encountering him for the first time are taken aback by his appearance and antics.

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“Now this is a unique surprise. I never thought you would go into the public,” one YouTube user commented. “I'm glad you had a good time.” Another wrote, “This is the most bizarre and insane thing I’ve ever seen.”

“This is THE weirdest thing I've seen in a long time,” another user declared. “All those people laughing and acting like it's a dog doing tricks – no! It's a weirdo in a dog costume, stop it!”

Toco's journey to canine transformation began when he commissioned the model and sculpture company Zeppet to create a remarkably realistic dog costume for him. The entire process set him back 2 million yen, approximately USD 15,700  and Rs 12 Lakh at the time, but it fulfilled his lifelong dream of becoming a dog.

Since then, Toco has documented his unique adventure on his YouTube channel, which has now amassed around 31,000 subscribers. Most of his previous videos were filmed indoors, making this latest public walk particularly special.

While fans celebrate Toco for living his dream, this anonymous canine has been adamant about not revealing his identity, particularly with coworkers. “I don't want my hobbies to be known, especially by the people I work with,” he told the Daily Mail last year. Even with friends, Toco remains careful. “I rarely tell my friends because I am afraid they will think I am weird,” he told the Mirror in December.