When we recently came across an adorable Shiba Inu peering out of a wall of shrubbery and an Akita dog poking his nose out of a hole in the wall, we figured these were one-off, rare sightings, much like the sight of a hedgehog riding on the back of a rubber duck or a cat dressed in an elegant kimono.
But it turns out we were just scratching the surface of a well-known pastime in the canine world, which involves dogs of all shapes and sizes squeezing themselves into holes in walls to catch a whiff of what’s going on outside. And no dog is immune to the trend, with bulldogs, collies and beagles getting in on the cute act too!
There’s not a lot of space when it comes to residential housing in Japan, and instead of open yards or low fences, many houses are surrounded by garden walls made from concrete, with decorative holes for air flow, which just happen to be perfect for fitting your snout into.
▼ This little Akita pup was one of the first dog-in-the-wall sightings, sending Twitter into a tailspin with his adorably eager desire to join in with the fun of the outside world.
Image: Twitter/@onodesu0223 (edited by RocketNews24)
▼ Then there was the rare breed of hedge-dog dubbed the ‘Shruba-inu’ who captivated everyone with his remarkable talent.
https://twitter.com/hotto_mit/status/633993240048349190
Since these two curious pups appeared on Twitter, there’s been a host of other sightings, proving this is a trend that’s steadily growing around the country. Let’s take a stroll through the streets of Japan and check out some of the cute “wall dogs” that have been spotted along the way.
https://twitter.com/pan_bara/status/515512384123723776
Depending on the size of their wall hole, dogs can appear as just a snout or perhaps even a head.
Image: Instagram/tomo398
Others have enough room to stand guard like sentinels.
事務所に向かう途中高級住宅街を歩いていたら壁から柴犬くんが。。笑
— ワタナベ 祐 / AddicTone (@yu_guitarworks) February 13, 2015
繋がれてないみたいだけど、これ出れるよね?
可愛い^^ pic.twitter.com/SBLr72LFCK
Some dogs know that the only thing better than watching the world go by is when you’ve got a mate or two to do it with!
https://twitter.com/kawara94/status/639731128375508992
https://twitter.com/mesomeso1009/status/526902207094857729
The act of pushing your head through a hole in the wall isn’t always pretty. These little kids don’t quite know what to do when the wall next to them suddenly grows a dog-shaped head.
ちょっと気まずいw pic.twitter.com/7DiiaIxxdS
— さやか (@sayaka7saya) October 28, 2014
Other pups add to the drama of colourful walls by poking out with the foliage.
根津では、壁から犬が生えていたw pic.twitter.com/WgnK86EZUJ
— sae@ピカチュウマニアでなめこ栽培家 (@sae728) April 12, 2014
Japan’s beloved Shiba Inu and Akita breeds aren’t the only ones curious to know what’s going on outside concrete walls. This beagle guards its property like a samurai warrior peering from a castle wall, ready to fend off an enemy attack.
https://twitter.com/midori_hr04/status/514351223583944704
Perhaps this is the enemy our beagle has spotted across the way?
https://twitter.com/DOMINON1/status/625598918399647744
Other playful pups look more like they’re popping out to say hello.
壁ドンではなく壁犬。学校から駅までの間で。
— シャンパン@日常垢 (@Champa_A_agne3) October 8, 2015
驚きすぎて「ひっ…!?」って声出たわ。 pic.twitter.com/DhfXeXliyZ
https://twitter.com/kazuydk0708/status/584626828863643648
そーいや昨日散歩してたけど、途中家の壁から犬が顔出してたwなんか可愛い pic.twitter.com/K9rinEZa
— とも🌙🔮 (@tn12nozolove) January 4, 2013
And when you can’t get to the garden wall, there are other options too.
https://twitter.com/koba_kiyo_3/status/578051402385129473
▼ This dog shows why poking your head out of the wall is so rewarding. Free pats from passers-by!
今日は道端にいたこの犬にめっちゃ癒されました(。-_-。) pic.twitter.com/Ol8DYhdphd
— nao (@b9___) May 29, 2014
Your secret’s out now, pooches. Your cute shenanigans are all a ploy to get some attention and a whole lot of pats! Cats might lounge about on top of walls, but for clever dogs, they know it’s much cuter to stick your snout out of the wall instead.
Source: Naver Matome
Top Image: Twitter/@sae728, Twitter/@tn12nozolove, Instagram/tomo398, Twitter/@kawara94 (edited by RocketNews24)
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