Lake Dogs 2022

Photos by Holly Leitner and Lauren Harrigan

As we kick off the yearlong celebration of our 25th anniversary of At The Lake, you may have noticed several exciting changes and updates to this issue, but one thing remains a constant: our shared love for “Lake Dogs.” In fact, this year we received a record number of submissions! Thank you for sharing your adorable, furry friends with us. It took much deliberation to narrow the incredible field down to the 21 dogs you see in this year’s “Lake Dogs” portfolio, and we are thrilled to share this year’s group with you.

For even more canine cuteness, you can order our book, “Lake Dogs,” featuring over 100 color photographs of dogs who call the Geneva Lake area home, available here. Lucky puppies!

Kona, 7-year-old German Shepherd

Personality Traits: Loving, loyal and spunky.
Favorite Lake Activities: Jumping in after balls, sticks or her favorite humans.
Pet Peeve: Chipmunks!
Naughtiest Deed: Ruining gutters from chasing the poor chipmunks.

Gracie, 4-year-old Yorkshire Terrier

Family: Milan & Emily Nesic
Personality Traits: Determined, feisty, playful, sometimes bossy, always affectionate
Favorite Lake Activities: Taking her pontoon out on Geneva Lake.
Pet Peeve: 1. Birds. 2. When her ball gets stuck under the couch. 3. That she always has to perform tricks for a treat.
Naughtiest Deed: When she jumped in a muddy lake after a frog right before her humans’ wedding.

Tank & Beans, 6-month-old English Bulldogs

Family: The Hausner family
Personality Traits: Tank is active, Beans is a lover.
Favorite Lake Activities: Splashing in the lake.
Pet Peeves: Beans doesn’t like his vest, Tank doesn’t like the vacuum.
Naughtiest Deed: Chewing everything!

Pepe, 10-year-old Cunucu (island street dog from Aruba)

Family: Amy Gorz
Personality Traits: Always goofy and happy, like Sid the sloth from “Ice Age.”
Favorite Lake Activities: He loves to swim and bite the water.
Pet Peeve: Squirrels.
Naughtiest Deed: Catching squirrels.

Strebbie, 2-year-old Toy Goldendoodle

Family: Sean & Sarah Harrigan
Personality Traits: Playful, brave and bossy.
Favorite Lake Activities: Swimming and paddleboarding.
Pet Peeve: Being out of the spotlight.
Naughtiest Deed: Hid an Apple Watch for a month before returning it.

Coco Phlow, 5-month-old Pug 

Family: Ms. Mae & Family
Personality Trait: Funny.
Favorite Lake Activities: Loves swimming!
Pet Peeve: Not getting attention.
Naughtiest Deed: Barking like a pterodactyl being tortured.

Bridger & Bolt, 2-year-old & 4-year-old Golden Retrievers

Family: Gregg & Jes Christenson
Personality Traits: Korean street survivors, they’re tough and so loving.
Favorite Lake Activities: Spotting for wakesurfers and swimming.
Pet Peeve: When the other dog gets to go for a car ride, or when they don’t get a hug back.
Naughtiest Deed: Eating all the scraps of food in the Champs beer garden.

Louie, 1-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Family: The Duber Family
Personality Traits: Magnetic, charming, debonair.
Favorite Lake Activities: Boating and sunbathing.
Pet Peeve: Waiting in line at the boat launch.
Naughtiest Deed: Eating a perfectly good AirPod.

Chewy, 9-year-old Soft-Coated Wheaton Terrier

Family: Tom, Gretchen & Amanda Coulman
Personality Traits: Party animal, loves kids/people and being outdoors.
Favorite Lake Activities: Getting wet and wading in the water.
Pet Peeve: His feet being touched.
Naughtiest Deed: Visiting neighbors without an invite. We meet so many nice people this way!

Pancake, 3-year-old Blue French Bulldog

Family: Bryan, Katie, Alex & Jack
Personality Traits: Crazy, funny and carefree
Favorite Lake Activities: Chewing on the tube ropes.
Pet Peeve: Not playing enough fetch.
Naughtiest Deed: Playing hide-and-seek with his ball.

Winston Johnathon “Winston” Lennon, 4-year-old Old English Sheepdog

Family: Nancy Abrams Family
Personality Traits: Chill, indifferent, extremely friendly, big hearted, unbothered and highly social.
Favorite Lake Activities: Watching his girls swim as he looks out over the Brookwood deck. Wading in the shallow water to cool off, and seeing his friends at the Yacht Club and Sybil Lane.
Pet Peeve: Not being allowed to swim anywhere he wants to on the lake front path … which is everywhere and anywhere. Also that he can’t play pool at The Owl.
Naughtiest Deed: Grabbing clothes out of the laundry room for attention while the family watches their evening shows.

Bolt, 7-year-old German Shorthaired Pointer 

Family: Victoria Gillio & Grandma Viva Gillio
Personality Traits: Crazy energy, alternating with loving lapdog
Favorite Lake Activities: Early morning lakefront walks in Edgewater Park in Williams Bay, where he meets dog friends and visits Harbormaster Jay’s fun crew for treats.
Pet Peeve: Being on his own. He is a “Velcro” dog and wants to be near “his” people.
Naughtiest Deed: Running through his grandma’s favorite canna lilies!

Reuben (certified therapy dog), 2-year-old Norfolk Terrier 

Family: Roger Barth, Ann Barth & Katrina Dennis
Personality Traits: Smart, spunky, goofy and cuddly.
Favorite Lake Activities: Loves lake path walks!
Pet Peeve: When the fast-food drive-thru is out of dog treats.
Naughtiest Deed: Breaking loose and running to the front of the line of an AKC event.

Stella & Trecker (Stella Sunshine) (Trecker Balls), 3-year-old & 3 1⁄2-year-old Goldendoodles

Family: The Hurley Family
Personality Trait: Stella is social, love-y and high energy. Trecker is loyal, grumpy and lazy.
Favorite Lake Activities: Stella loves chasing squirrels, Trecker loves people watching from his perch.
Pet Peeve: Stella dislikes rainy days. Trecker dislikes dog walks.
Naughtiest Deed: Stella escapes the dog fence to chase squirrels. Trecker eats shoes.

Deke, 3-year-old Labrador Retriever

Family: Elizabeth & Henry Edwards
Personality Traits: Loyal, energetic, protective, comforting. Makes hearts happy and serves as his mom’s therapist.
Favorite Lake Activities: Waking Mom up very early every single morning to go for a walk by the lake so that he can glide around the Fontana Boat Launch while looking at the sunrise. Also walking down every single pier in Fontana.
Pet Peeves: When his family leaves the house, and when Mom doesn’t let him jump on visitors.
Naughtiest Deed: Most stubborn living thing.

Primrose & Juniper, 4-year-old & 2-year-old Miniature Goldendoodles

Family: Jordan & Darla Innis
Personality Traits: Primrose has attitude and is a deep thinker. Juniper is very friendly and goofy.
Favorite Lake Activities: Riding along on paddle boards, and swimming with the kids.
Pet Peeve: When their family leaves the house without them.
Naughtiest Deed: Both are dinner table bandits. No unattended plate is safe!

Sage *our cover dog!*, 1-year-old Black Lab

Family: Jordan & Darla Innis
Personality Traits: Works hard and will do anything for Dad, but when at home, she’s the baby!
Favorite Lake Activities: Retrieving bumpers. She always wants one more thrown.
Pet Peeve: When we make a sandwich and forget to give her a little bit of turkey.
Naughtiest Deed: When she’s not retrieving bumpers or birds, she’s a toy thief. She raids the kids’ room for something to bring to Dad.

Can’t get enough of these lake pups? Check out the 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 Lake Dogs features!

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