Dogging is not new, but like most trends it’s experiencing a cyclical surge in popularity. Dogging is an adrenaline-filled sexual practice that can go from innocent, if the couple only wants to be seen having sex, to much more risqué, when the participation of others is allowed. It combines exhibitionism, voyeurism and swinging.

Although it emerged in the 70´s in England, today dogging has become fashionable again thanks to E. L. James’s worldwide success of “Fifty Shades of Grey.”

It seems the word dogging derives from the term”walk the dog,” because of dog owners who took advantage of the of their daily hike to spy on couples having sex in the open. For others, the word refers to having sex in public, like dogs. Dogging refers to heterosexual couples, as the gay community reserves the term cruising.

Typical participants range in ages between 25 and 55. Doggers are heterosexual couples who like this kind of practice and get a higher level of satisfaction when engaging in these sexual practices.

Today, dogging consists of anonymous sexual intercourse in public places such as parks, beaches, forests and other vacant urban areas, as well as in public restrooms and highway rest areas. The difference between dogging and sex between a man and a woman “doing it anywhere” is that doggers go to these places to be seen by voyeurs or prying eyes, which may or may not be invited to participate.

Before social networks became the norm for “hooking up”, contacts were made in person and were limited to some known locations such as parks within the dogging community, until they were discovered by the police. Currently, there are forums and websites like Dogging After Dark that in addition to promoting contacts, lay out the rules of the meeting. The individual who organizes the meet balances the number of doggers with voyeurs as the participants see fit.