Sniff around Federal Hill Park long enough, and you're bound to find something interesting.

For those of you with dogs that regularly do just that, this is your, uh, spot.

What -- to a dog and its owner -- is good about Federal Hill Park? (Obviously, the view, for one thing.) What's bad about it? (Not a lot of room to run, it seems to me.) What dramas, large and small, are unfolding there?

If Federal Hill is where you routinely walk your dog -- Ace and I only hit it once in a while -- send us the scoop, the gossip, the dirt (and feel free to do so anonymously) via the comment button below.

My impression is, as city parks go, Federal Hill is, for dogs and dog people, a little snootier, a little less welcoming, a little more clique-ish than most -- maybe because of its upscale location.

Even when I lived halfway between Federal Hill and Riverside Parks, I'd generally choose Riverside -- mainly because (though it's illegal in both, and subject to periodic raids by police and animal control) I felt less guilty about letting Ace off his leash there.

Federal Hill Park just seems a more refined place -- one more suited to strolling than romping, though plenty of that goes on as well.

Because it's smaller, and much of the land is made up of the steep hills, it's not the kind of place a dog can run his heart out. Still, there are a good number that gather there nightly to frolic off leash.

As a rule, one runs into more purebreds at Federal Hill, and more "designer mixes," The little dog Ace is checking out above, Deuce (no kidding), for example, is a Shih-Tzu-poodle mix, or, according to her owner, a Shih-poo.

They were enjoying some contemplative bench time the other day, gazing at the city's every expanding skyline, when we interrupted.

Federal Hill Park is also where you will most commonly see Sally Ann Jennings, of Recycled Love, and her crew -- four rescued pooches, the eldest of which she has taken to sometimes pushing in a stroller. (Sally Ann and Federal Hill Park were both featured in my Ace movie, Hey, Mister, What Kind of Dog is That?)

There's probably no better park to sit on a bench and people-watch. It offers a commanding view of the Inner Harbor, and of the rampant condo construction to the east that is gobbling up the sky.

While Federal Hill seems to be a little better maintained than most city parks, it's still riddled with broken glass, especially after outdoor movie nights and assorted festivals take place. While it's quieter than most, it does have its loud moments, like when boisterous high-schoolers pass through after school.

Federal Hill was given its name in 1789 after a celebration honoring the ratification of the Constitution. After the Baltimore riot of 1861, the hill was occupied by Union troops who erected a small fort, with a cannon pointing towards the central business district to ensure Baltimore's and Maryland's allegiance to the federal government.

Today it serves as a seemingly peaceful place to parade one's pooch. Then again, if you take your dog there regularly, you know better than me.

So feel free to get this dialogue going with your thoughts  -- lofty or petty (we accept them all) -- by clicking the comment button and writing the next episode of Dogs of Our Lives - Federal Hill. 

(Tomorrow: Dogs of Our Lives - Locust Point)