Dogs are Sports, so Dogspotting Is Sports

Last week, my roommate and I were midway through our burritos during lunch when suddenly his head snapped up. Almost knocking over our beers, he whipped out his smartphone and silently creeped over to the patio like a tiger stalking its prey. There was a twinkle in his eyes as he captured a photo of some distant subject.

You'd think that only an A-lister sighting (Cesar Millan?) could warrant this much effort for a smartphone snapshot. But after my roommate passed me his phone, I was confused to see only the portrait of a ratty Pomeranian strutting along the sidewalk, adorned with the caption "+1 base." Immediately, I began worrying about his sanity. Then I saw hundreds more canine-centric photos on his Facebook newsfeed.

"Dogspotting," he said.

Dogspotting, the official name of a millennial-y absurd Facebook group qua "sport," has been lurking in the lower dens of the internet for almost a decade. Founded in 2006 by John Savoia and his associates, the sport had little initial success. "The group was practically dead," Savoia recounted light-heartedly over the phone. "I would remember I had made [the group] and post in it once every year or so."

Then, in mid-2014, the Facebook group inexplicably surged in membership, beginning with a handful of canine-passionate Australians. Suddenly, the group grew from around 30 to "100, then 500, then 1,000, and [then] just kept growing."

Dogspotting's Facebook timeline photo now proudly boasts, amongst its many historical achievements, that in 2014 it became "Australia's national pastime." The group now has more than 41,000 members.

Understandably, outsiders might be skeptical of Dogspotting. The sport claims to date back to the Byzantine Empire, the canine-related puns on its website are paw-ful, and people seem to be dead serious about the importance of taking time out of their day to post Facebook photos of dogs. But after reading the organization's rules, it's hard to deny the organization at least some sports-like credibility.

The premise of Dogspotting is simple: take photos of dogs you randomly encounter in real life, post them on the group's Facebook wall, and rack up points. A "spot," or a photo of a dog, is one point. But then there are rules that ascribe points based on other factors. Photos with multiple dogs, interesting dog behavior like stealing food ("Criminal Behavior"), or unusual dogs, like those missing a leg or two ("Missing Component") will earn you points, but if a dog is smiling at you in the photo ("Reverse Spot"), you gain no points. At the end of each season (if you're willing to call a year "a season"), a prize is awarded to the competitor with the highest amount of points. Honestly, it's kind of like hunting, except without guns, dead animals, and having to freeze your ass off in the woods for a week.

Some people are into Dogspotting because they like looking at cute photos of dogs, or the shits-and-giggles entertainment of getting points for posting photos. Others truly find themselves hooked on the competition. Often times, though, it's a mix of everything. "I see dogspotting as a kind of sport," seasoned Dogspotter Lucas Fox explained to me over Facebook. "For me, it's for laughs and keeps me interested in my surroundings when I'm walking around."

It's true that absurdity keeps things interesting, but there's a limit to how bold spotters can be before they are simply being assholes with bad sportsmanship. Posting non-canine photos—"You have no idea how many fucking Snoop Dogg posts we get"—and sparking flame wars in the comments section are amongst the more common infractions in the Dogspotting community. Oh, and of course, hacking the founder's computer due to your undying love for the sport.

Yes, you read that correctly. For several participants, Dogspotting ranks third behind work and family. Some are so serious and dedicatedly involved in political factions regarding the scoring system that they have even staged coups. "My computer was disabled remotely, and a kangaroo court brought Orthodoxy to the group," Savoia explained, referring to the infamous "Bad Man" Josh Boruff's attempt at changing the rules to align with his stricter point-system. Several stressful and debate-filled nights occurred as the two warring factions struggled for control, but eventually, Savoia succeeded in re-establishing "the Savoian Free Point system." And despite his actions, due to his love and dedication to the sport, Josh Boruff now enjoys a top-dog status as a Dogspotting advisor.

Dogspotting is a sport and a lifestyle—but it's also a trend, and trends die out. Savoia doesn't seem concerned, as he claims "the sport itself would survive if it was just [him] and a handful of spotters." And he's right. For now, the league is growing. More than 800 people joined the Facebook group last week. And once you start seeing your points skyrocket, it's hard to quit.

Just today, I'm proud to admit I racked up a cool 19 points. And I'll be up bright and early tomorrow, and the next day, always on the lookout for more.

"Just like how some people say Ball is Life, we say Dog is Life," Savoia explained to me near the end of our conversation. "Dogspotting. I live for this shit."