Take a Walk Inside ‘Travels with Buster’

‘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 & Image from Chapter 11 | Buster the Swimming Champ from my book

Travels with Buster – A Journey of Unconditional Love

Contents

Introduction

Stage One – Puppy Power 

1. The Journey Begins
2. Two-Pointed Intention
3. We Are Family
4. Love’s Invisible Thread
5. Relinquishing Control
6. Water Baby Buster
7. Through the Eyes of a Child

Stage Two – Childhood & Adolescence

8. Making Friends, Losing Friends
9. The Gentle Art of Persuasion
10. Personal Power
11. Buster the Swimming Champ
12. Buster’s Run, Forging Pathways of Change
13. I Won’t Let You Forget (Me)
14. All is Right in the World Again

Stage Three – Adulthood & Independence

15. Lessons in Compassion
16. Time-Out for Fun!
17. Up for the Challenge
18. My Ears Hurt When You Speak That Way
19. Mind Your Manners
20. Developing Self-Discipline
21. Attention Absolute

Stage Four – The Final Chapter

22. Everyone Loves Buster
23. Mummy’s Little Helper
24. The Things We Do for Love
25. Warning Signs
26. The Importance of Trusting Yourself
27. Time to Say Goodbye
28. The Gift of Life

Conclusion

Reflections from Buster

Acknowledgements

About the Author

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Thanks for sharing!