It's no secret that a lot of animals resemble people, or even that pets look like their owners — but none more than this dog that looks like a human. Of course, the internet is going bananas over photos of this dog — and after seeing it, it's not difficult to see why. If you thought that a part-dog, part-human creature was just for science-fiction movies, this dog's face is so human-looking that it might make you change your mind. Reddit user emceegrath originally posted a photo of Yogi in late February 2018 on the social media site's r/pics subreddit, and now, the pup is beginning to generate a lot of buzz. Because, how often do you see a dog with a human face?
According to Buzzfeed, the dog belongs to 24-year-old Chantal Desjardins, and is named Yogi. As Desjardins told Buzzfeed, she didn't notice Yogi's human-like features until she posted a picture to Facebook (this is, likely, how the user emceegrath on Reddit saw it), and realized people were having a reaction to Yogi. "My friends were freaking out," she told Buzzfeed.
On the Reddit, people chimed in that Yogi's eyebrows, haircut, mustache, and other traits contributed to his human characteristics. "But it’s not just his eyes," Reddit user michellemustudy replied. "Look at that little grimace smile that can only come from a middle-aged man who’s soul has been given to corporate." Others thought that the resemblance must be the result of a face-swap app — but according to Desjardins in her interview with Buzzfeed, the photos of Yogi are "not photoshopped at all."
Similar to her interview with Buzzfeed, Desjardins told The Dodo that she never noticed how much her dog resembled a human until people began pointing it out on social media. "Looking at him, normally I don’t see it," she said, adding "He is the cuddliest fluffiest puppy ever! He’s the sweetest!" Clearly the internet agrees — Yogi and his human features are still rising to online stardom, where all dogs belong.
Hilariously, Yogi isn't the only human-looking dog to get some attention. Another dog named Tonik, who was rescued from a kill shelter in Kentucky, turned heads five years ago because he looks like a sad old man waiting for soup at a deli.
While Yogi and Tonik don't resemble their owners, the BBC reported that people are more likely to select dogs that resemble them, even though they're not consciously aware of it. "Maybe this is all due to the allure of familiarity: a dog may seem more comforting if it resembles the other members of our family, who we know and love," David Robson wrote for the BBC. "Yet some psychologists believe it might be a spill over from the way we evolved to find mates: dating someone that looks like us may ensure that their genes are generally compatible with our own."
So, perhaps Desjardins selected Yogi because subconsciously he reminded her of someone she finds comfort in? No matter how Yogi and Desjardins came together, his human face has people feeling both exhilarated and entranced.
Personally, I think Yogi's resemblance to a human is one of the cutest things I've ever seen in my life. Perhaps the haters are worried dogs are one step closer to learning how to walk on two legs and taking over the world? I don't know why they would be, though, because that actually doesn't sound like it would be the worst thing that could happen. Most dogs are better humans than any actual human could ever hope to be — and I think we'd all be lucky to be in a world taken over by dogs like Yogi.
