Portland dog owners, brace yourselves: the Doggolympics are coming to town for the first time on Saturday, October 17 at Willamette Park.
The event, which has so far enjoyed three years in Bend and one in Eugene, is organized by Bryan Du Toit, the founder of Hungry Hound, a food cart for dogs in Bend. Yes: a food cart for your canine friends that features burgers, hot dogs, and desserts, all tailored to a dog’s needs and served on a frisbee.
The idea for the Doggolympics came about after Du Toit realized there wasn’t anything else like it. There are plenty of dog owners in Bend, he said, and “Eugene’s got such a big dog loving community, too.”
“It’s not a sanctioned competition of any kind,” he told the Mercury. “It’s literally the kind of event where there’s 8-year-old Annie and her poodle running through the obstacle course and jumping over the high jump, and there’s 65-year-old Garren with his labrador, and he’s running through the course, and it’s just a super fun day for everybody.”
Dogs can attend the Doggolympics without participating, but Du Toit said that usually once owners and their pets show up, it’s hard to resist.
That’s because the Doggolympics includes four events: an obstacle course, a high jump, a lane sprint, and a best trick competition. Dogs don’t need any special kind of training to participate (though they do, of course, need to be able to handle being around other dogs and crowds of people), and the event is family-friendly (your non-furry children are invited, and so are your furry children).
“The events are not meant for professionally-trained super dogs. They’re meant for everybody,” Du Toit asked. Dogs are also divided into two groups—over 50 pounds and under 50 pounds—to keep everyone safe.
And on the topic of safety, Du Toit said the event has never had any problems with dogs or their owners since it began. “People know their dogs, and I’m trusting that they do,” he added. There haven’t been problems with reactive pets, but there is a plan in place. “This is supposed to be a fun event. You don’t want to come to an event and be afraid of somebody else’s dog,” he said. “So we do a protocol that we will tell really reactive dogs that we can’t have them there, but we’ve never had a problem yet.”
In addition to fun, the event is also a source of connection. Charlie Stein, who works as a manager at the Woodstock Healthy Pets NW location, said that pet owners need community just like anyone else. “I think that we get kind of individualized with our own pets, and we’re just kind of worried about our own pets and family and stuff,” he said. “But I don’t think people realize that getting in touch with other dog owners can be a resource, and something that can actually make a difference in your life.”
And now, the information you’ve been waiting for: you can sign up your dog on the official Doggolympics website, or visit Healthy Pets NW (4435 SE Woodstock and 3612 SW Troy) and register in person. If you opt for the latter, maybe get your dog something nice at the store.
The event will take place on Saturday, October 17 at Willamette Park, 6500 S Macadam. Festivities begin at 8:30 am and will end around 4 pm—whenever those dogs exhaust themselves.