Milkshake is only a year-and-a-half old, but this pink pug puppy is already a celebrity.

With over 80,000 followers on Instagram, this adorable boy hardly has to do anything but stand around looking cute to bring in the likes.

But he does a lot more than that – or at least he did before the coronavirus lockdown.

Milkshake and his owner Maria – a 33-year-old freelance marketing manager – could be seen around London doing things like enjoying cake.

Pink pugs are rare – and many stories on Milkshake have insisted that he’s one of less than 100 in the world (though it’s hard to back that up).

Maria says that when she first got him, he was one of less than 30!

While pugs can come in many different colors, “pink” is not one of the registered colors.

Only dogs with a black mask have the colors recognized officially by dog breeding organizations.

In reality, “pink” pugs have one of two genetic conditions – and most are albinos.

Albinism is a genetic disorder in which the body does not produce melanin, and it can be found it nearly every species.

These animals tend not to live as long, unfortunately, because the condition can also be accompanied by other medical issues such as eye disorders and skin cancer. All albinos are very sensitive to UV light because of their lack of melanin, so future issues are not out of the question.

However, Maria insists that Milkshake is not albino.

“I had never even heard of pink pugs before, but when I went to the breeder and spotted Milkshake I thought he was adorable, and knew I had to have him. They’re very rare. At the time, I think Milkshake was one of 30 in the world but there have been a few litters. There’s no more than 100 worldwide. He’s not actually albino – he just has the coloring so he doesn’t suffer from any sight loss or hearing loss. He’s a happy healthy boy,” she said in a comment.

“Pink pugs” that are not albino have a condition called leucism.

This condition is a partial loss of pigmentation and does not come with the same spate of health issues.

Regardless, selectively breeding the increasingly popular dogs simply because people want to cash in on their popularity is almost guaranteed to produce more genetic abnormalities. That’s just a fact of breeding.

However, in the past, these dogs were often seen as flawed, were the runts of the litter, and were neglected. Now they have a chance at life.

And, in Milkshake’s case, the GOOD life!

But Milkshake could become a controversial figure.

He’s adorable, but if he convinces people to covet the very expensive breed, more will be created, sometimes under questionable conditions in puppy mills.

Plenty of people will see the social media success of this pup and want their own, but we all know that’s not the right reason to get a dog!

It’s best to enjoy Milkshake online, where you can catch him playing dress-up in some seriously elaborate costumes.

And with a following like his, it’s no surprise the “pup-fluencer” is getting advertising deals as well.

Of course, that doesn’t mean you should invest in your own “designer dog.” There are plenty of animals in need in shelters around the world.

Besides, you’ll end up paying in the 5-figure range for a dog like this.

Be sure to scroll down below for a video of Milkshake in action in some of his many costumes.

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Source: BoredPanda, Instagram, Milkshake the Pug Official Website, Pets4Homes UK, Milkshake The Pug via YouTube, Scientific American