A very expressive corgi from Japan has gone viral for looking like a walking emoji.
Gensaku, who is also known as Gen the Corgi online, is a 5-year-old dog who lives with his owner Chikomaru in Okayama Prefecture, Japan, according to Vice.
The adorable pooch, described by his owner as “chill and happy most of the time” despite his looks in the photos, has been on Instagram since 2015, but only received the huge flow of followers in recent months.
Other dogs are probably afraid of visiting the vet or the pet salon, but Gen loves these places, according to his owner.
“Most dogs are probably scared of hospitals and trimming salons, but Gen will wiggle his tail even on an examination table. He loves the nurses too,” Chikomaru told Vice. “But strangely, he’s scared of signboards. But that’s a secret.”
Gen reportedly suffers from several illnesses, including epileptic seizures, prostatic hyperplasia and chronic renal failure, which is a kidney disease that causes him to be constantly thirsty and experience frequent urination.
“No matter how many pills he takes, it won’t be cured. However, Gen’s doctor told me that with suitable treatment and food, he will be able to have a normal life,” his owner said.
Gen starts his day very early at 4:30 a.m. to wake up his owners, then falls asleep again for 15 minutes before going for a walk with Chikomaru at 6 a.m. He eats his breakfast at 7 a.m. and takes another 30 minutes to walk.
Due to his health conditions, he goes to the vet often around 10 a.m. throughout the week. Chikomaru takes Gen to the vet clinic to get an IV drop and a blood test and occasionally gets an injection if he feels unwell. Gen receives a snack at around noon before taking a four-hour nap. After waking up, he’ll go for a 20-minute walk, have his dinner and medicine, and take another 30-minute walk before his bedtime at 9:30 p.m.
“I think Gen wants to spend more time going on walks and playing around, but he doesn’t have enough energy like other dogs,” his owner said. “The time he spends playing is his time to be adventurous. He is the happiest and shows the biggest smiles at those moments.”
“I take photos of the natural faces he makes while he’s out playing,” Chikomaru added. “Everything on his Instagram is natural and shows how happy he is.”
“A dog is family. Even if a puppy comes to you with many incurable diseases it has had since birth, it’s not a reason to let go of it. Yes, Gen will live a much shorter life than your average dog and yes, his treatment costs a huge amount of money, but we, his owners, will continue to give him [the best treatment we can] and enormous amounts of love,” Gen’s owner told Bored Panda. “I think that sticking to your treatment and spending time with your loved ones are the secrets to having a great short life.”
