Hector's Page
Hector is an Australian Cattle Dog who first came into my life when he was a frisky 4 month old pup. Firstborn in a litter of 9 from purebred parents, he has led a challenging and interesting life. One of the conditions the breeder made me agree to was to keep his name; I was a little hesitant at first but after a few months of living with him decided that it suited him well. If you ever meet him some day, you'll understand! In retrospect, I suppose I should have renamed him "Lucky" due to all the misfortunes that have come his way. Shortly after I got him, his right rear leg was broken in a nasty fall and he had to get a metal plate and screws permanently implanted into the bones. Around the 8 month mark he developed a cataract in his right eye; shortly after that he got one in his left. His vision began to fail and by the time he was 1 1/2yrs old he was completely blind. Over the years he developed glaucoma and eventually his eyes swelled and caused constant pain to the point that we had to get them removed. As if that wasn't enough, he was diagnosed with epilepsy and is now prone to occasional seizures which will eventually increase in frequency and severity as he gets older. At the 7 year mark he was found to have arthritis... how much more does my poor dog have to endure? Despite all the medical troubles, however, he has led a very happy and active life. People still can't believe he's blind when they first meet him; he has adapted amazingly well to his condition and wows his admirers by chasing a ball (with a special jingle bell inside so he can track it by hearing) and playing Frisbee, along with going for walkies and riding about in his sidecar. I like to think he is the poster dog for pets with disabilities.

	Like all dogs, one of his favourite pastimes is lying around the house and chewing on doggy bones; at any given time there are several chewies, bones and squeaky toys strewn about our house. He has the ability to amuse himself for hours by flinging his toys about with a toss of his head and then chasing after them, tracking by the noise they make when hitting the floor. Or one of the cats... sometimes he'll inadvertently nail TC or Mitts with a well-placed throw, although they've quickly learned to vacate the premises when he gets rowdy.
	Hector is fortunate enough to keep in regular contact with one of the members of his litter. Jess is one of his brothers and the much-loved pet of my Mom and Dad. As my parents live only 20 minutes away from us, the two dogs get to play and romp about with each other several times a month. For all those comedians reading this, Jess is the one on the right - NOT the big hairy one in the center.
	Because he knew the layout of our property before he went blind, Hector had no trouble adapting when he lost his sight. He knew the basic routes and had committed them to memory, but it still boggles the mind to watch him; he knows exactly where the trees and other large objects are and will navigate around them in full stride. This pic was taken about a year before his eyes were removed; you can see how the cataracts had clouded them and the swelling from the glaucoma. We learned a long time ago never to leave things out of place inside or outside the house; if any large object is relocated it usually results in him smashing headfirst into it.
	Despite his disabilities, though, he is still very much a normal dog. He hates having a bath...
	...but has absolutely no qualms about diving into the St Lawrence River for a refreshing swim.
	Probably his most unique character trait is his love of riding in a sidecar. He used to get quite annoyed whenever Angie and I would leave him behind, so I came up with the idea of getting a sidecar rig to allow him to join us on the occasional Sunday jaunt. Here he is posing next to my old Dnepr, his "training rig" that he learned how to ride on.
	He adapted so well to the sidecar and enjoyed it so much that I would take him along every time I used the rig. I sold the Dnepr and bought a new Ural that was capable of higher cruising speeds so we could go on longer trips; since then he has logged many km's with me in all kinds of weather. He now wears his Doggles and tartan riding jacket with pride wherever we go and attracts all kinds of attention - who can resist such a handsome dog in a sidecar?!

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