The stray dogs of Sochi have already taken on the status of legend and the Winter Games have barely begun. Organizers are seeking to clear the Games' venues of dogs, through means both humane and sinister, but the concern has always been that a dog will somehow involve itself in the action.

On Thursday, a dog wandered onto the cross-country skiing course. And on Friday morning, just before the start of the Opening Ceremony, look who showed up for the party:

A stray dog just strolled into the stadium ahead of the Sochi opening ceremony. Volunteers chased him away. pic.twitter.com/UJa8Ny3i5z — James Ellingworth (@jellingworth) February 7, 2014

We assume it's not the same dog, because that would be a heck of a coincidence, and it would also mean said dog is a serious Olympics fan. Even so, this is exactly the kind of problem Sochi's organizers are trying to avoid.

If you're looking to spice up your Sochi Games viewing experience, "count the dogs" might be a good way to pass the time.

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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter.



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