Hamilton has gone to the dogs.

Hamilton City Council hosted a Christmas spectacular at Garden Place on Satrurday where dog people and their pooches were treated to dog-inspired games, as well as a picture with Santa.

Lisa van Walraven brought her little dog Sansa, a Yorkshire terrier-chihuahua cross.

CHRISTEL YARDLEY/FAIRFAX NZ Dog owners took their pooches to Garden Place for a photo with Santa. There was also dog agility demonstrations taking place with dogs racing against each other. Pictured is Sansa.

Sansa came dressed for the part in a little Santa suit, including a hat. He didn't look at all embarrassed - at five months old, he was too young to care.

He wasn't the only one dressed for the party.

Lexie, a golden retriever, and her brother Diesel, a mastiff-staffy cross, donned reindeer headbands. Unlike Sansa, they looked a little self-conscious.

1 of 5 CHRISTEL YARDLEY/FAIRFAX NZ Lexie, a golden retriever, wore reindeer antlers for his picture with Santa. 2 of 5 CHRISTEL YARDLEY/FAIRFAX NZ Five-month-old Sansa, a Yorkshire terrier-chihuahua cross, was too young to care what other dogs thought of her unusual costume. 3 of 5 CHRISTEL YARDLEY/FAIRFAX NZ Hamilton Mayor Julie Hardaker and her dogs Fifi, right, and Poppy. 4 of 5 CHRISTEL YARDLEY/FAIRFAX NZ From left, Maddison Ritchie, Taylor Ritchie and Brodie Ritchie made sure they fitted right into the dog theme of the day. 5 of 5 CHRISTEL YARDLEY/FAIRFAX NZ Dozens of dogs and their owners converged on Garden Place for the Saturday morning party. Everyone seemed to behave, even when wriggling in Santa's lap.

Their mum, Stephanie Whittred, decided to bring them down after spotting the invitation on Facebook.

"I just thought, oh God, we have to do it," she said.

"We especially came so they can get their picture with Santa."

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Throughout the morning's festivities, Santa had to shake off a bit of fur from his suit, but unlike children, no one peed on him and certainly no teeth were bared or tears shed.

He thought the day was a great success.

"I've had no bites and there've been no naughty dogs. We have just had a few wriggly ones."

Santa said he usually visited malls, Christmas parades and special events for children, and it was his first time doing a dog event.

"I was a bit nervous, but I didn't need to be. All these little pooches will be on the good list this year."

Hamilton Mayor Julie Hardaker was there, too, bringing her babies Fifi, a chihuahua, and Poppy, a king charles spaniel.

"Last year we had 'come and have your photo with Santa,' and that was a really great success," Hardaker said.

"So we thought this year we would expand it a little bit with dog activities and we've had the agility dogs, which are amazing, and a photo with Santa."

Hardaker said information on how to care for your pets was also available.

"There's been a mixed reaction to Santa. Some dogs are really liking it and some not so much. My dog Fifi, she wasn't so keen."

All money raised at the event will go to the Waikato SPCA.