Doge is an internet meme that originated from a blog post in 2010. It then began to gain popularity in late 2013. The meme mainly consisted of a picture of a Shiba Inu, with different colored text. The text was mainly written in a form of broken English and in the font of Comic Sans.
The Doge meme originated from a picture of a Shiba Inu named Kabosu, which was posted on a blog post by Atsuko Satō, the owner of Kabosu. Another Shiba Inu named Suki who is owned by photographer Jonathan Fleming has also been featured in the meme.
The Shiba Inu is a breed of hunting dog that originated from Japan and has been identified as a basal breed. Shiba Inus are said to have predated the emergence of the modern breeds that came in the 19th century. During the Meiji Restoration, Western dog breeds were imported and introduced to Japan and were crossbred with native breeds. This caused a massive shortage of pure Shibas in the area. Though intellectuals began to take notice around 1928, the breed nearly went extinct in World War II due to both food shortages and a distemper pandemic. Shibas were then bred from the three surviving bloodlines. The Shinsu Shiba, Mino Shiba, and the San’in Shiba.
Shibas are small-to-medium size dog that can grow to a height of around 33 to 43 cm (13 to 17 inches) with a weight of around 8 to 10 kg (18 to 22 lbs). They are double-coated, with a stiff and straight outer coat and an undercoat being thick and soft. The Shiba Inu can come in a variety of colors though the urajiro.
Shibas tend to have an independent nature, they are also quite fastidious and often feel the need to maintain and clean themselves. They are relatively easy to housebreak as placing them outside after a meal or a nap is generally enough to teach them the appropriate method and location of toileting. They do have an odd characteristic called the ‘Shiba Scream’ where if they’re provoked or unhappy, they will release a high-pitched scream.
The Doge is a female Shiba Inu that was adopted in 2008 by a Japanese kindergarten teacher Atsuko Satō, who proceeded to name it Kabosu after the citrus fruit as its round face reminded her of it. Kabosu was then pictured in a blog post by Satō in 2010, which was picked up by Reddit, thus turning it into the Doge meme. Another dog by the name of Suki belonging to photographer Jonathan Fleming was also featured when the latter took a picture of Suki wearing a scarf outside. The meme’s popularity skyrocketed in 2013 when it became the top meme by Know Your Meme and turned into a form of cryptocurrency called Dogecoin.
The meme itself has stood the test of time and its relevancy doesn’t seem like it’s going to disappear anytime soon. Luckily, it seems like Kabosu’s charm and personality are just as much a draw as the meme itself.