Pampered Paws Upon the Potomac

"This is just fun. People can come out and enjoy their best friends together. They might even bring their wives with them," quipped Dick Fox, 58, an engineer from Mount Vernon who brought his wife and his dog, Teddy.

On the upper deck of the boat, the Admiral Tilp, Alexandria residents Thom and Denise Iles sat with their dog, Rudder, a cocker mix they found several years ago tied to a pole with a note that said "Free Dog" around her neck.

"You know what chance she had at a good life?" Denise Iles marveled.

Turns out a pretty good one, complete with a filet cookout on her birthday, where Rudder sits at the table and everybody wears tiny party hats.

"People miss out if they don't love their dogs as much as we do," Iles said. Then: "Rudder, your mission is to look out at the water."

Rudder contemplated. The cool night air ruffled her blond fur. The lights of the city turned the dark water into tiny diamonds. Slowly, the boat chugged into the dock at the city marina.

After tie-up, the dogs pulled at their leashes and clogged the gangway in their haste to reach land. They seemed certain that in this town, another treat was just around the corner.

Potomac Riverboat Co. will run the last dog cruises of the summer tonight leaving from the city marina in Alexandria at 6, 7, 8 and 9 p.m. Cost is $11. For more information call 703-684-0580 or 877-511-2628.