Lessons from Winston: Relationship

Winston was a rescue bullmastiff mix from the Animal Welfare League Hawkesbury Valley Branch. My inspiration to learn how to train dogs, the reason we moved to this property, my teacher, my partner and my bubba-boy. Handsome until the very end. . Our lives revolved around him for 13 years. He passed peacefully at home on Saturday 17th April 2021 at approximately midday.

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around 8 years ago, Winston holding hands some time after my thumb injury

This feels a bit cheesy to post!

“Don’t walk in front of me; I may not follow. Don’t walk behind me; I may not lead. Just walk beside me and be my friend.” ~Albert Camus

Mum and I were talking about Winston yesterday, when this phrase came to mind. I think one of mum’s friends had it on a plate or something when I was a kid. And it just seemed to fit.

Winston always wanted to be with his people. He would lay in doorways or on your feet as a warning system. He loved to hold hands. He was always “in the way”.

I mean, maybe it was more FOMO than anything else. I did work hard on building trust & creating a relationship. I respected him as a dog. We were partners. And that’s what he inspired me to help others with too.

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