BREAKING: Dogwifhat Has a Brother—and His Name Is Yiro

In a quiet corner of Gifu Prefecture, Japan, a small revelation is stirring the hearts of dog lovers around the world: the beloved viral Shiba Inu known as “Dogwifhat” may have a twin brother—and his name is Yiro.

While the original dog became famous for his unusually stoic face and a now-iconic wool beanie that captured the imagination of the internet, his brother has lived a life far away from screens and trends. But thanks to a recent rediscovery by an old friend of the breeder, the world is getting its first real glimpse of the dog behind the mystery.

The story begins not with algorithms or viral memes, but in a dusty box of old photo albums.

“I was visiting an old friend, Mr. Fujimoto, who used to breed Shiba Inus,” says local photographer Kenji Arakawa, who stumbled across a photo that gave him pause. “He showed me a litter from 2015, and there were two puppies that looked nearly identical. One of them—I could have sworn I’d seen that expression somewhere before.”

The image in question showed two small Shiba Inu pups sitting side by side. One had a playful spark in its eye and a paw resting on a crumpled fishing hat. The other sat slightly back, calmer, watching the camera with a measured gaze.

The resemblance to “Dogwifhat”—whose image has appeared on everything from t-shirts to calendars—is uncanny. But the second dog, identified in Fujimoto’s handwritten notes as “Yiro,” had never appeared online until now.

“I don’t really use the internet,” Fujimoto, now 68, explained when reached for comment. “We gave Yiro to my cousin in the mountains. He’s lived a peaceful life.”

Yiro, whose name derives from “Ichiro,” meaning “firstborn son,” is a purebred Shiba Inu born in April 2015. According to Fujimoto’s records, Yiro was the more reserved of the two puppies from the litter. “He liked to sit and watch things—birds, leaves, sometimes the washing machine. Very gentle, never barked for no reason,” Fujimoto said.

Unlike his brother—who was adopted by a young woman in Osaka and, through a chance photo of him wearing a beanie, became an internet sensation—Yiro lived in quiet obscurity. He was raised on a small family farm in Hida, with open fields, goats, and an elderly Akita as his companions.

“He’s very zen,” said Mika Abe, Fujimoto’s cousin and Yiro’s longtime caretaker. “He likes the sound of wind chimes. We never really took many pictures of him. He’s just part of the family.”

The original image of “Dogwifhat” is believed to have been taken sometime in 2020 by his Osaka-based owner, though she has never publicly revealed her identity. The photo, which shows a Shiba Inu wearing a large pink beanie, spread across the internet with astonishing speed, especially in the West.

“This discovery adds a beautiful, almost poetic layer to the story,” says animal behaviorist Dr. Satsuki Maeno. “These are two animals with shared origins, but vastly different lives—one became a symbol, the other stayed real and rooted in nature.”

Maeno notes that the differing temperaments are not unusual in Shiba Inu litters, known for a wide range of personalities despite visual similarities.

Yet little was known about the dog himself—until now.

Though many online have clamored for a reunion of the two dogs, Abe says it’s unlikely.

“Yiro is old now. He doesn’t travel well, and I don’t think he’d enjoy all the attention. He’s happy here.”

Still, the family agreed to share a few new photos of Yiro with local journalists, showing the dignified dog lounging in the grass, his fur silvering just slightly at the muzzle, still holding the same thoughtful expression seen in his puppy photos.

While Dogwifhat has remained an icon of internet absurdity and charm, Yiro may come to represent something quieter but just as meaningful—a reminder that behind every viral face is a story the world never sees.

“Some dogs chase the world,” Abe said with a smile. “Others just sit and watch it go by. That’s Yiro.”

And maybe, in a world so often obsessed with fame, filters, and followers, it's comforting to know that one dog—twin to a meme—chose stillness.