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.
▼ Then there was the rare breed of hedge-dog dubbed the ‘Shruba-inu’ who captivated everyone with his remarkable talent.
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.
Depending on the size of their wall hole, dogs can appear as just a snout or perhaps even a head.
Others have enough room to stand guard like sentinels.
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!
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.
Other pups add to the drama of colourful walls by poking out with the foliage.
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.
Perhaps this is the enemy our beagle has spotted across the way?
Other playful pups look more like they’re popping out to say hello.
And when you can’t get to the garden wall, there are other options too.
▼ This dog shows why poking your head out of the wall is so rewarding. Free pats from passers-by!
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)