A 1-year-old puppy is freaking out a lot of people on the internet because of his oddly human face. Yogi is a Shih-poo ― a cross between a Shih Tzu and a poodle ― whose eyes and jaw make him appear very human-like, despite being very dog-like in every other way.
Yogi has become an internet sensation in the last week after a friend posted his photo on Reddit.
SOMEONE GET A DNA TEST STAT pic.twitter.com/ccDesVPXI0
— Siân Welby (@Sianwelby) March 13, 2018
I think it looks like someone else closer than Jake Gyllenhaal, but I can't figure it out pic.twitter.com/bSv34JcWwy
— Ryan Broderick (@broderick) March 12, 2018
That dog is Topher Grace pic.twitter.com/FA1pKliqCF
— JCFalls (@darbeebarbee) March 13, 2018
I think it looks like Ed Sheeran pic.twitter.com/twbTNKkOsl
— NotDot (@Bunkerboy87) March 13, 2018
https://twitter.com/lettiemarie17/status/973357300281987072
Many people have suggested that Yogi’s photos were produced with a face swap program, but Desjardins swears that’s all him. She said she didn’t even realize how human her dog’s face appeared until others pointed it out on Twitter.
If you think Yogi looks more human than canine, there’s science to back that up. Research suggests that human brains are wired to think of certain types of animal faces as “cute” or “human-like.” The phenomenon, dubbed “baby schema,” means humans tend to associate things like big eyes and round cheeks with baby humans.
Inverse gazed deeply into Yogi’s eyes and theorized a bit more: “Maybe it’s Yogi’s mournful stare and round face that reminds us of a baby experiencing an existential crisis.”