TikTok’s Owa Owa dog: All you need to know about Pudgywoke

Most dogs are adorable, but some can be outright terrifying. One dog on TikTok fits both categories, and he’s gone viral for his distinctive “owa owa” noise. 

Over the last week, the internet has gone crazy for this one very small and elderly Chihuahua called Pudgywoke, who went viral on TikTok after its owner, Malachy James, asked, “Can I get an Owa Owa?” Pudgy responded by biting his headphone mic and actually saying “owa owa.”

The videos of the adorable, but angry, pup have taken the app by storm, with some clips amassing more than 50 million views. Pudgy himself now has over 6.3 million followers on the platform.

What’s the origin?

Despite blowing up over the last couple of weeks, Pudgy has been gracing the internet with his “owa owa’s” since December 5, when James posted a stitch reacting to a woman scooping macaroni from a dish in order to show off the wet sound, only for it to be completely dry.

James asks Pudgy for a reaction, and he makes a hilarious growling noise – which some commenters said sounded like fax machine, a cicada, and even a dial-up modem.

In one TikTok, James tells the story of how he got Pudgy and assures fans that Pudgy is okay. He thinks that Pudgy was once hit by a car after running away for a short time, because he started making the noises shortly after the incident.

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In the last couple of weeks, Pudgy has now turned into a meme. Several TikTokers have had their own take on “owa owa,” including Joe Mele, who tried it out with his own dog and even his dad.

The term has also popped up on almost every platform, with “Can I get an owa owa?” being commented on Instagram posts, Twitch streams, YouTube videos, and Tweets. Pudgy even appears in the “Thank you for changing my life” meme.

At the time of writing, the tag #owaowa has 45.6 million views on TikTok, and continues to gain momentum. Pudgy has certainly earned influencer status.