Hector, a beautiful loyal handsome boy who stole my heart from the moment we were introduced. Black in colour, weighing approx 40kgs, my companion, protector & sidekick….

A friend of mine used to come to me once a fortnight to get his haircut. He always had working dogs, mainly Drakes Head Labradors. on one particular night we were chatting when he happened to mention his dog was in pup but, he wasn’t sure wether it was with another Labrador or if his partners German Shephard had got in to the pen. I would have loved a dog but didn’t think i would be able to commit to give it the best life.

Anyway that was that nothing else was really said about it, Alex & i were trying for a baby at the time, well to be honest we were coming to the end of trying. We had already decided it wasn’t meant to be but continued hoping.  As time went on we then started to discuss getting a dog.

So the next best thing was to call my friend John and reserve a puppy, something for both of us to love.  He makes the best daddy too.

On 19th Sept 2013 i received a call to say that a litter of 6 had been born, two boys & four bitches. I said with no hesitation that i wanted one of the boys. Three weeks later i went to visit the puppies for the first time, they hadn’t even opened there eyes yet.  I was in love, they all stole my heart from the moment we were introduced, but i knew which one we were keeping, oh and it was now apparent that the German Shephard had got lucky.

On a wet, windy autumnal evening i set off on my way to collect our new puppy, i pulled up in to the farmyard, met my friend and followed him into the stables. I was all giddy about taking him home, he was so adorable. In no hurry to meet me, slowly but surely out he appears, not a care in the world. No idea how much love he was about to endeavour.

I picked up this ball  of black fur and sat him with a blanket in the foot well of the passenger side of the car and drove carefully back down the country roads home talking to our new him all the way.

I had forgotten about it being Halloween, greeted with kids wet through in fancy dress as we pulled in to the driveway, i quickly bundled the puppy in to my coat and braved the awful weather to the front door, I don’t think the kids have ever forgiven me for not coming back out with loads of sweets!!!! Well it is “Trick or Treat” after all……So Trick it was..

Alex was on his way home from work, the puppy had my full attention showing him all his new toys and chews we had bought. I kept looking at the clock wishing hubby would hurry up. I caught the sight of headlights pulling in to the drive, in came Alex, our family was now complete..

Everybody meet “Hector”……Drakes Head Labrador/German Shephard cross. A “Sheprador” or “German Labrador.”

Large hailstone were bouncing off the back garden as Hector sat watching shaking, there was no way he was going out for a pee & a poo in that lot, can’t say i blame him neither would i, so there it was, the first turd steaming on my clean mopped floor for fuck sake. It is the one and only time that he has ever shit on the floor, i only wish his daddy was as consistent. Joke, if you’re reading this Alex oops!

It hasn’t always been a match made in heaven let me tell ya…Once Hector realised we were push overs, which lets have it right unless you’re an absolute twat every puppy pulls on the old heart strings!!! It was game over. Hector now ruled the feckin’ roost. His sharp razor blade teeth appeared, play time became, hurry up Alex the fucking dog is going to eat me alive game for me even to the point were i actually rang Alex one night when he was working away crying saying “I can’t bloody cope, he’s the devil. He is going to have to go!!!” As you know i am not a quitter, i either win or learn. I decided i would not be beaten by a dog only months old even if he is growing rather quickly, The size of his paws had us soon realising how big Hector was going to be!

I started to look at training classes, listening to tutorials on how to show your dog who the master is without threatening or physical contact, although i was advised on nipping his ears every time he nipped me so he would learn. It worked he never nipped me again, neither would he give me kisses again either as i had gone from good cop to bad cop in a short space of time. He soon came round, he couldn’t resist mummy for too long.

Hector & i started to build a great relationship, his personality really started to show, i am so glad Alex never made me get rid of him now, i mean fancy be frightened of a puppy HA HA HA.

When i became ill Hector started to become more protective of me, he wouldn’t leave my side. I truly believe that he has been a big part of my therapy and recovery. Having Hector gave me someone to have cuddles with when i was home alone throughout my treatment, he encouraged me to go outside either walking or we would just sit together in the village people watching. Hector the protector he became. Since then we have just grown together. All our holidays are planned around him, must be near water, a loch or the sea, especially the west coast of Scotland. He is so structured to be honest that we work our whole lives around him. He has us wrapped around his big furry paws and some. He has the same love we would have given to our own child, well he is our child, he’s our furkid.