Eagle Fleece Kennels was new leash on life for Northwoods couple

Lisa Haefs

Contributor

September 1, 2025

ELCHO – At Eagle Fleece Kennels in Elcho, Phil and Gina Younk said a dog’s life is a good life.

“I strive to understand the personality of every dog I train so I can bring out the best in each of them,” Phil said. “A well-trained, obedient dog will be much happier and make a much better companion, whether for hunting or just being the family pet.”

The Younks said they started the rural dog boarding and training facility (N11418 Sunset Road)  in 2018. 

The centerpiece of Eagle Fleece, they said, is a renovated rust-colored barn, where box stalls now hold dogs instead of horses, and chain-link fencing has replaced the old wire mesh.

The setting, Phil said, is idyllic, nestled among rolling hills with eight Highland cattle grazing next door.

A nearby lake, he said, offers the perfect place for man and dog to cool down after bikejoring – a sport where one dog or a team of dogs runs in front of a bike, pulling – which is one of his hobbies.

Pack leader

Phil said he has been training dogs for more than 30 years, starting with his first pooch – a black lab he named Ace – when he was 12 years old.

“I trained her to be a good pet and a good hunting dog,” he said.

Phil said he now has seven black labs – five litter mates plus their parents – that he uses for both hunting and sled dog racing.

“You should see the looks they get when I harness them up for sledding,” he said. “They do a great job.”

The Younks said the road to creating a business from a hobby was circuitous. 

The couple said they spent two decades building their professional careers in West Bend, where their grown son and daughter still live.

Though Phil’s family owned a hunting cabin in Post Lake – just a few miles from Elcho – they said they never imagined settling down in the Northwoods.

“It was always our getaway,” he said. “I never thought of living up here permanently.”

While the Younks sought a slower pace of life, they said it took time and patience to determine exactly what that would look like – and where it would lead them.

When initial plans to work at a Northwoods Christian camp fell through, the Younks said they kept an open mind. 

In 2017, the Younks purchased a home in Elcho, which they said they were able to renovate to create the perfect setting and structure for the kennel.

“It’s a wonderful balance between the land, the house and the barn,” Gina said.

Phil said his wife’s background in interior design helped her immediately see the potential in the space.

“She could envision what we could do with it,” he said. “It was really a miracle, how all the pieces fell into place.”

Training is key

Phil said training is the core of the Eagle Fleece’s business, starting with obedience and focusing on the basic commands, including “sit,” “here,” “heel,” “down” and “no.”

“A dog can be a great companion and a member of your family, but when they don’t mind, they can also be trouble,” he said. “People want to be able to walk their dog and not be dragged all over the place.”

Depending on the breed and disposition, Phil said obedience training takes about five weeks.

Then, he said, it’s time to train the owner.

“It’s up to the owner to maintain what the dog has learned,” he said. “If they don’t practice or enforce the commands, it’s possible the dog will lose a lot of what they have learned.”

Phil said he brings in the owner, demonstrates the commands and then has that person perform the same functions.

If possible, he said he’ll also do a home visit, since a dog will often act differently depending on the environment, with follow-up calls to gauge progress.

“I’ve had a lot of great owner feedback,” he said. “I’ve had dogs that could be taken off anxiety medications once they had the proper training. Dogs are so much happier when they know their boundaries.”

Phil said he has trained every sort of dog from the biggest of Great Danes to “fluffy little white things.”

He said Eagle Fleece also offers hunting and retrieving training, generally drawing a mix of labradors, golden retrievers and similar sporting breeds.

“I’ve trained master hunters, and I trained all my own dogs,” he said. “I even had a guy come in who asked me to train his German Shepherd for bird hunting. It wasn’t the type of dog that would ever flush out a bird, but he could find them once they were down.”

Phil said the retriever training program is customized to the customer’s individual needs and can include upland and waterfowl hunting; retrieving on land and water; quartering and flushing; blind retrieves; and advanced hunting concepts.

And just like the obedience training, Phil said he works with the owner, as well as the canine.

Sit, stay, succeed

The final facet of Eagle Fleece, Phil said, revolves around boarding, with the facility consisting of nine individual pens complete with a cot.

He said there is also a spacious exercise yard.

“This isn’t ‘doggy day care’ – we keep them all separate,” Phil said, with the exception being dogs that come in together. “We make sure they get plenty of love and attention.”

Proof of vaccinations, including kennel cough, he said, is required.

Phil and Gina said business has been thriving, with a steady stream of regular boarding clients, especially over the holidays.

Obedience training, the couple said, is also steady, and summer is the time when the schedule heats up for the fall hunting seasons.

For more on Eagle Fleece Kennel, visit eaglefleece.com.