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Dogging (sexual slang)

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Dogging is a British euphemism for engaging in sexual acts in a semi-public place (typically a secluded car park) or watching others doing so. Frequently there are more than two participants, and group sex and sometimes even gangbangs occur. Observation is encouraged, thus voyeurism and exhibitionism are closely associated with dogging. The two sets of people involved often meet either randomly, or (increasingly) arrange to meet-up beforehand over the internet.

Health officials fear that sexual promiscuity due to dogging is one reason for the renewed rising incidence of sexually transmitted diseases.

In September 2003, the BBC reported on the 'new' dogging craze. They cited the Internet and text messaging as very common ways of organising meetings. The original definition of Dogging, which is still a closely-related activity, is spying on couples having sex in a car or other public place. This can become habitual, and is a paraphilia known as voyeurism.

Dogging once attracted mass media attention (particularly when Stan Collymore was reported to participate[1]), to the point that it has become difficult for couples to casually park-up at a recognised dogging site without almost immediately being surrounded by a circle of rather pushy (and sometimes rather intimidating) single males. This led to harassment of members of the public on some occasions, police involvement, and a tendency for some couples to move their activities to other locations and towards 'soft-swinging'.

Although mainly thought of as a purely British phenomenon, there is some evidence on the internet that the 'craze' has recently begun to spread to other countries (in particular the U.S.A. and English-speaking areas of Canada), and also to the Netherlands and Spain.

Etiquette and safety

AS DONE BY DOGGER DAN! DIRTY DOGGER!

Dogging-info.com comments, "There's loads of signals that doggers use, the most common are flashing lights, these could be interior or exterior lights. This basically means they're [probably] doggers. Leaving the internal light on basically means 'we want to be watched'. If they [choose to] wind down the window, this may mean they want to fondle / be fondled or more. If they want more, they will tell you."

It also adds, "Before you arrive, make sure you move your bag / purse / wallet / anything valuable to a safe place like the trunk. Also lock all the doors from the inside, this will stop unwelcome visitors and keep you in control of what goes on."

At first, there was a strict code of etiquette regarding approaching / not approaching parked cars, but this has now largely been broken. This has also caused distress to other 'non-dogging' couples who have unwittingly entered the same car park looking for privacy, leading to Police involvement in some places.

In the light of this, many couples (especially those who prefer mutual voyeurism to casual group sex) have increasingly transferred to meeting new friends via the internet-organized 'Soft-Swinging' (i.e. same-room sharing/watching) scene, and now do their 'dogging' in a more 'social' atmosphere in the relative safety, comfort and privacy of each other's homes.

In most jurisdictions, dogging would come under laws related to: voyeurism, exhibitionism, or public displays of sexual behavior. Some countries may also have laws regarding permitting, or being reckless as to whether, a minor watches (or becomes exposed to) sexual activities.

Terminology

The word 'dogging' (in the main UK sense of 'stalking' or 'pursuing') was used in the 1970s to describe the practice (mainly among sexually-curious adolescents and more adult 'Peeping Toms') of sneaking-up on couples having sex in cars in isolated 'lover's lanes' and watching them whilst remaining undetected. Nowadays the word describes practices really more accurately described as 'outdoor swinging' and consensual mutual voyeurism / exhibitionism. Like many colloquial words (see 'Posh', 'Pommie', 'Limey', 'Chav' etc.) the word 'dogging' may have fallen victim to retrospective fake etymology (after the craze 'surfaced') for the sake of filling titillating and 'mock outrage' column-inches in bottom-market ('redtop') newspapers. Known explanations are:

  • According to author Jane White: "The term originates from the practice of men using imaginary dogs as an excuse for hanging around in the bushes."
  • Yet another version is: "The term originates from the fact that the participants are having sex in public without shame, the way dogs do".
  • Dogging Central comments that "The word 'dogging' has always had the connotation of following or watching". It traces the use of the word in this non-sexual sense back at least as far as the novel Moby Dick (1851), and in a sexual sense at least as far back as the early 1970s, quoting the Sunday Herald which wrote in 2003, "The term dogging originated in the early 1970s to describe men who spied on couples having sex outdoors – these men would 'dog' the couples' every move and watch them" [2].
"I said nothing to Queequeg of his being behind, but passed on with my comrade, anxious to see whether the stranger would turn the same corner that we did. He did; and then it seemed to me that he was dogging us, but with what intent I could not for the life of me imagine." - Moby Dick
  • Dogging-info.com adds that "a popular theory is that it comes from the alibi of "walking the dog" to explain your outdoor adventures."
  • It should be noted that "dogging", in American English may be a critical or insulting slang term. In its language of origin, British English, the word does not have any negative connotation, slang or otherwise. Its only other relevant use would perhaps be a slang verb for performing sexual intercourse doggy style.
  • Poodling is a humorous reference to dogging in posher automobiles

UK Dogging also has a reference to sexualpraktik, the German equivalant to the word Dogging.

Non-sexual meanings of the term
  • At [3] the Publishers Weekly review of "The Pawprints of History: Dogs and the Course of Human Events," by Stanley Coren, possibly quotes the author, "the Spanish conquistadors fortified their military with dogs, and 'the cruellest of the Spanish leaders would use the dogs as a means of public execution. This was known as "dogging"'."

See also

References

  • White, Jane. Are You Ready For Dogging?. Marie Claire Magazine, May 2005.
  • Quo Magazine (spanish version) Jan 2006. About Dogging Activities in Spain using doggin-spain.com forums.
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