![[item title=" Benjamin Denis Gates, 1 1⁄2-year-old English Labrador Retriever "]](https://atthelakemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Leitner_AlliePetzel_Ben-04-600x400.jpg)
Photos by Holly Leitner
Ten years ago, we published our first photo portfolio of lake-loving pups and called that feature “Lake Dogs.” As an office full of dog lovers, we were excited about the concept, but we had no idea just how much it would resonate with our readers. The response was overwhelming, and our “Lake Dogs” portfolio has now become a beloved annual tradition and one of our most popular features, both in print and online.
This year, we received more than 70 entries during the official, six-week submission period, and held our first-ever People’s Choice poll on our website. (For the winner, turn to page 40.) Here’s to a full decade of sharing lake life with man’s best friend!
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!
Family: The Marquis Family
Personality Traits: Energy equivalent to a sunny summer solstice day.
Favorite Lake Activities: Swimming for balls, trying to chase ducks.
Pet Peeve: Balls under the couch.
Naughtiest Deed: Chewing pillows and sassy talking back.
Family: Frost, Heather & Storrs Williams
Personality Traits: Lively, loving and full-on FOMO (fear of missing out).
Favorite Lake Activities: Definitely hiking the lake path! Kishwauketoe has some great, smelly things too.
Pet Peeve: Being left behind. (Again, FOMO!)
Naughtiest Deed: Truly preferring never to be on a leash.
Family: Tricia Forbeck
Personality Traits: Rambunctious, cute and full of life.
Favorite Lake Activities: Swimming.
Pet Peeves: Being left home alone.
Naughtiest Deed: Waking her human up at 3 a.m. every morning!
Family: Kassandra Romani & Ben Less
Personality Traits: Social butterfly.
Favorite Lake Activities: By far, swimming.
Pet Peeve: When he doesn’t get his own McDonald’s ice cream cone.
Naughtiest Deed: Stealing socks.
Family: The Williams Family
Personality Traits: Dak: “annoying little brother,” energetic adventurer; Zeke: Laid back, relaxed, likes to sleep in.
Favorite Lake Activities: Dak: Loves going in the lake but can’t swim; Zeke: Finding a comfortable, sunny spot on the deck.
Pet Peeve: Dak: Dinner must be on time, OR ELSE!; Zeke: Failure to provide sufficient amounts of attention.
Naughtiest Deed: Snacking on leaves and rabbit droppings; Zeke: Can be stubborn.
Family: Patty & Mark Aschliman
Personality Traits: Bubba: lap dog, Grace: yippy guard dog, Tillie: hunter.
Favorite Lake Activities: Chasing squirrels, boat rides.
Pet Peeve: Baths.
Naughtiest Deed: Digging holes.
Family: Jim & Nancy Cooney Family
Personality Traits: Energetic and loving.
Favorite Lake Activities: Wave runner rides and jumping in the lake!
Pet Peeve: Not being included in everything we do.
Naughtiest Deed: Persistently sits hoping for a nibble of your dinner.
Family: Sheri & Mark Groover
Personality Traits: Wigglebutt, alpha dog, food-motivated, happy, playful
Favorite Lake Activities: Fetching her ball off the dock.
Pet Peeve: Missing a treat from the mail carrier.
Naughtiest Deed: Rolling on any dead fish she can find … a nasty smell!
Family: Lee & Kerri Melchiorre
Personality Traits: Lazy.
Favorite Lake Activities: Digging in the sand.
Pet Peeve: He wants to play with his older sister, but she does not like him.
Naughtiest Deed: Shaking his head after he drinks and getting water and slobber all over!
Family: Kim & Anthony Jarvis
Personality Traits: Feisty, snuggly, super loving and entertaining.
Favorite Lake Activities: Guarding the pier and paddleboarding.
Pet Peeve: Having to wait even a millisecond to walk when he has his leash on. It’s “Go time” then.
Naughtiest Deed: Mutilating squishy toys and stealing stuffed animals.
Family: The Dude Family
Personality Traits: Always a greeter, very playful and protective.
Favorite Lake Activities: Boating on Geneva Lake with the wind blowing on his face.
Pet Peeve: People who don’t share their food, and when his family leaves him home alone.
Naughtiest Deed: Barking at the lake path walkers when they pass by Teddy’s yard.
Family: Terrence, Erica, Lily & Jack Mullins
Personality Traits: Frannie: friendly and chill; Hazel: loving and somewhat nutty.
Favorite Lake Activities: Boat rides, swimming, following the kids to Norman B. Barr Camp for ice cream and going to the Coffee Mill for blueberry muffins.
Pet Peeve: Frannie: Dogs walking the path that want to play; Hazel: Dogs walking the path that don’t want to play!
Naughtiest Deed: Running off the pier and following kids walking down the lake path to Norman B. Barr for treats!
Family: Todd & Jen Birkholz
Personality Traits: Dock: super chill and relaxed; Rigby: active, curious and loving; Brando: just happy to be part of the team, constantly tilting his head like he’s totally confused.
Favorite Lake Activities: Dock: pawing at the water but not going in, and short shore walks; Rigby and Brando: running and tackling each other into the water at the boat launch and in the pool.
Pet Peeve: Dock: Not getting any rice at dinner; Rigby: his Chihuahua sibling Sprinkles; Brando: his sister can swim, but he hasn’t figured it out yet.
Naughtiest Deed: Dock: Likes to sleep and help himself to comfortable family beds that don’t belong to him!; Rigby: Learned to jump on the counter and pulled 4 pounds of chicken to the floor! Brando: Likes to ruin summer flip-flops.
Family: The Voris Family
Personality Traits: Hungry, loving, bossy and protective.
Favorite Lake Activities: Swimming and going for boat rides!
Pet Peeve: Being told, “Maggie, no!”
Naughtiest Deed: Maggie thinks anything that has fallen to the floor is hers for the taking and eating (scraps, AirPods, paper towels, shoes, etc.).
Family: Keaghan, Dakota & Wolf, the Alwardt Family
Personality Traits: Energetic.
Favorite Lake Activities:Swimming!
Pet Peeve: Nothing annoys these boys.
Naughtiest Deed: Taking their owners for walks and pulling.
Family: Kassie McOmber
Personality Traits: Sweet and sassy.
Favorite Lake Activities: Walking by the lake and taking in the sights, sounds and smells!
Pet Peeve: Loud noises and the doorbell ringing.
Naughtiest Deed: She hides her bones around the house and then no one can find them.
Family: The Digate Family
Personality Traits: Loves people, playful, very vocal and exceedingly stubborn.
Favorite Lake Activities: Lounging on the pier and watching the passersby.
Pet Peeve: Being left alone, and not getting the human food.
Naughtiest Deed: Fiercely going after all the human food in sight.
Family: Natalie & Garrett Schultz
Personality Traits: Everyone’s best friend! He is beyond goofy, extremely lovable, playful at all times and thinks he is a lap dog! He will always be glued to your side.
Favorite Lake Activities: Loves sitting in the shallow end drinking every ounce of water he can get and terrorizing the nearest squirrel.
Pet Peeve: Not being taken everywhere with his family.
Naughtiest Deed: Going on neighborhood walks by himself — aka, running away!
Family: Allie & Eric Patzelt
Personality Traits: Unhurried.
Favorite Lake Activities: Retrieving his water Frisbee, and stretching into downward dog on the dock, in front of his onlooking audience.
Pet Peeve: When the house guests don’t wake up early enough to play because of a late night at Chuck’s.
Naughtiest Deed: Sneaking off to take a quick dip in the lake without mom and dad knowing.
Can’t get enough of these lake pups? Check out the 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 Lake Dogs features!
