I have been blessed having had the company of six great dogs in my life. The first in this line was Buster. Buster came into our lives one fall afternoon when I saw a car stop at the end of our long driveway. I saw the car door open and something was tossed out. I walked to the end of the driveway and at first saw nothing. When I turned to walk back to the house I heard a noise in the drainage ditch behind me. I turned and walked to the other side of the road and there he was all wet and mud up to his belly. He was about the size of a football. Buster was a black lab and even at this young age was happest when wet. I trained Buster to retrieve and he became a fine duck dog, working on voice, hand signals and wistle.

Over the years Buster would make the rounds introducing himself to any new newcomers to the neighborhood, some times not making the best of impressions. One such time that comes to mind was the time he stole all the bergers off the new folks grill. I still have no idea how he pulled that off without getting burnt. with time he grew on everyone and was loved by everyone.

One day my next door neighbor took a walk out through the woods on our wood lot. The trail came out on the road on the othe side of the power line which was the domain of a large german shepard. When Bob exited the woods there was the german shepard who had broken his chain. Before Boe knew it the german shepard was on the attack. Out of nowhere Buster appeared and ran through the oncoming dog knocking him end for end and turning his attention to what was to be a rude awaking the the shepard. Buster took little time in setting himself as top dog. Every year on that date Bob would bring Buster a huge steak .

At one point we aquired a cat. Buster was not allowed on the sofa and saw no reason why the cat should enjoy that privlage. He would walk over to the cat and put the cats whole head into his mouth and carry the cat who would just hang limp to whereever he thought the cat should be and deposit him unharmed. When we were out on any given winter night it was not uncommon to find them both in the dog house staying warm until we arrived home.

We live on a lake and when my neice was small she was not allowed past the birch tree. She loved to ride her big wheel down the hill to the tree. Buster would lay at end of the path and when she went to far he would take her by the pants and pull her up the hill.

There are many more stories I could tell about Buster in his short seven year live but I will leave it here.

 Bill from ME