ATLANTA — I told y’all last week that I wanted to do some fun things with #ItMightMeanTooMuch, so I thought it’d be fitting to start with one of the best visual examples of that.

Yes, I’m talking about that painted Auburn dog.

I knew he was going to be at Media Days. What I didn’t know was that I’d learn some background after spending some time with him, and that he’s a pretty good doggo.

For starters, he goes by “Tiger Jake,” as I was told by his owner, Ron Sanford (technically, the dog is “Jake Sanford,” but who are we kidding). And obviously, that’s not his natural shade. He is indeed, a dog that’s painted to look like a tiger because … Auburn.

Tiger Jake is entering his third season as the unofficial fan mascot of the Tigers. This is, however, his second season as a painted tiger (Sanford painted him as an eagle one year).

He goes to every Auburn home game, and they occasionally travel to a road game (unfortunately, Tiger Jake saw Jarrett Stidham get sacked 11 times at Clemson last year). He’ll be at Auburn fan day on Aug. 11, too. He’s allowed in Jordan-Hare Stadium and other facilities because he’s a registered service dog.

Needless to say, Tiger Jake is a fixture wherever he goes.

“He’s used to it,” Sanford said. “When he goes to the football game, he’s handled by 30,000 fans. He’s used to all of the media attention.”

Media attention? What are you talking about?

Oh. Like this?

It’s true that Tiger Jake stands out in ways that few people/pets do. After all, we’re talking about a painted dog.

Speaking of the paint, Sanford said that Tiger Jake is painted roughly once every 8 weeks, and that he gets a fresh coat before the first Auburn home game of the year. He also had a fresh look before SEC Media Days, in case you couldn’t tell. And yes, it takes a 3-step process with a full day at the groomer, which is done “under the supervision of veterinarians.”

OK, so I know what you’re probably thinking. It’s not like the dog has a say in whether he gets painted. Why does a diehard Auburn fan do this to his dog so that he stands out?

That’s a fair point, and frankly, it’s a question that I didn’t really get an answer to. I’m not going to pretend to know the science of the short/long-term harm the paint does to dog hair, though I know it probably doesn’t exactly help it.

But I will say that Tiger Jake was as happy and as obedient could be. He’s a maltese, so he doesn’t shed his painted hair, either.

He also seems to absolutely love the attention. The dog knows when the camera is on him, and like he was with me, he smiles for every picture. Whether it’s fans, players or even coaches, Tiger Jake always plays to the crowd.

How do I know this? Well, because I got his business card and found out that he’s on social media, of course. You can find Tiger Jake on Facebook (Jake Sanford) or on Instagram (@tigerjake4152).

There, you’ll see him in pictures with cheerleaders, former Auburn great Takeo Spikes and even Bruce Pearl.

A post shared by Jake Sanford (@tigerjake4152) on

Wild, I know.

There is, however, one Auburn celebrity that Tiger Jake has yet to meet. That’s Stidham (I talked to Sanford and Tiger Jake before Auburn’s appearance at SEC Media Days, so I couldn’t confirm if that happened later.)

But there was a different question for Jake that we wanted to know. That is, what was his favorite Auburn win last year?

“Iron Bowl,” Sanford said. “Beating Georgia wasn’t bad, either.”

Tiger Jake obviously barked in approval following that response. At least he did in my head.

So what was my big takeaway from meeting Tiger Jake? You know, besides the fact that he was a well-behaved, adorable dog?

Obviously Tiger Jake was a perfect candidate for #ItMightMeanTooMuch. That’s always going to be the case for a dog painted like a mascot. And while a lot of this is seems like it’s attention-seeking, on the back of Tiger Jake’s business card (with his social media info), it has the following message about supporting local rescue shelters:

Will other SEC fans start painting their dogs like mascots and traveling to college football games? I wouldn’t count on it.

Tiger Jake figures to be one of a kind for a very long time, which he seems to enjoy.

Still, though. #ItMightMeanTooMuch.