Rancho Cordova residents were treated to some doggone fun Saturday with at Woofstock. The aptly named event marked the grand opening of the city’s first dog park in Hagan Community Park.

There's been talk of a dog park since 2002, but Rancho Cordova Mayor Ken Cooley still didn’t expect hundreds of people to show up, some of whom had traveled from as far as El Dorado Hills for the event. “I just did not know what to expect this morning, and I’m floored by the constituency that a dog park has,” he said. “It’s fabulous.”

At least 100 hounds were present to help break in the park, which features everything a dog could want: plenty of space to roam, trees for shade and disposal bags for their humans to keep the park clean. The two-acre spread is fenced and split into three sections, two for the big dogs, one for the little guys. The small-dog section is slightly less than half an acre, while the large-dog sections are .92 acres and .72 acres, respectively. One of the large dog areas has a hill. The pups loved running up and down it, while their human companions enjoyed the vantage point it offered.

As with any place in which furry critters are allowed to run freely, there were a couple of fights. Both times, though, the dogs were separated quickly, and the aggressor escorted out of the park by its owner.

Gold River resident Mort Rumberg said people had wanted a dog park for years. “The Rancho Cordova Recreation and Parks District were asked by people wanting to move into the city, ‘How many dog parks do you have?’ ” he said. “Five years ago, there were none.”

A committee, Gone to the Dogs, was formed to find a place for Rancho’s furry residents to play. “We started working raising funds, meeting and putting together a program, and this is the result,” Rumberg said.

The grand opening was clearly all about dogs, and included trainers, sitters and pet food companies, each with treats for the four-legged guests. Those who need better manners can learn them from Serena Saris, owner of the Golden Paws Academy. She will offer classes in the dog park in conjunction with the Cordova Recreation and Parks District.

But there was fun to be had even without a dog. Some people stood outside the fence with their children, watching the pups play while others took in the agility and police K-9 demonstrations. There also were a look-alike contest, in which contestants were judged by how much their dog resembled them, and a stupid pet tricks contest.

As for the dogs, run-by lickings and joyful expressions showed their owners that they think the dog park is the best place in the world to run and play.