‘Like most ‘kids’ when it comes to play, Buster really loved to push the envelope and would often test me to see how serious I was when I said it was time to go home. On the opposite side of the road from his water hole was another area where he loved to swim. Whenever he was feeling frisky, he would no sooner have climbed up the embankment on one side (something his Kelpie breed could do with ease) than he’d run across the road – with my permission – and commence swimming in the creek on the other side. It was rare that he had to share this ‘pool’ with other dogs so this was a blissful experience for him. However, unlike Buster, the time available to me was finite and I would remind him that Mummy had things to do and we were on a time-line. So, I introduced a routine whereby, when it was time to go, I would pick up his leash and walk to the edge of the pool and say goodbye. I’ll never forget the first time he saw me do that. He jumped out of the water, stood at the edge and stared at me as if to see if I meant business or not, and once it was clear that I did, ran full pelt to meet me and commence our journey back home together.
As he walked home beside me on his leash, he would follow the white line at the side of the road, stopping every so often to shake the water from his body – which I would gleefully mimic – before we continued onward. One morning, having only recently watched the movie of the same name, I laughed when I heard myself say, “Go on Buster, Walk the Line”. He was so dependable that I would often just close my eyes and walk home allowing the sun to warm my face as he followed the white line, opening them only when I heard the sound of a car or passer-by, or sensed we had neared our destination.’
Excerpt from … Chapter 11 | Buster the Swimming Champ
Contents
Introduction
Stage One – Puppy Power 
- The Journey Begins
- Two-Pointed Intention
- We Are Family
- Love’s Invisible Thread
- Relinquishing Control
- Water Baby Buster
- Through the Eyes of a Child
Stage Two – Childhood & Adolescence
- Making Friends, Losing Friends
- The Gentle Art of Persuasion
- Personal Power
- Buster the Swimming Champ
- Buster’s Run, Forging Pathways of Change
- I Won’t Let You Forget (Me)
- All is Right in the World Again
Stage Three – Adulthood & Independence
- Lessons in Compassion
- Time-Out for Fun!
- Up for the Challenge
- My Ears Hurt When You Speak That Way
- Mind Your Manners
- Developing Self-Discipline
- Attention Absolute
Stage Four – The Final Chapter
- Everyone Loves Buster
- Mummy’s Little Helper
- The Things We Do for Love
- Warning Signs
- The Importance of Trusting Yourself
- Time to Say Goodbye
- The Gift of Life
Conclusion
Reflections from Buster
Acknowledgements
About the Author
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