Can You Spot the Dog? Irish Setter Hiding During Park Walk Baffles Internet

A dog owner has baffled people around the world this week by sharing a picture and asking people to spot her dog.

Taken by Madison Carter from Perth, Western Australia, the photo of Charlie the 7-month-old Irish Setter has left viewers stumped.

Carter told Newsweek: "We've just come into autumn/winter here and the path is lined with deciduous trees that drop their leaves at this time of year. Park maintenance comes each week to sweep them into huge piles to keep the grass clear.

"As Charlie was born in summer, it's his first time experiencing fall and the weather that goes with it. I wanted to take him to our top park to see the leaves and see if he would enjoy playing in the piles—which of course he did."

After playing with his ball at the park, Charlie took himself for a rest among a pile of leaves when Carter and her mom had to look twice to see where he was and quickly snapped a picture of the cleverly camouflaged pup.

The American Kennel Club recognized the Irish Setter as a breed in 1878, and today it is ranked as the 77th most popular dog breed in the U.S. Famed for its sweet-natured and active personality, the Irish Setter's signature mahogany coat is the perfect tone to blend in effortlessly with fall leaves.

Carter shared the image on the popular Facebook group Dogspotting with the caption: "Spotto level: advanced," where users were amazed by how well hidden the dog was. "That's not a dog, it's a chameleon," joked one Facebook user. While another wrote: "Took me ages! Good hidden dog spot."

Pet advice site Little Dog Tips suggests that lots of dogs love to play hide and seek—especially if their owner gets involved with some hiding too. "It's a very special bonding experience. It teaches your dog that staying close to you is rewarding. You'll love watching your dog look for you from your hiding spots. It's amazing how quickly they learn the game, and begin to search in areas you've gone before," it said.

Amazed by how many people were struggling to spot Charlie, Carter told Newsweek: "I think Facebook makes the photo quality poor, which makes it harder to spot. But I also didn't expect so many people to try and spot him."

Currently experiencing lots of firsts with her young puppy, Carter and Charlie are about to take on a walking challenge—aiming to walk 100km (60 miles) in June to support the Red Cross in Australia.

"They're upping the game," said another commenter in response to the hidden pup picture. While another user simply wrote: "Good camouflage!"

Last month, another hidden pet took the internet by storm when a cat was seen hidden among the chainsaws at a store in South Carolina. Emma the cat was eventually spotted by internet users who joked: "Cats with chainsaws, that's all we need."