# Earl The Grumpy Puppy > Earl the Grumpy Puppy is a 2015 viral meme featuring a puggle from Davenport, Iowa whose permanently irritated expression drew instant comparisons to Grumpy Cat. Earl the Grumpy Puppy is a puggle (pug-beagle mix) from Davenport, Iowa whose permanently irritated facial expression made him a viral sensation in the summer of 2015. After a photo of the five-month-old pup hit the front page of Reddit on June 8, 2015, Earl quickly drew comparisons to Grumpy Cat and built a social media following across Instagram and Facebook[1]. Despite looking like he'd just been told his favorite bone was discontinued, Earl's owner confirmed the dog was actually one of the most relaxed, cuddly puppies imaginable[2]. ## Origin On June 8, 2015, Reddit user Do1717 posted a photograph of Earl to the /r/aww subreddit[5]. The post took off fast, pulling in more than 5,180 upvotes with a 96% approval rating and over 500 comments[5]. The image also racked up over 2 million views on Imgur[2]. That same day, fans created a dedicated subreddit at /r/EarlThePuggle[5]. The very next day, June 9, another Redditor turned the original photo into an image macro and posted it to /r/AdviceAnimals with the title "Earl the Grumpy Puppy has had enough of your bullshit," earning over 1,761 upvotes[5]. "He's tired of these motherfuckin squirrels in this motherfuckin yard," one Redditor joked[4]. - **Platform:** Reddit (/r/aww) - **Creator:** Do1717 (original Reddit poster), Derek Bloomfield (owner) - **Date:** 2015 ## Overview Earl was a second-generation puggle, meaning both his parents were also pug-beagle mixes. Born in February 2015, he sported an underbite, facial wrinkles, and a dark complexion that combined to give him a look of deep, existential displeasure[3]. His owner Derek Bloomfield, a 25-year-old from Iowa, said Earl had worn that grumpy expression from day one and that a vet confirmed the dog was perfectly healthy[3]. The contrast between Earl's perpetually annoyed face and his actual personality as a laid-back, snuggly puppy was the core joke that powered the meme[2]. ## How It Spread Bloomfield capitalized on the buzz by creating a Facebook fan page for Earl on June 15, 2015, followed by an Instagram account under the handle @earlthegrumpypuppy[5]. Over the next six weeks, Earl collected more than 18,000 likes on Facebook and 16,300 followers on Instagram[5]. The mainstream media wave hit on July 29, 2015, when Animal Planet's blog, Bored Panda, Mashable, and BuzzFeed all ran stories about the grumpy-faced pup[5]. CNN followed with coverage the next day, calling Earl "the canine answer to the famous Grumpy Cat"[3]. Bored Panda ran the headline "Grumpy Dog Hates You Even More Than Grumpy Cat," framing it as a direct rivalry[6]. HuffPost declared Earl looked "like he's gonna tell us to get off his lawn"[2]. Cheezburger featured him in a listicle titled "Ten Reasons Why Earl the Grumpy Puppy is Having a Worse Day Than You"[7]. Bloomfield told multiple outlets that despite the permanent scowl, Earl was "super friendly" to people and other dogs[1]. He described the puppy as the most relaxed, content dog he'd ever seen, one who was "constantly trying to snuggle up" and kept his owners laughing with his facial expressions[2]. ## How to Use The Earl the Grumpy Puppy format typically followed standard image macro conventions from the Advice Animals era: 1. Take a photo of Earl (or a similarly grumpy-looking animal) 2. Add top and bottom text expressing exaggerated annoyance, frustration, or contempt 3. The humor usually comes from projecting human complaints onto Earl's disgruntled face ## Cultural Impact Earl rode the mid-2010s wave of grumpy animal memes that Grumpy Cat had kicked off in 2012. Multiple major news outlets covered his rise, with CNN, Mashable, BuzzFeed, HuffPost, and Bored Panda all running features within a two-day span in late July 2015[1][3]. The coverage consistently positioned Earl as a canine successor to Tardar Sauce (Grumpy Cat), though Earl never reached the same level of commercial success or lasting cultural presence[6]. The meme also arrived at the tail end of the Advice Animals era on Reddit, when image macros featuring animals with exaggerated expressions were still a dominant meme format. Earl's popularity reflected a broader appetite for pets whose faces looked like they were perpetually judging humanity. ## Fun Facts - Earl's grumpy look came entirely from his underbite, wrinkles, and dark complexion. His vet confirmed he was as healthy as any other puppy[3]. - The original Reddit post hit 96% upvotes, an unusually high approval rate even for /r/aww[5]. - Earl's photo got over 2 million views on Imgur before most mainstream outlets even picked up the story[2]. - Despite looking miserable, Bloomfield said Earl was "constantly trying to snuggle up" to his owners and kept them in "constant fits of laughter"[2]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is Earl the Grumpy Puppy? Earl the Grumpy Puppy is a puggle (pug-beagle mix) from Iowa who went viral in 2015 for his permanently irritated-looking facial expression, often compared to Grumpy Cat[1]. ### Where did Earl the Grumpy Puppy come from? Earl first appeared on Reddit's /r/aww subreddit on June 8, 2015, posted by user Do1717. The photo received over 5,180 upvotes and 2 million Imgur views[5]. ### What does Earl the Grumpy Puppy mean? The meme plays on the contrast between Earl's annoyed facial expression and his actual personality as a calm, friendly, cuddly puppy[2]. ### How do you use Earl the Grumpy Puppy? People typically pair photos of Earl with captions expressing frustration or contempt, using the standard image macro format popular on Reddit's /r/AdviceAnimals[5]. ### Is Earl the Grumpy Puppy still popular? Earl's viral moment was concentrated in the summer of 2015, peaking with major media coverage in late July of that year[3]. The meme did not sustain long-term popularity. ### Who owns Earl the Grumpy Puppy? Earl's owner is Derek Bloomfield, who was 25 years old and living in Davenport, Iowa when the meme went viral[2]. ### Why does Earl look so grumpy? According to Bloomfield and Earl's vet, the grumpy expression comes from a combination of his underbite, facial wrinkles, and dark complexion. He's perfectly healthy[3]. ### What breed is Earl the Grumpy Puppy? Earl is a second-generation puggle, meaning both his parents were also pug-beagle mixes[1]. ### Is Earl actually grumpy? No. Bloomfield described Earl as "the most relaxed, content puppy" he'd ever seen, one who loves cuddling and makes his owners laugh constantly[2]. ### How is Earl related to Grumpy Cat? Earl was widely compared to Grumpy Cat (Tardar Sauce) by media outlets in 2015, with many calling him the canine equivalent. However, Earl never reached the same level of fame or commercial success[6]. ## References 1. [Earl The Grumpy Puppy Is The Newest Cranky Internet Meme]() 2. [Earl the Grumpy Puppy is the Internet's favorite new grouchy animal | Mashable]() 3. [Meet Grumpy Dog and the puppy who looks like a bear | CNN]() 4. [Earl the Grumpy Puppy - Know Your Meme]() 5. [List of films with post-credits scenes]() 6. [Earl The Grumpy Puppy Looks Like He's Gonna Tell Us To Get Off His Lawn | HuffPost Good News]() 7. [Grumpy Dog Hates You Even More Than Grumpy Cat | Bored Panda]() 8. [Ten Reasons Why Earl the Grumpy Puppy is Having a Worse Day Than You - I Can Has Cheezburger?]() 9. [Earl The Grumpy Puppy Looks Like He's Gonna Tell Us To Get Off His Lawn | HuffPost Good News]() 10. [Earl the Grumpy Puppy is the Internet's favorite new grouchy animal | Mashable]() 11. [Meet Grumpy Dog and the puppy who looks like a bear | CNN]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/earl-the-grumpy-puppy Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library