Colt the bat dog brings 'paw-sitive' vibes to the diamond with Lake Country DockHounds
Since the team's inaugural season in 2022, fans of the Lake Country DockHounds have witnessed Colt the Bat Dog zoom onto the diamond to retrieve bats after players get a hit.
Colt adds to the family-friendly experience at a DockHounds game, Bryan Giese, the team's director of marketing and communications, said. The team makes an effort to look at what is important to the Lake Country area and apply that to their organization, he said, and that includes Colt.
"We get probably a bigger roar from the crowd every time that Colt is here than if some of our guys are hitting home runs," Giese said. "It's so well received."
The Lake Country DockHounds are part of the American Association of Professional Baseball, which is a partner league to Major League Baseball. Their stadium, the Wisconsin Brewing Company Park, is located in Oconomowoc, making the Milwaukee Milkmen, based in Franklin, their biggest rival.
Colt is the first-ever professional border collie bat dog
Colt is among the group of original professional bat dogs trained in the country, and, as a border collie, is the first ever of his breed, according to a DockHounds news release. Today, he is 10 years old, and the last of the group still actively working at professional baseball games, Giese said.
Colt was trained by his owner, Kate Bucci, the lead trainer and owner of KC-K9 Academy Dog Training, who has worked with dogs since she was 10 years old.
KC-K9 Academy Dog Training is based in Hartland, where Bucci specializes in relationship-based training, customized programs and a holistic approach, according to the dog trainer's website.
In 2021, Bucci and Colt were featured on the Season 3 Episode 4 of "America's Top Dog," a reality show where police K9 teams and civilian dogs compete on an obstacle course.
"He is so well trained it is unbelievable," Giese said about Colt.
When he is done with his bat dog duties at the game, Bucci will bring Colt out to the concourse to meet and take photos with fans.
Baseball bats aren't the only thing Colt is good at picking up, and he could be considered environmentally conscious.
While out and about around the stadium, Colt has been known to pick up trash and put it in garbage cans, Giese said.
Colt began his bat dog career in 2016
Colt began his bat dog career in 2016 with the Madison Mallards.
After five years with the Mallards, the Lake Country DockHounds formed in Oconomowoc, near Hartland, where Colts owner Bucci lives and runs her dog training business.
Before opening day in 2022, Bucci reached out to the DockHounds and asked if they would be interested in having Colt join their team as a bat dog.
It was a no-brainer to bring him in as a member of their team, Giese said, and Colt has been with the DockHounds ever since.
"He does a really good job," Giese said. "It's a unique level of entertainment that we offer."
On the field, Colt wears goggles, a vest and leg protectors
To protect his eyes from any dust kicked up from the field, Colt wears goggles on game days. He also wears leg wraps for extra protection.
On really hot days, Bucci has a cooling vest to keep him comfortable.
What Lake Country DockHounds games will Colt the bat dog be at this season?
Colt will participate as a bat dog at four more Lake Country DockHounds games this season. Fans can catch him in action during the first three innings at the following games:
- Saturday, July 5 vs. Cleburne
- Wednesday, July 16 vs. Gary
- Saturday, Aug. 16 vs. Milwaukee
- Sunday, Aug. 24 vs. Kane County
DockHounds welcome dogs at their games during 'Bark in the Park'
'Bark in the Park' events allow ballpark attendees to bring their dogs to games on most Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Giese emphasized how important a family-friendly stadium that is authentic to Lake Country is. "We include the four-legged family members in that as much as we can," Giese said.
Liliana Fannin is a 2025 summer intern at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel covering the Milwaukee suburbs. She can be contacted at lfannin@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Meet Colt, the border collie 'bat dog' for the Lake Country DockHounds
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