GoPro Mountain Games bring Pro Plan Dog Town back to Vail for four days
Dog Town will take over Lionshead Village for four days of DockDogs, Dueling Dogs and the Incredible Dog Challenge, putting canine athletes on a main festival stage.
Pro Plan Dog Town will once again turn Lionshead Village into a four-day arena for canine athletics when the GoPro Mountain Games run June 4-7 in Vail, Colorado. The lineup is built around the Purina Pro Plan Incredible Dog Challenge Experience, Pro Plan DockDogs Outdoor Big Air, Speed Retrieve, Extreme Vertical, Dueling Dogs and Try DockDogs, with dock jumps, belly flops and plenty of splash-ready action on the schedule.
The setup is as practical as it is flashy. Dog Town will run 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Sunday. Dogs are the only pets allowed on-site, and they must be at least 6 months old. Retractable leashes are not permitted, and Town of Vail rules require dogs to stay on leash in Vail Village, Lionshead Mall and on bike paths, with no tethering allowed.
That structure matters because the Mountain Games are not treating this as a side attraction. The Incredible Dog Challenge Experience is back for its second year at the festival, and Purina says the format has showcased canine athletes for more than 28 years. On Thursday, the schedule calls for performances at 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., plus Learn from the Pros sessions. Dr. RuthAnn Lobos, Purina’s veterinarian, is listed for appearances at 11:30 a.m. on Friday and again on Saturday.
The dog programming also stretches beyond the leaderboard. Eagle County Animal Services will hold dog adoptions at Dog Town on Thursday, June 4 at 11:00 a.m., and Dog Adoption Yappy Hour runs Friday, June 5 through Sunday, June 7 from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Pacifico will provide free beer vouchers, while supplies last, for guests 21 and older at the yappy hour. The official Mountain Games material also points to appearances by Matt Nelson, the creator of WeRateDogs, underlining how much dog culture has been woven into the festival’s identity.
Mountain Games has said Dog Town is often voted the most fun venue for spectators, and the 2025 event added a second DockDogs pool for Dueling Dogs. That is the real signal here: Vail is not just making room for dogs, it is giving high-energy dogs the same kind of packed, high-visibility stage that adventure sports already command.
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