Pooch Pool Party 'pandemonium'

Hundreds of excited dogs and their proud owners got together over the weekend at the Waltham and Templeton outdoor pools for the fifth annual end-of-summer Pooch Pool Party.

Christchurch City Council events team leader Jamie Graham said the party was held at the end of every summer.

"We shut the pools down for the humans. So it's a chance for the dogs to come in and swim. Waltham is a great place to do it because it's got the beach area for the dogs that aren't so confident jumping into the deep end of the pool."

More than 650 people showed up for the event on Saturday, chatting with other owners as they watched their pets running wild and make friends with the other canines.

Among the chaos, some newcomers found the party a little overwhelming.

One dog owner said it was "pandemonium", while another said he loved how the dogs interacted with each other and his dog had a lot of fun playing with the toys in the water.

With the number of dogs in one area, the council-run event had to take extra precautions and monitor how the dogs were behaving.

The pool party was divided into 4 sessions, helping separate out the small, medium and big dogs and one final open session for pooches who missed out.

By the end of the day, it wasn't just the owners who were looking tired, the dogs were also ready for a big nap. 

- By Emily O'Hagan, made with the support of NZ On Air