Pooch Plunge at City Park Pool

Every Labor Day, just before closing for the season, the city of Ft. Collins opens up the City Park Pool to dogs. Can you imagine hundreds of dogs splashing, swimming, retrieving, and running around the pool? My standard poodles think it is the best party around — one actually loves to swim, while the other prefers to stand at the edge of the pool barking (she loves the sound of her own voice). Not only is there the pool to play in, but invariably there will be local dog-​related businesses set up to hand out treats and other swag.
It’s taken me a few years, but I’ve finally learned that there is no point in getting to the pool early — you’ll just end up standing in line with a bunch of owners paying a varying amount of attention to their dogs … since my dogs are a bit sensitive about having their space invaded this used to be the most stressful part of the experience. On the other hand, you don’t want to get there too late — heaven forbid if you should miss out on any of the swag, and there’s always the «code brown» to worry about. I’ve found it’s just about perfect if you buy your tickets in advance and show up half an hour after the pool opens to dogs — you can pretty much walk right in, let your dogs off-​leash, browse the vendor booths and have a good time.