'It's just an amazing thing': Carroll University students paired with foster dogs from HAWS for the semester

 

WAUKESHA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- For nine students at Carroll University, the new school year is starting off alongside furry friends.

It's part of a unique class for Animal Behavior students - one of the only programs of its kind in the country.

"It's so exciting. It's the whole reason I came to Carroll, was because of this program," said senior Lauren Wells. "Dr. Lee is just super helpful and just absolutely everything for this program, too."

The school partners with the Humane Animal Welfare Society of Waukesha County (HAWS) for the Advanced Skills in Canine Management and Training class, taught by Dr. Lee Kesting.

"We're one of the only programs in the country that do animal behavior, and on top of that, one of the only ones doing this dog training program," Kesting explained. "Students come here for this program because it's such a unique experience."

This semester, six foster dogs will work and live with nine students.

"They do everything from teaching the dogs basic commands, working on potty training, kenneling, all the things you want your dog to know," Kesting said.

"Our goal is just to train them, have them do tricks, have a little bit better manner, and then by the end of the semester, our goal is to have them adopted out," Wells explained.

Lauren wants to be a dog trainer when she graduates, and this class will ensure she's prepared.

"You can have a bunch of base knowledge on training and it's super helpful, but once you have the dog in front of you, you also have to learn the dog you have, how to handle them, what they like, and just the best way that they want to learn," she said.

Just like people, every dog is different.

"They learn about the dog and they learn about training, but they learn and grow a lot themselves," Kesting said. "Trying to find ways to connect with people in the community, with animals is a really important life skill that I hope they leave this program with."

The local shelter sees benefits from this program, too.

"These students are 24/7 working with these dogs, and at the end of that time period, not only are the adopters getting this trained dog, but they're also getting a lot of insight into what the dog is going to be like in their home." explained Jen Smieja from HAWS.

She says the partnership can help place these dogs in the perfect home, and it alleviates crowding at the shelter.

"The more opportunities we have to get them out of the shelter, into a home environment, into an environment where they're experiencing things that they're not going to experience while being at the shelter, that's all the better," she said.

Through the semester, the dogs are living and learning on campus: meeting students, staff, and neighbors, and certainly getting their energy out.

"It's just an amazing thing, how much enrichment, how much mental and physical exercise the dogs get through this program," Smieja said.

You can watch the all the pups' progress throughout the semester on the program's Facebook page.

"People can follow and track all the dogs. We'll get posts every three days or so, so multiple times a week you can track the dogs with us," Kesting said.

In December, HAWS hosts a graduation ceremony.

That's when the dogs go to their forever homes, and sometimes that's their trainer.

"It does happen at the end of the semester, that the students have fallen in love with the dog and are able to adopt the dog, and that has happened more than once,"

Dr. Lee Kesting says many of Carroll's Animal Behavior graduates stay in the community, showing off the program's success across Waukesha County.

"Two of our alumni now work in the behavior department at HAWS," Kesting said. "I get to see them having worked with their dog and struggled through it, and now being professionals in the field, which is very exciting as a professor."

"It is just an amazing pipeline of talent, but also community help," Smieja said.

Dogs - bettering the lives of students.

"I'm so excited to meet them and just spend time with them and learn," Wells said.

And students - bettering the lives of dogs.

"If we can help to manage a dog so it fits better in your home and reduces return rates, that helps our whole community too," Kesting said.