Doge

Doge emerged as one of the most iconic memes of the 2010s, transforming a simple photograph of a Japanese Shiba Inu into a global cultural phenomenon that influenced internet language, inspired a cryptocurrency worth billions, and demonstrated the profound impact that a single dog's expression could have on digital culture worldwide.

The foundation of the Doge meme was established on February 13, 2010, when Japanese kindergarten teacher Atsuko Sato posted several photos of her rescue-adopted Shiba Inu, Kabosu, to her personal blog "Taking a walk with Kabosu-chan." Among these images was a peculiar shot of Kabosu sitting on a couch while glaring sideways at the camera with raised eyebrows, creating the expression that would later become iconic (Know Your Meme, 2013).

Kabosu's backstory added poignancy to her eventual fame. She was among 19 Shiba Inus sent to a Japanese animal shelter after the shutdown of a puppy mill, with most of the dogs scheduled for euthanization. Kabosu was rescued by the organization Chiba-Wan and adopted by Sato on November 2, 2008, who named her after the citrus fruit kabosu due to her round face (Washington Post, 2024).

The term "doge" itself predates Kabosu's photographs, originating from a June 24, 2005 episode of the web series "Homestar Runner," where it was used as an intentional misspelling of "dog" for comedic effect (Wikipedia, 2025). This linguistic foundation would prove crucial to the meme's development years later.

The first documented use of Kabosu's image in meme format occurred on October 28, 2010, when Reddit user papajohn56 posted the photo to the /r/Ads subreddit with the title "LMBO LOOK @ THIS FUKKIN DOGE," receiving 266 upvotes and establishing the connection between the image and the term "doge" (Know Your Meme, 2013).

However, the true explosion of Doge memes began in 2013, when the format combining Shiba Inu photos with distinctive captions in colorful Comic Sans font gained massive popularity. The captions, written in deliberately broken English known as "doge-speak," featured phrases like "such wow," "very [adjective]," and "much [noun]" meant to represent a dog's internal monologue.

The meme's development was facilitated by several key platforms and communities. In August 2012, the Tumblr blog "Fuck Yeah Doge" was created, followed by "Shiba Confessions" in July 2012, which combined Shiba Inu photos with humorous captions. A dedicated subreddit /r/Doge was established in 2013, providing a central hub for the growing community of Doge enthusiasts.

By late 2013, Doge had achieved mainstream recognition and was named Know Your Meme's "top meme" of that year. The format's appeal lay in its combination of Kabosu's endearing expression, the absurdist humor of doge-speak, and the genuine affection that the broken English conveyed, creating a uniquely wholesome form of internet humor.

The meme's influence extended far beyond entertainment when Dogecoin, a cryptocurrency featuring Kabosu's face, was launched in December 2013 as a satirical response to the Bitcoin boom. Despite its origins as a joke, Dogecoin gained substantial value and community support, notably funding NASCAR driver Josh Wise's car in 2014, which featured Kabosu's image and raised $55,000 in Dogecoin donations.

Sato's reaction to her pet's global fame was characterized by bemusement and warmth. She told The Verge: "To be honest, some pictures are strange for me, but it's still funny! I'm very impressed with their skills and taste. Around me, nobody knows about the Doge meme. Maybe I don't understand memes very well, because I'm living such an analog life" (Dictionary.com, 2021).

The meme experienced renewed popularity through "ironic Doge" formats beginning in 2017, which featured Kabosu in surreal or absurdist scenarios. This evolution led to communities like Reddit's /r/DogeLore, which created an entire expanded universe of characters based on the original photograph.

In 2021, an NFT of the original Kabosu photograph sold for $4.06 million, setting a record for the highest-priced meme NFT auction and demonstrating the significant commercial value that internet culture could generate (Know Your Meme, 2013).

Tragically, Kabosu passed away on May 24, 2024, at the age of 18, with Sato announcing her death in a touching blog post. The global outpouring of grief and tribute demonstrated how deeply the meme had touched people worldwide, with monuments and memorials established in Kabosu's honor in Japan.