About
Grumpy Puppy is a nickname given to Earl, a puggle (pug-and-beagle hybrid) from Davenport, Iowa who became the subject of online fame for its adorably irritated-looking facial expressions, in a similar vein to those worn by none other than Grumpy Cat.
Origin
On June 8th, 2015, Redditor Do1717 submitted a photograph of Earl to the /r/aww subreddit, where the post garnered more than 5,180 points (96% up votes) and over 500 comments. That same day, a subreddit devoted to Earl was launched at /r/EarlThePuggle.
The Dog
The second generation Puggle, a pug-and-beagle hybrid, was born in February 2015. According to Earl’s 25-years-old caretaker Derek Bloomfield, the dog has always had the same grumpy expression since day one, and despite his irritated appearance due to the underbite, wrinkles and dark complexion, Earl is a “very laid-back pup and loves to cuddle.”
Spread
On June 9th, Redditor submitted an image macro based on the photograph from the previous day in a /r/AdviceAnimals post titled “Earl the Grumpy Puppy” has had enough of your bullshit", garnering over 1,761 points (84% up votes).
On June 15th, Bloomfield created a Facebook fan page for his puppy, followed by a dedicated Instagram account. Over the course of the next month-and-a-half, Earl has amassed more than 18,000 likes on Facebook and over 16,300 followers on Instagram.
News Media Coverage
On July 29th, Earl’s rise to social media stardom was picked up by Discovery’s Animal Planet Blog, Bored Panda, Mashable and BuzzFeed, followed by additional coverage from CNN on the next day, with many likening the angry looking Puggle to Grumpy Cat.
Search Interest
External References
[1]Reddit – Earl the Grumpy Puppy.
[2]Facebook – Earl the Grumpy Puppy
[3]Instagram – @Earl on Instagram
[4]BuzzFeed – Earl The Grumpy Puppy Is The Newest Cranky Internet Meme
[5]The Huffington Post – Earl The Grumpy Puppy Looks Like He’s Gonna Tell Us To Get Off His Lawn
[6]Mashable – Earl the Grumpy Puppy is the Internet’s favorite new grouchy animal
[7]CNN– Move over, Grumpy Cat: Earl and Tonkey are the newest sensations
[8]Bored Panda – Grumpy Dog Hates You Even More Than Grumpy Cat
[9]Discovery – Earl the Grumpy Puppy is Giving Grumpy Cat a Run for Her Money
[10]Cheezburger – Ten Reasons Why Earl the Grumpy Puppy is Having a Worse Day Than You
[11]Laughing Squid – Earl the Grumpy Puppy, An Adorable Canine Who Wears a Perpetual Frown Just Like Grumpy Cat
[12]Reddit – /r/EarlThePuggle