*This story has been modified since its original posting.

A bull terrier sprinted across the infield at a McVicker Canyon Park ball field while a German shepherd and Labrador joined the romp in the outfield.

They were among about a dozen dogs gleefully prancing free of their owners' leashes on a recent morning on the spacious field in northwestern Lake Elsinore, thanks to a decision by the City Council.

The council agreed, on a trial basis, to allow the park's lower baseball field to be used as a dog park on weekday mornings from mid-October to mid-January, while city administrators looked for permanent locales.

Pet owners can turn their dogs loose at the McVicker field on Mondays through Fridays from dawn until 10:30 a.m.

"I've never been here before. I think it's pretty cool," said Cassie Sorenson, a Menifee resident visiting the park with her son and his girlfriend, both Lake Elsinore residents.

Sorenson's son, Nick Jenkins, said he and April Opferman have been stopping by the park for a couple of weeks with Jack, their 4-month-old cattle dog.

"We're just trying to socialize him with bigger dogs ... so he doesn't have dog aggression when he gets older," Jenkins said. "He's used to hanging out with cats at home."

He and others there that morning said they haven't seen any problems with the policy so far.

The owners who were present seemed attentive to their pets and followed the rules of conduct the city posted at the entrance to the fenced-in field.

Meanwhile, city administrators have researched spots in Lake Elsinore where a permanent dog park could be installed and have come up with a recommendation to the council.

The proposal is scheduled for the council's review at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Cultural Center, 183 N. Main St.

Of nine sites reviewed as having potential, Pat Kilroy, Parks and Recreation Department acting director, recommends including a 1 1/2-acre enclosed dog play area in Rosetta Canyon Park, which is being built at Rosetta Canyon Road and Ardenwood Way.

The park is being built along with a fire station to serve recently developed neighborhoods in the city's northeastern corner.

The advantages of a dog area there are that it can be incorporated easily into the park plan as it is still being developed and there is room to accommodate it, including separate areas for big and small dogs.

It also meets other criteria city staff members have identified for suitable dog park sites.

It is at least 200 feet from homes, drains properly and is compatible for people with disabilities.

Also, it will have drinking fountains, restrooms and paved parking.

Officials say the estimated $55,000 cost of creating the dog area will be offset by savings in water costs the city will reap from scaling back the park plan to one baseball field from four and reducing the turf area. The savings come from reducing the number of water connections needed and thereby the fees charged by the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District for those connections.

Lee Ann Cameron, who led the campaign to have the McVicker field declared a dog park, had a mixed reaction to the recommendation.

The Rosetta site is at least four miles from McVicker Canyon.

"It's not exactly what we'd hoped for," she said.

She added, however, that she appreciates the city going forward with the effort she and her neighbors brought to the forefront.

In September, she presented the city with a petition signed by about 200 residents in support of establishing a dog play area at McVicker.

The council voted 3-2 to allow the park's temporary use, while authorizing the citywide search.

"It's huge," Cameron said of the city staff's recommendation. "I'd love to have that (park). I just wish it was the little park we've grown rather attached to."

It was obvious from the recent visit to McVicker that kicking the dogs out would be unpopular with the current users.

"It would be great if it could be around this area," Debby Bondar said. "That would be ideal, because we have a lot of older people who can't walk too far."

Bondar said she had been taking her Italian greyhounds to dog parks in Temecula and Corona before McVicker opened.

"This is nice because it's a bigger area and they can run and stretch their legs," she said.

Sandra Arana said she regularly brings her golden retriever and Labrador mix to McVicker.

"Overall, I think it's been a nice experience for the dogs and for the owners, too," she said. "My dogs need a lot of exercise and it gives them a chance to socialize with other dogs."

The owners there that day were careful to make sure the gate was shut and secured with a chain when they entered and left.

When one owner saw her dog relieve himself in the outfield, she snagged a plastic doggie litter bag from a box installed for that purpose and went to clean up the spot.

Cameron said she expects critics to hone in on the occasional fracases between dogs, but she contends that those have been minimized through the owners' attentiveness.

"There's been a learning curve in learning how to bring new dogs there and signs to watch for," she said. "There have been some scuffles when new dogs come in, but no blood drawn. When somebody comes in with a smaller dog, I tell them 'You probably want to keep them on a leash for a while until the other dogs get used to him.'"

Mayor Bob Magee and Councilwoman Melissa Melendez said they had received one anonymously written letter complaining of issues at the dog park, but otherwise had not gotten any feedback.

While the staff is recommending that the council go forward with the Rosetta Canyon site, the report does not close the door on other possible sites, including McVicker.

Kilroy said the staff will evaluate how McVicker has worked out as the three-month period draws to an end, but the big question is the compatibility with the baseball field.

The mixed-use concept was opposed by Little League President Jason Crow, although he later said he didn't know the petitioners were talking about the lower field, which the Little Leaguers didn't use last season.

Crow said recently, however, that if enough players sign up for the coming season, Little League will start using the lower field again, which is still in use by other teams and leagues.

Cameron said she believes the dog park hasn't presented problems for the ballplayers, who Crow had said were concerned about dog feces and holes dug by the dogs.

"The park has never looked better," she said of the baseball field. "Even the baseball players have commented about that."

Crow said he agrees that the weekday crowd of dog owners have kept their promises and done a good job of cleaning up.

That is not true, he said, for dog owners who use the field on weekends in violation of the temporary policy.

He said he believes the experiment should end with the trial period.

"I think as soon as baseball starts, it should be discontinued," he said. "That's the priority of the park. It's for softball and baseball, not for a dog park."

CLARIFICATION: Water savings misstated

A correction oversimplified the source of savings Lake Elsinore will reap from scaling back a park plan. The $55,000 in anticipated savings stem from the city's avoidance of water connection fees, not the reduced water use.

CORRECTION: Dog park financing wrongly stated

The original version of this contained an error. The city expects to offset the $55,000 cost of installing a dog play area at Rosetta Canyon Park with savings the city will reap from scaling back the park plan. The savings comes from reducing the number of water connections needed and thereby the fees charged by the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District for those connections.