Who is ‘Bark Daigneault’? Meet dog making 'challenge face' like Thunder coach

Kailyn Ogle’s dog leads a double life.

Arrow, a tan cattle dog mix with white markings and button ears, is an adoptee from Oklahoma City’s Country Roads Animal Rescue.

Oklahoma City Thunder fans are more likely to know the spunky canine by her alias.

This is the origin story of Bark Daigneault.

The dog’s squinting expression has drawn comparisons to Mark Daigneault’s distinct gaze when he challenges a call, and the joke traveled across social media until reaching the Thunder coach.

“I started getting text messages from friends who are also huge Thunder fans being like, ‘Oh, my gosh, I think Mark just referenced your dog,’” Ogle said. “And I was like, ‘What?’”

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As the Thunder hosts its first playoff games since 2019, the world can see OKC’s quirky cast of loyal fans. There’s Jeremy Price, known for his intricate tattoo sleeves and his Jalen Williams jersey. Japanese artist Nanae Yamano creates charming drawings of Thunder players. Garrett Haviland, aka “Thundor,” donned his signature wrestling mask and had “PLAYOFFS” painted on his belly Sunday night.

Ogle, who said she’s no relation to Oklahoma City’s famous news personalities, opted to blend into the sea of fans with her playoff T-shirt instead of wearing an elaborate costume. But the longtime Thunder supporter from Edmond has gained recognition in the fandom for a different reason.

This reason has four legs and paws.

Ogle adopted Arrow in 2018, two years before the Thunder made Daigneault head coach. She said she reached out to the rescue about a different dog, and unexpectedly, then-puppy Arrow won her over. Arrow’s ancestry is a mystery, but her combination of cattle dog and perhaps Labrador retriever has created a one-of-a-kind companion Ogle described as “expressive.”

“She’s just a good dog,” Ogle said. “That’s what I tell people.”

Ogle knows Arrow’s squinting face as one of her classic expressions. She said when Arrow wants something — a treat, or maybe a second dinner — the communicative pooch stares at people with narrowed eyes.

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Because of a comical coincidence, Ogle calls it the “coach’s challenge face.”

Once, as Ogle watched a Thunder game, Arrow planted herself in front of the TV and squinted. With impeccable timing, the broadcast showed Thunder coach Daigneault delivering the same focused stare.

Ogle burst into laughter and sent a text to her mom: “Have you ever realized that my dog’s facial expression actually looks a lot like Coach Daigneault?”

In Ogle’s family of Thunder fans, the comment was a hit. She credited her dad for thinking up the “Bark Daigneault” nickname.

“If that isn’t a dad joke,” Ogle said, “I don’t know what is.”

The “challenge face” is Arrow’s blonde Hannah Montana wig, the key to instantly becoming Bark Daigneault. This past Christmas, Ogle gave the internet the gift of Bark, sharing photos of the Thunder coach and the dog side by side.

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“My dog makes this face at me when she’s annoyed and every time it makes me think of Daigneault,” Ogle wrote on X before mentioning the punny nickname.

A reply from @WeAreOKC: “You thought you could post 4 pictures of Mark and we wouldn’t notice?”

Ogle’s post garnered 625 likes, and Bark reappeared this month.

When NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski announced Daigneault as the National Basketball Coaches Association’s NBA coach of the year, Ogle shared a clever response on X.

“No need to challenge this vote – Bark Daigneault approves,” Ogle posted with a photo of the dog squinting while wearing a Christmas bandanna.

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A couple days later, it happened.

Mark Daigneault mentioned Bark Daigneault in a media scrum. Laila Wani, Senior Basketball Communications Lead for the Thunder, saw the image and shared it with the Thunder coach.

“Laila showed me the dog, so I’m aware that that’s a thing,” Daigneault said, laughing. “My eyes are fine. It’s a habit. I don’t know.”

In the background of the interview, a reporter added a layer to the pun, saying “Bark Dogneault.”

Ogle couldn’t believe her family’s inside joke had spread to the newly crowned coach of the year. An avid Daigneault fan, she made clear it was all in good fun.

“I think he’s a great coach,” Ogle said. “Seems like an awesome guy. Hopefully, he got a laugh out of it. The last thing I was ever expecting was for him to actually see that.”

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The legend of Bark Daigneault/Dogneault persists. Friends encouraged Ogle to make a sign with Arrow’s picture for the first playoff game, but she didn’t have enough time in advance. With a lively Paycom Center crowd echoing the young Thunder’s hype routine of barking, a sign featuring a dog would have fit right in.

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard 18,000 people bark at the same time before, until (Sunday),” Ogle said.

The entire playoff experience has a surreal element for Ogle, who has followed the Thunder with her family since the team’s 2008 inception.

“It’s just such a special environment because of what the team means to the city, how much the city has grown with the team,” Ogle said.

Ogle shows up for home games. She even traveled to Madison Square Garden to watch the Thunder this year, connecting with some New Yorkers who cheered for OKC because of their Norman roots.

It’s a thrilling journey, and the emergence of Bark Daigneault makes it that much more fun.

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Hallie Hart covers high school sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Hallie? She can be reached at hhart@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @halliehart. Sign up for The Varsity Club newsletter to access more high school coverage. Support Hallie's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com or by using the link at the top of this page.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Who is ‘Bark Daigneault’? Meet the dog named after OKC Thunder coach