Off the Dock with Betty Hogan-Haynes
For almost 30 years, Betty Hogan-Haynes has photographed dogs at AKC shows as Dart Dog Photography, watching everyone enjoy events like dock diving without having the time to try it herself. That changed in August 2022 when a friend convinced her to participate with her Malinois, MPACT’s Make You A Believer (“Maker”).
“The people at that Enumclaw OKC Show were all so nice and helpful, and Maker absolutely loved it!” said the resident of Enumclaw, Washington. “We learned more that fall from Kristi Baird at Brown Dog University (BDU) and started competing in the summer of 2023. Maker has competed at Nationals and made the finals for the last two years – Elite in 2023, then Premier in 2024.”
Betty and Maker are on their way to Regionals again this year, which will mark their first time having fun and competing in every event. Bred by Penny Winegartner of MPACT Kennels (Blanco, Texas), 6-year-old Maker also competes in conformation, obedience, agility and rally; he was named the #5 Most Versatile Malinois at the Malinois Specialty this year.
This duo is also joined by Maker’s 10-month-old half-sister Syrena, who loves the pool and will start competing in the sport next year. “Kristi at BDU has continued to be our instructor and coach, and she is truly fabulous!” Betty said. “Throwing consistently has always been a challenge for me, but watching Maker’s pure joy and enthusiasm is the best. We’ve had so many wonderful, supportive friends around us to help as well. We have an amazing community!”