UNBROKEN

FIFTY SECOND INSTALMENT

We had been in Western Australia for about 4 months and Grant had just come back from a trip to sea. I asked him to get me a dog for protection. We searched high and low for the right dog but I had always loved the English Mastiff. They are extremely loyal and would scare anyone off if required. We had lost hope of finding anything when I looked in the paper and found a 10 month old pure bred English Mastiff. I ran out to Grant and told him I was so excited and jumping around like a little kid.

He agreed and we go in to a ute that we had hired and drove the the house of the current owner.

When we arrived I got out of the car and went to the door. Just a I knocked I heard an almighty bark from the other side of the door. This was going to be a big dog!

When the door was opened a lovely guy invited us in. The dog was a cream colour with a black mussel. She was beautiful but did not leave the side of her owner. I patted her and she licked my hand. The owner told us that he had to move interstate for work and he couldn't take her with him.

After about 2 hours we had decided that she was perfect for us. We paid for her and put her in the back of the ute.

She was extremely calm the entire drive home. We reversed into the drive way and I got out and opened the gate so we could take her straight out the back to her new home. I got hold of her lead and led her through the gate then I disconnected the leash and closed the gate behind her. Ava was so excited.

My dogs name was Winston well that was her show name but she was Winnie to us and this is what she answered too.

We walked inside and I went straight to the back door as I went to open it Winnie ran at the door growling and barking, she was not happy. What I didn't realise was that her old owner had a white ute so she was calm because she thought it was him in the ute but when I went to the back door she wanted to eat me. It was extremely scary.

For the next month I would sit at the back door most of the day with Ava and look through and talk to her. When I fed her I would tell her to sit and I would push the food out without letting her get to close to me. After a month she would come to the door and sook for me. I finally got to the point where I would go out the back and let her come us to me. She was definitely going to be my dog.

3 months had passed and it was like we had had her forever. Winnie would lay beside me on the floor when I went to bed them she would walk around the house keeping and eye out. Ava and I would walk her every day whilst Grant was at the base. We would get to a road and I would say. "What do we do at roads Winnie" and she would sit, look both ways and then stand and look at me when the traffic was clear and we would cross the road. She was extremely intelligent and very protective. She walked well of a lead and not many people want to come near us as she was 110 kilos of dog (MASSIVE) just what I wanted.

One day Grant came home and walked out the back and up the the shed. Winnie watched him go as she was still a little weary of him as he didn't spend that much time with her. I was in the lounge with Ava when I heard someone yelling from the backyard. I ran out to the kitchen. It was Grant, Winnie had let he go to the shed but she was not letting him out. "Emily! Get your fucking dog away from me" he yelled. I giggled to myself as I knew she wasn't going to bight him but he thought she was. She was very intimidating. I called Winnie back and she came straight over to me. I patted her and Grant ran inside.

We decided that we would try and get Grant a little me acquainted with Winnie so one afternoon we decided to go to the local park so he could walk her with me by his side. Winnie was extremely well behaved and did everything that she was asked. Winnie loved Ava and every time we went to cross a road Winnie would give her a big kiss. It was very cute the only problem was the drool that she always left behind.

We got to the park and Grant and I started wrestling when I stupidly squealed as he was tickling me (I hate being tickled). Winnie ran over and pushed Grant off me started growling then she put her entire mouth around his throat whilst still growling. She applied a little pressure. He whispered the me throat as his throat was being squeezed, "get your fucking dog off me". I said to Winnie calmly "Winnie release, come here" she did exactly what I said. She sat down beside me and I patted her on the head then I walked over to make sure Grant was OK. He was fine no punctures or marks. He was shaken up though. We decided then to go back home.

Months passed and Grant started to get on well with Winnie. He didn't try and wrestle me again though. Not long after Grant had to go to sea on the submarine and this meant me and Ava being home alone but at least we had Winnie.

This trip was a four month trip around Australia or so they said. They weren't really allowed to tell us where they were going and if the submarine and went down the government would tell is it went missing off Sydney harbour. I had made a friend since moving there but it was really a neighbour type relationship as I didn't like getting close to people. He husband was on a ship. Our whole street was a navy street (well 90 %) and I was told that when the boys went away there were some guys who knew this and they sometimes tried to break in. This was a little frightening as I had no family or real friends to visit or lean on whilst Grant was away.

I was looking for a job the entire time Grant had been away but everyone was turning me down as I didn't come from Western Australia. It was weird as I hadn't really know that WA existed before I moved there but a lot of the people that I had interviews with didn't like people from the East Coast so it was hard. I started a job at the Sheraton in Perth a week before Grant came back from sea and Ava was in daycare during the time I worked. I only worked casually though as I didn't want to leave Ava too long.

The night before Grant was to come home I went to bed as usual. I had tucked Ava in to her bed and kissed her good night. Ava was about 3 years old. I walked in to my bed and laid down. Winnie got up on the bed next to me and just as I started to dose off I felt her get off and walk around and lay on the floor beside me. During the middle of the night I was woken to the sound of Winnie growling. I got out of bed and checked Ava then I heard a noise in the lounge room like someone was trying to open the window. I tiptoed down the hallway and slowly opened the front door the I flung the screen door opened "sic em" I said to Winnie and she took off out the front. There was a guy trying to get in to our house as he ran down the road he was yelling out something with Winnie right behind him. She took a big leap with her mouth opened and took a bite at his backside when she pulled away she had a chunk of his pants and a bit of his bum but this did not stop him he kept going. I looked down the road and there where at least 6 other guys trying to break in to other houses. Lights where coming on all down the street because of the commotion. I called out to Winnie and threw the piece she had in her mouth in the bin. She came inside and I felt so very safe. With her by my side Ava and I would never have to worry.

Grant arrived home the next day and I told him what had happened. He decided to go and see if we could move house. Well he was allowed to so we went looking at houses and Warnbro and we founds beautiful one that was perfect for us. We moved not long after again and hopefully this was to be the last time.