Doggo 108

Out-and-Back Walks

The simplest of the three Doggo 108 shapes. You head out in one direction, turn around at some point, and come back to where you started. Most everyday dog walks are out-and-backs.

What is an out-and-back?

A walk where you finish within 50 metres of where you started, but didn't trace out any closed loop along the way. The path looks like a line that doubles back on itself — out one way, back the same way (or close to it).

Key markers we look for:

Start and finish are within 50 metres of each other
Total walking distance is at least 200 metres
The path doesn't enclose any region big enough to be a loop (2,500 m² is our threshold — roughly a 50 × 50 m square)
The outbound and return legs overlap, or stay close to one another

Real-world examples: walking down a country lane, turning around at a landmark, and walking back. A coastal path where you can only go one way. A trail through woods to a viewpoint and back.

What does not count as an out-and-back?

A walk that doesn't return to the start. If you finish more than 50 metres from where you began, the walk is rejected entirely — Doggo 108 needs to see a closed walk to score it.
A walk shorter than 200 metres. Too short to count, regardless of shape.
A walk that loops around. If your path encloses a meaningful area, you're a single loop, not an out-and-back.
A walk with a significant crossover. If the path crosses itself and creates two closed regions, that's a figure-of-eight.

FAQ

Does it matter which direction I walk first?: No. North-then-south or east-then-west all count the same.
What if I take a slightly different path back?: Totally fine. Walk on the other side of the road, take a parallel alley, do a small detour around the duck pond — the algorithm allows for variation, as long as your wandering doesn't accidentally enclose 2,500 m² of area.
What if my path crosses itself once or twice?: One small crossover doesn't make a figure-of-eight. Both "lobes" either side of the crossover need to enclose at least 2,500 m² to count as separate loops.
How accurately do I need to retrace my steps?: Not very. The algorithm doesn't compare the two halves of your walk vertex-by-vertex; it only cares about the overall shape. Take a different route back if you want.
Does an out-and-back as part of a longer figure-of-eight count?: Only the shape of your complete recorded walk matters. The classification looks at the whole GPX track when you upload, not sub-sections of it.