Campers Training Shelter Dogs

One of the camp activities that the older kids enjoy doing is dog training. We put the kids into groups of three, and each group is given a dog to train. Many of the dogs haven't ever learned anything from their previous owners, and many are a challange to work with.

The kids enjoy being able to spend time with a shelter dog, but they also learn that training a dog can be much more difficult than it looks. Some of the dogs truly want to figure out what the kids want, but just can't figure it out. It's a typical case of inter-species failure to communicate.

We don't tell the kids what they have to teach the dogs -- this is camp after all and it's meant to be fun. But we do show them how to teach whatever interests them, and sometimes make suggestions.

This summer HAWS adoptable dogs learned how to sit and lay down (and some learned to calm down in the presence of kids -- an invaluable lesson!), spin, shake, rollover, go through a hula hoop, crawl beneath chairs, and just look so cute that the kids had to give them free treats.

HAWS Walk

Up until Saturday morning I could have told you that the weather in Waukesha the first Saturday in May would be cold and/or wet and rainy. That's the way it's been for the last 5 years that I've worked at HAWS. I know this because our Annual Walk is always held on this date.


Five years ago the walk had to be downright cancelled -- the grounds at Minooka Park were so flooded that we were unable to hold the event.

Last year it was raining so hard that we were forced to end our walk early. Of course as we were taking the tents down the sun decided to make an appearance.

However, Saturday, May 2, 2009 was a beautiful day -- we really couldn't have hoped for better weather. The temperature was in the mid 60's, the sun was out and while there were spots of mud on the trail, overall everything else was dry.


The Walk is HAWS biggest fun-raiser. There have been 26 years of them and they are run by a group of HAWS volunteers called The Friends of HAWS.

This year we had a great turn-out. Apparently not everyone is staying at home trying to avoid catching the Swine Flu!

The top photo is of Mystic meeting his fans! I had two girls tell me that they knew Mystic -- he had come to their school. Alas -- they didn't remember me -- even after I told them that I had come too, since I'm Mystic's driver.


Mystic also met HAWS Mascot Lucky -- although Mystic was very unimpressed.


The dog with the blue "do" was a huge hit at the walk.

And among the many contests held on Saturday was the dog-owner look-alike contest. Marilyn Mee from WKLH (a huge HAWS supporter) was our MC and is interviewing the little girl and her basenji. They DO look a bit a like, don't you think?