Lovable Corgi German Shepherd cross puppy Bear is a social media star

Bear, the TikTok famous Corgi German Shepherd

The unusual pup quickly won the heart of owner Tom McLaren, of Great Blakenham near Ipswich, and is also followed by thousands on TikTok and Instagram.

German Shepherd/Corgi cross puppy Bear has a huge following on social media (Image: Archant)

Tom, who is almost 23, said: "I got Bear from a pure German Shepherd breeder back in October, during the break in lockdown restrictions. He is half Corgi, half German Shepherd.

Tom McLaren with his five-month-old German Shepherd/Corgi cross puppy, Bear, who has a huge following on social media (Image: Archant)

"The breeder had a family pet Corgi, and that is how Bear came to be, a total accident. They thought his mother was pregnant with a German Shepherd puppy.

"He is exactly the same size as a Corgi, and he walks like a Corgi, but he is very protective like a German Shepherd, and has a German Shepherd bark." He is also very long and has big paws - hence his social media tag, @bearbigpawlonngboi.

Bear 'is exactly the same size as a Corgi, and he walks like a Corgi, but he is very protective like a German Shepherd' (Image: Archant)

Tom said Bear had a lovely temperament, and the vet thinks he has now reached his full size, although this type of crossbreed is so rare it is hard to be certain. The vet has also confirmed he is in good health and there is no reason to expect health problems in future.

As a CAD applications engineer, who creates refrigeration drawings on computer for major supermarkets, Tom has been working at home during lockdown, and said: "Bear has kept my mental health very well during the pandemic, both making online content together and going on daily exercise walks."

Tom McLaren with his five-month-old German Shepherd/Corgi cross puppy, Bear, who has a huge following on social media (Image: Archant)

He said it is vital for people to look after their mental health during lockdown, whether by bonding with a pet or via other means, adding: "There has been a lot of response on Bear's pages from people sharing their experience with their dogs."

Tom, who lives with his parents and siblings, said his family previously had a German Shepherd, but thought it might be better to choose a smaller dog because they had moved and now had a smaller garden. "Then Bear was advertised and we fell in love with him."

He added: "During the second lockdown, I was told by a friend Bear was quite rare and people would love him online.

"I then created a Tiktok account for him. After posting my second video, which got 1.6million views, it became clear everyone loved Bear. He now has over 38,000 followers, and growing, and 27,500 followers on Instagram."

Tom said an important reason for posting videos was so that his girlfriend Ellie, who lives in Harwich, could see Bear and get to know him online, as they can't meet in person due to lockdown.

To see more photos and videos of Bear, visit his TikTok and Instagram pages.