09/04/2026
The little dog who could...🥰
Sadly we had to say goodbye to Buster on Tuesday.
We rescued Buster (and Ted) from a domestic neglect situation in 2016 at 20 months old. He was a mess.
He had been rescued from a puppy farm and an estimated 4 weeks of age. Ripped from him mum and siblings he was then left to pretty much fend for himself in a kitchen locked behind a baby gate with owners who had no idea how to help a dog like him. They did nothing.
Hardly walked, only experience of the world was a kitchen and back yard and being r*ped on a daily basis by his only real companion (Ted).
Add to that poor genetics from poor breeding - bad hips, allergies, bad knees and goodness knows what else we didn't even know about.
We tried walks and he was so overwhelmed he would just scream. It was miserable. We were heart broken. We felt useless. I'm supposed to be a dog trainer and know what I'm doing but hit a brick wall and seemed to be going backwards instead of making progress. (Ted was "fixed" after 3 months)...
Evenings spent crying into the bath water, questioning myself, feeling helpless and ready to tap out. We talked about rehoming Buster.
I'm super proud of the fact we decide to go all in for a dog who was all in himself.
Instead of giving up, we doubled our efforts, I sought advice from another trainer (who I walked away from because the only advice was "correct him"). Buster didn't need harsh corrections, he needed HELP. I was 100% committed to avoiding any form of suppression or aversive punishment. Instead of squashing his personality, I wanted to amplify it.
It paid off. BIG TIME.
I still have the video of his first ever group walk with other dogs. He was nervous, uncomfortable, struggled at times but he did it and SMASHED IT.
In the video, you can SEE him watching the other dogs and learning how to be a dog.
The training kicked in, all the work finally paid off and it all came together in one amazing walk.
We never looked back, we were up and running. Buster never gave up, never shut down, always gave it his all.
He was the little dog who could.
Sheer determination to live life to the full won out and he absolutely gave it his all.
To say Buster had a big personality doesn't do him justice - he was a force of nature. Opinionated to the extreme, he had to have his say on everything and he would not hold back. He wouldn't just say it, he would shout it at full volume.
He stopped caring about fear, about his past, about his ailments, he was living life at 100 mph and nothing was going to stop him. He could "run with the big dogs" all day long. Despite his diminutive stature he was relentless. He was all heart and no f***s given. He was doing it, even if he died trying.
He was the little dog who could.
His whole world opened up, runs on the beach, running in the sea, rolling in the sand, camping in the wild, adventures in Cornwall scrambling up cliffs and clambering over rocks, he was always up for it and giving it his all. He never backed down from life. He was too busy getting on with living.
One of Buster's favourite things was puddle diving. If he could get more muddy he would. The funniest thing was his ATTITUDE. He would jump into a mud pit and look at is like "Yeah ? What of it ?"
That was who he really was.
Ball skills - Buster was a ball pro. From obsession to healthy enthusiasm he was relentless with his ball.
He would leap 5 times his height to catch his ball. We would play "tennis" on the sofa and the demand barking... omg, the demand barking was CRAZY.
I never squashed it, I shaped it, added self control, it took YEARS but we got it in the end.
Buster had so many "Busterisms". I've never met a dog like it. From "chirping" like some giddy idiot to his "big boy bark" when he was asserting himself, he used to voice to make things happen and his voice was LOUD.
He new it. His LOUD bark was like someone poking red hot needles into your ears, it was almost painful but it WORKED for him. His voice was his best "weapon" to make things happen and we loved him for it.
I never squashed it, instead I shaped it, made it work in appropriate ways and amplified it. He would "tell us off" in that opinionated way he did best. He was the most vocally expressive dog I've ever known.
He had a swagger in his walk, he was bossy, pushy, obnoxiously cute and the master manipulator.
When I say "master manipulator" he was crafty, sneaky and super smart. Instead of muscle, he was a strategist. We called him the "wind up merchant" because Ted would fall for it every time and
Buster new it.
He was the little dog who could.
I've never met a dog who could plan into the future the way Buster did. He new exactly what he wanted and how to make it happen.
He was the master thief. He would run outside and pretend to bark at something, Ted would leave his bone to go and see what all the fuss was about and Buster would sneak in, steal Ted's bone and hide upstairs whilst Ted was distracted.
It was like a chess game to him, planning three moves ahead.
If there was ever an example of making the most of the s**t hand you've been dealt, Buster was it.
He was unstoppable. He didn't care. His past didn't matter, he was given an opportunity to thrive and went all in and put his heart and soul into life. His attitude should be an inspiration to all of us.
I'll never forget you little man. You almost broke us but we never gave up, we kept showing up and you paid us back many times over. You even paid it forward and helped other dogs become there best selves. Who would have thought that a dog who was so scared of the world would be setting an example and inspiring other dogs ?
Epic little dog. Epic life, zero regrets. I miss you like crazy Buster, a personality that EPIC leaves a huge vacuum behind. We did everything right and you had the best possible life little dude.
You changed me for the better. You showed me that never giving up is the way and I am forever grateful for all the hardship, the lessons and the immense reward that comes from helping a dog like you.
I'll never forget you little buddy.
The little dog who could.
