Believe it or not, a new leisure activity called “hobby dogging” is becoming popular among animal-lovers in Germany who do not want hairy carpets, drooling or expensive vet fees. There is also no need to pick up poo or deal with aggressive behaviour or barking when leaving your pet at home.
Hobby dogging – essentially dog training without dogs – follows in the wake of “hobby horsing”, a previous trend that saw children and a surprising number of adults gallop through obstacle courses on stick horses. In Bad Friedrichshall, north of the German city of Stuttgart, you can even get professional guidance in walking your imaginary dog.
It sounds like some viral AI-generated prank, and as might be expected, it has been met with much head-shaking, scepticism and ridicule online. After all, the dog only exists in the walker’s imagination.
“Whatever they’ve been smoking, I want some,” writes one internet user.
