Pupkin the pumpkin. (Sarah Caton photo)
Earlier this month, I got an exclusive interview with a celebrity dog. Her name is G, and she was the inspiration for the “Pupkin” pumpkin found at The Good Supply. G graciously allowed me onto her property for an interview. (Full disclosure: I did bribe her with lots of treats.”
Just so we’re all clear, I do not speak dog, nor does G speak English. However, just for fun, I’m going to pretend the answers given to me by her owners, Catherine and Karl McLetchie, were actually her own; please feel free to play along and act as if these were G’s actual responses.
The Good Supply, located in Pemaquid, is a barn brimming with beautiful items you can ogle at, fall in love with, and then purchase. Items range from household goods to gorgeous glass sculptures to eye-popping paper flower arrangements.
G’s official title at The Good Supply is Store Greeter — saying hello to everyone with a friendly bark and wag of her tail. She tells me she’s grown up in the barn, either in the boxes that items had come packed in or working behind the desk. When she was a pup, she says her owners would put up barriers so that she wouldn’t go racing out to say hello every time someone drove up.
Now that she’s an adult, G can normally be found in her “spot,” which is on the edge of the lawn, not quite touching the circular driveway where visitors can park. She tells me she has no interest in being in the driveway anymore. Catherine says G is not actually allowed in the driveway, but I wasn’t about to contradict a celebrity.
While I was there, G wanted to show me all of the tricks she can do. Karl brought out a giant beef jerky treat and coached her through sitting, lying down, shaking first with one paw then the other, and standing from a lying position. When she’s not doing tricks, G says she takes her job very seriously. I asked her how she felt about the slow times, and she said she gets a little forlorn when she doesn’t have any work to do.
Of course, all the Pupkin publicity has kept G very busy. She says Catherine commissioned artist Liz Martone, as she does every year, to do a pumpkin design for the store. This year, in honor of her highly important station as official mascot, G thought it was a good idea to have the Pupkin pumpkin done.
When I asked G what she thought of all the publicity, she said she was trying to hide her pleasure at being a celebrity, but she is actually quite pleased. The Pupkin is an incredible likeness of G, complete with fluff to mimic G’s beautiful, full tail.
G told me she is active on social media when she’s not busy in the shop. Her Instagram account, #gthepup, has some pictures she’s very proud of (and even a super adorable pic of her as a pup!). She says she is very busy, but sometimes helps Catherine and Karl with The Good Supply’s Facebook page, and you can find pictures of her there, as well.
The Good Supply has finished its regular season hours for this year; however, Catherine and Karl are there by chance or appointment and are always open online at thegoodsupply.org. They will also be having “Holiday in the Barn” hours on Nov. 24 and 25, as well as Dec. 15 and 16, when G will be happy to greet and visit with you while you make your holiday purchases.
(Sarah Caton owns All Paws Pet Sitting, which serves all of Lincoln County.)
