If you're a fan of animal internet (or even just follow us on Instagram), you may have noticed the growing trend of “round dog” content. That's right, a celebration of round boys and girls who are super cute and totally spherical. For some reason, the internet is going crazy for round dogs right now, and who can blame them? With everything going on in the world, sometimes all you need is to look at a very round, fluffy face and feel a moment of peace. So let's dive into this article and explore the wonderful world of round dogs!
The Origins of Round Dogs
Of course, round dogs have existed for as long as regularly shaped dogs. Who hasn't walked behind a corgi and admired that wobbling bum or melted over the powder puff that is a baby husky? But let's give credit where it's due. The internet's current obsession with round animals can be traced back to Rollin Wild. Released in 2012, this series of short online animated films poses the question: what if animals were also kind of like balloons? These clips of animals exhibiting inflatable characteristics have been viewed millions of times.
But we're not here to talk about round animals in general. We're here to talk about round dogs! One of our early dog influencers (or dogfluencers), Momo, deserves a shout-out. As the beloved pet of photographer Andrew Knapp, Momo has filled social media feeds for years with her signature pose—staring up from a seated position, giving her the appearance of a fluffy frisbee with eyes.
While we love Momo, her roundness is more of a trick of perspective than relying on her own angles. If you want to celebrate truly round boys, you need to look across to Pomeranian internet stars—especially the late icon Boo (RIP). Boo's fame took off when he traded in a classic Pomeranian shag for his signature round haircut. Apparently, the famous style wasn't planned; he just needed a trim, and things went off course—for the ultimate good of the planet, of course. Since Boo's passing, several other Pomeranians, most notably JiffPom, have proudly carried on his round torch.
The Round Dog Revolution
Up until this point, the current obsession with round dogs largely focused on individual pooches. However, thanks to a wave of Instagram accounts dedicated to documenting round dogs worldwide, it has become an all-consuming cultural movement. Our favorite accounts are Round Boys, Round Animals, and Round Kids, who have introduced the magic of very round dogs to a new generation.
The New Round Dog Stars
What Boo and Momo started, these heroes perfected. In our professional dog journalist opinion, the biggest star in the galaxy of round dogs on the internet isn't a dog at all—it's a Japanese dog groomer and breeder named Yoriko Koro. He is the mastermind behind many of the most viral images we know and love. What can we say? The man knows volume.
But when it comes to turning a dog-shaped dog into a circle-shaped dog, he has some competition. Rising star Silver Taeg, a Korean groomer, is also creating incredible shapes. They get bonus points for transforming less traditionally round dogs, such as collies, into soft curved angels. Who says Poms, poodles, and bichon frises should have all the fun?
Now, when it comes to individual dogs, it's tougher to pick a single hero. However, in our opinion, the leader of the pack has to be Kokoro.
The Roundest Breed of All?
While corgis and Pomeranians have traditionally been considered the roundest breeds, they have recently lost their #1 position. As any round dog expert can tell you, this new trend belongs to bichon frises. Countless bichon dogfluencers are working this look, but for our money, the best-in-show are Pang, Tori, and Joseph.
The Next Trend?
We're predicting that after round dogs, we're going to be seeing a lot of square dogs. Stay tuned, and we'll keep you updated on this rolling story.
Keys to take away:
- Round dogs are the latest viral internet trend.
- The origins of round dogs can be traced back to Rollin Wild's animated films.
- Pomeranians like Boo and JiffPom have become famous for their roundness.
- Instagram accounts like Round Boys and Round Animals have made round dogs a cultural phenomenon.
- Japanese dog groomer Yoriko Koro and Korean groomer Silver Taeg are creating incredible round dog styles.
- Bichon frises have taken over as the roundest breed.
- Keep an eye out for the next trend in dog shapes—square dogs!
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