The internet loves animals that look like they could knock you out. It’s simple psychology.

We’ve seen a sumo-wrestler lookalike shiba inu go viral, and even a dog that looks like he's in the middle of delivering a wicked right hook turn into a meme.

The next candidate for the internet’s favourite buff pet is an unexpected one called Pochi, a pomeranian. Pomeranians are known as being small, fluffy and cute, and as the star of this viral photo, he does have an adorable face.

But first impressions can be misleading and Pochi’s cute face belies a surprisingly macho body. The dog’s owner posted this photo on Twitter and it garnered 23 thousand retweets and 119 thousand likes.

The unexpected discrepancy between the dog’s visage and physique was a source of joy for scores of Twitter users.

The owner clarified further that Pochi’s impressive muscles are actually just an optical illusion formed by fur, and the dog’s belly is soft really.

If you’ve been charmed and want to see more adorable photos and videos of this weirdly buff dog and his sweet face, check out the owner’s Twitter!