Dogtor Watson

He was only two years old when Watson, my chocolate border collie, joined us on our adventure around A Lap of Australia for Beginners. At first, he did not like the Goose very much. He would shake like a leaf as the bus was very noisy before we installed soundproofing in the cabin. But it did not take long for Watson to become familiar with everything onboard, and he grew to like his "big kennel on wheels"—except on very bad dirt roads. A few times, I had to nurse him on my lap as he was petrified with everything rattling inside. So were we! We worried the bus might just implode in the next pothole. The Goose is tough, and we all survived. Watson weighs 28kg, so he was heavy on my lap, but what else could I do? He needed comforting.

For some reason, most people love him! He is a chick magnet for sure, but even men comment on how beautiful he is. We think he is, but we are biased. Nevertheless, the pet sitters we had when visiting National Parks (no pets allowed, of course) all wanted to keep him!

He was welcomed in dress shops, on trains, paddle-wheelers, wineries, cafes, museums, and tourist attractions. He is now a well-rounded sheep dog who has never rounded up a sheep in his life.