Michigan's Dogman Cryptid Legend Started With a Song

The Dogman is typically described as a creature with a dog's head, a man's body and the uncanny ability to walk on two legs. Think of it as a werewolf's American cousin, but without the full-moon drama.

Eyewitnesses often report it standing over 7 feet (2.1 meters) tall, with piercing eyes and a howl that echoes like a scream. It's usually seen in forested, rural areas, often near water — Lake Michigan being a common backdrop.

Encounters describe a creature that walks on hind legs and moves with both animalistic grace and chilling intelligence. Some say it resembles five wild dogs moving as one, a feature that only deepens the mystery.

Robert Fortney's infamous 1930s account describes being attacked after the creature made eye contact and stood tall, as if to challenge him.

It all kicked off when disc jockey Steve Cook wrote a spoof song in 1987 called "The Legend." The song, about a part-dog, part-man creature roaming the Michigan woods, was meant as an April Fool's Day joke.

But then something unexpected happened: Cook received calls. Listeners flooded the station with their own eyewitness accounts, claiming the Dogman was no joke at all. Suddenly, Michigan's airwaves had a beast on the loose.

Once Steve Cook's song initially played, something unexpected happened: It became the station's most requested song.

Cook re-recorded it multiple times, adding verses that mirrored real-life Dogman accounts people shared with him. In some versions, he added keyboard backing to enhance the eerie vibe.

Interestingly, many reports suggested that Michigan Dogman sightings occurred in a 10-year cycle, peaking in years ending in seven.

Cook, who donated proceeds from the song to animal shelters, found himself at the center of a growing cultural phenomenon. People reported Dogman encounters from the same area where a similar creature had once been sighted.

The Gable Film, a grainy video purportedly showing the Dogman, surfaced in 2007. It was revealed as a hoax in 2010 on the History Channel show "MonsterQuest."

Dogman sightings have cropped up across the U.S., but the Michigan Dogman remains the most iconic. Wexford County, where two lumberjacks reportedly saw the creature in 1887, remains a hotspot. Manistee sightings and stories from Bray Road in Wisconsin (known for "Tailing Wisconsin's Werewolf") suggest a widespread creature, possibly a cryptid that prefers the shadows of the Midwest.

The North American Dogman Project catalogs Dogman sightings and Dogman reports, using these eyewitness accounts as invaluable tools for understanding this cryptid's cultural impact. Stories tell of animal break-ins, wild dogs acting strangely, and even unknown canine forms lurking near woods and fields.

Whether it stood on two legs or dropped to all fours, the sense of fear of its existence universal. And the locations? All clustered around the northwestern quadrant of Michigan, near the Great Lakes.

Skeptics point to explanations like wild dogs, misidentified animals or even humans in elaborate costumes. But for those who experienced it, the fear was real. They recall the creature's existence with vivid clarity, often describing its eyes, posture and size.

Some speculate it could be an unknown canine species or a genetic offshoot, perhaps a hybrid. Others compare it to the Loch Ness Monster in terms of pop culture presence and regional pride.

We created this article in conjunction with AI technology, then made sure it was fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.