'I spent £12k becoming a border collie but real dogs don't treat me as an equal'

Toco went viral for a hyper realistic fur suit to dress up as a dog while walking around on the streets of Tokyo.

He has gained almost 60,000 subscribers on YouTube for unusual content documenting his life as a man-turned-dog. In most videos, Toco fits the general description of 'doggy duties', learning to play, eat dog food, and pose like a border collie. In other videos, he crosses the line between dog and human, showing clips of him performing more 'human' tasks while in the fur suit, such as drinking Coca-Cola from the bottle. He even tries his hand (paw?) in gaming while in costume.

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Toco spent £12,000 to make his dreams become a reality by ordering the outfit from a specialist in TV and movie costuming. Unfortunately, it isn't quite convincing enough for other pups. According to him, he's having trouble fitting in with the real animals in public. He told the Sun: "They seemed a little surprised and unfortunately, they did not treat me as an equal."

Finding other therians, who are people who identify as non-human, to spend his time with has been no walk in the park. Trying to show this side of himself to non-therians comes with its own set of difficulties, as well. "I have received comments that say I have wasted the money and that Toco is weird," he explained.

He doesn't let the negativity from strangers affect him and he even admitted to his friends that he enjoyed dressing up as a dog. According to Toco, his friends were a bit 'surprised', but they accepted him for who he was. After all, it's an important part of his identity; one that is said to bring him "feelings of excitement and fun" that outweigh even the discomfort of the suit itself.

"I won't stay a dog forever - I only become a dog a few times a month," he explained. Temporarily dressing up in costume isn't as uncommon as some people may think. There is a whole realm of therians and "furries" out there, all exploring their own identity in a unique way.