:The pups from the hogyard…

While I’m spending my weekend home, enjoying the beautiful fall days in and out of the house, Ginny, Christi and Tammy are in Pueblo with three of the dogs that were raised in Ginny’s hogyard. Her description, not mine! Cayenne and Seth’s puppies spent the first three weeks of their lives in Ginny’s bedroom, a huge airline crate next to her bed as their den. The puppies – Willis, Tango, Goliath, Ruby, Chloe and Ethan – moved to a large pen Ginny and Kim set up in the living room. Big. The centerpiece of the room. The puppies were exposed to Ginny’s skin care clients coming and going. They were exposed to daily visits from the UPS driver, picking up or delivering packages for Kim’s business. For the puppies it was a perfect situation for socialization, exposure to commotion, their physical and mental well-being. It was a great situation for humans to enjoy the the antics of puppies. Given that puppies are eating, sleeping, pooping machines Ginny and Kim named the setup The Hogyard.

The puppies’ registered names came from a combination of ‘time’ and ‘dance’. Cayenne’s registered name is Champion FFT Dance ’til Dawn. Seth, of course, is Champion FFT It’s Five O’clock Somewhere. Ginny will have to comment on Goliath’s registered name. Rose’s two boys, Willis and Tango, are FFT Bruce is Dancin’ in the Dark and FFT Tango at Five O’clock. Christi’s Ruby is FFT Two Step on Tuesday. Ginny’s Ethan and Chloe are FFT Midnight Flamenco Dancer and FFT ChaCha at Sunset. Two years old this coming November 24, Ethan, Chloe and Ruby are the dogs from The Hogyard in Pueblo this weekend.

Now, I must tell a story, possibly a confession. Ah, what the heck, why not?! The blog is for sharing, including a look into the life of a breeder. There are things, often difficult things, that are hard about being a mentor. With one exception, I remain friends with the people I’ve mentored. That one exception was a life-long lesson to trust myself. But that’s a whole ‘nother story…

Ginny has been to a number of shows by herself, but this weekend was different. At least it was for me. The Sunday afternoon of the LACCC weekend the other local exhibitors decided to build a major at the Pueblo shows. Ginny was asked/invited to join them. I was not. Not a surprise. On the one hand, I was delighted Ginny was included in a cooperative group effort outside of FFT. On the other hand…well…let me just say, based on experience, I had concerns. My teaching methods, canine and human, usually focus on encouragement. Trying to stay positive, here’s an excerpt from a You Go Girl!! email to Ginny:

That I often win when I show up skews perspectives. If questions are raised in your mind, seeds of doubt planted, simply ask me. Here’s a benign example. Many years ago XXX told people the FFT dogs were champions because we built our own majors out of state. You know as well as I that’s not true. Yes, we build a major now and then; example, this past April in Seward. We built it because we could, not because that’s what we need to do to finish dogs. None of us, including me or Julie had a clue which dogs would win the points there. Our dogs’ records stand for themselves, as you’ve seen for yourself these past several years.