Hector: Did Psychic Powers Lead Him to His Master?

Hector, a black and white fox terrier, traveled thousands of miles on "the right" ship as a stowaway to reunite with his master.

Hector lived with his master, Willem H. Mante, on the cargo ship SS Simaloer. One day in 1922, when the freighter was docked at Vancouver, the outgoing dog who loved to wander the port cities did not arrive on time when the ship was due to leave. Mante was heartbroken but had no choice to leave his dog behind.

When Hector returned to the dock, he was observed boarding and disembarking several ships. Harold Kildall, who was overseeing the loading of cargo aboard the SS Hanley, was intrigued by the dog who seemed to have some purpose for his peculiar actions. Hours after the Hanley left Vancouver for Japan, Kildall was astonished to see Hector walking about on the deck. Fortunately, the Captain was a dog lover and welcomed the terrier aboard his ship. Kildall and Hector formed a bond, and each night the dog would stand watch with him.

About three weeks later, as the Hanley was unloading its cargo in Japan, Hector became excited when he noticed the Simaloer being berthed a few hundred yards away. Some of the crew (including Mante) boarded a sampan, and as the small boat neared the Hanley, Mante spotted his beloved dog and soon the two were happily reunited.

According to Dennis Bardens, author of Psychic Animals, "What puzzled the overjoyed Mante, was how the dog knew which vessel to choose at Vancouver. How did he know the Hanley was Japan-bound? There's no logical explanation, was all Mante could say. We can only marvel at the fact that it really happened."

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Two Dogs Sailed the Mayflower

A 17th century journal confirms two dogs were on the Mayflower when it set sail to the New World in 1620.

According to a journal, at least two dogs accompanied the pilgrims on the 66 day voyage across the Atlantic from England to Cape Cod (now Provincetown, Massachusetts). One dog was a female mastiff and the other a spaniel, both belonging to John Goodman. It is believed the mastiff was brought along for protection and the spaniel for hunting. The name of the dogs are not mentioned.

"Mourt's Relation" (journal published in London in 1622)

One notable story took place in January 1621 when Goodman, his two dogs and another settler named Peter Brown got lost in the woods:

Friday, the 12th

This day two of our people put us in great sorrow and care; there was four sent to gather and cut thatch in the morning, and two of them, John Goodman and Peter Brown, having cut thatch all the forenoon, went to a further place, and willed the other two to bind up that which was cut and to follow them. So they did, being about a mile and a half from our plantation. But when the two came after, they could not find them, nor hear any thing of them at all, though they hallooed and shouted as loud as they could, so they returned to the company and told them of it. Whereupon Master Leaver and three or four more went to seek them, but could hear nothing of them, so they returning, sent more, but that night they could hear nothing at all of them. The next day they armed ten or twelve men out, verily thinking the Indians had surprised them. They went seeking seven or eight miles, but could neither see nor hear any thing at all, so they returned, with much discomfort to us all.

These two that were missed, at dinner time took their meat in their hands, and would go walk and refresh themselves. So going a little off they find a lake of water, and having a great mastiff bitch with them and a spaniel, by the water side they found a great deer; the dogs chased him, and they followed so far as they lost themselves and could not find the way back. They wandered all that afternoon being wet, and at night it did freeze and snow. They were slenderly appareled and had no weapons but each one his sickle, nor any victuals. They ranged up and down and could find none of the savages' habitations. When it drew to night they were much perplexed, for they could find neither harbor nor meat, but, in frost and snow were forced to make the earth their bed and the element their covering. And another thing did very much terrify them; they heard, as they thought, two lions roaring exceedingly for a long time together, and a third, that they thought was very near them. So not knowing what to do, they resolved to climb up into a tree as their safest refuge, though that would prove an intolerable cold lodging; so they stood at the tree's root, that when the lions came they might take their opportunity of climbing up. The bitch they were fain to hold by the neck, for she would have been gone to the lion; but it pleased God so to dispose, that the wild beasts came not. So they walked up and down under the tree all night; it was an extreme cold night. So soon as it was light they traveled again, passing by many lakes and brooks and woods, and in one place where the savages had burnt the space of five miles in length, which is a fine champaign country, and even. In the afternoon, it pleased God, from a high hill they discovered the two isles in the bay, and so that night got to the plantation, being ready to faint with travail and want of victuals, and almost famished with cold. John Goodman was fain to have his shoes cut off his feet they were so swelled with cold, and it was a long while after ere he was able to go; those on the shore were much comforted at their return, but they on the shipboard were grieved at deeming them lost.

John Goodman died shortly after, within the first year after having arrived on the Mayflower, and it is almost certain other settlers cared for the two dogs after his death because they were essential members of the colony.

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Stickeen: Explored Alaska with John Muir

Stickeen became famous for the impact he had in John Muir's life during their Alaskan adventure in the late 1800s.

In 1880 John Muir (an environmental philosopher), Reverend S.H. Young, the Reverend's dog Stickeen and an Indian crew set out in a canoe from Fort Wrangell to explore the icy region of Alaska. When Muir saw the small black dog he told the Reverend it would be best to leave him behind. "This trip is not likely to be good for toy-dogs. The poor silly thing will be in rain and snow for weeks or months, and will require care like a baby." The Reverend assured him his dog would be alright.

Muir initially described the two year old dog as "a queer character -- odd, concealed, independent, keeping invincibly quiet, and doing many little puzzling things that piqued my curiosity." None of the men could figure out what he was good for. "He seemed to meet danger and hardships without anything like reason, insisted on having his own way, never obeyed an order, and the hunter could never set him on anything, or make him fetch the birds he shot."

Stickeen (named after the Indian tribe living near the fort) was mostly motionless on the canoe ride through the long channels and inlets of the Alaskan coast, but when a landing was about to happen he would plunge into the cold water and swim ashore as the canoe neared the beach. Stickeen was always the first out of the canoe, and the last to get in. When it was time to leave, Stickeen would hide in the brush and refuse to come when called. He would wait until the canoe was a fair way off then swim to the boat, knowing the men would stop their rowing and bring him aboard. Hoping to put a stop to this, the men would keep rowing farther out so the dog would think they were abandoning him. The ploy did not work - "the longer the swim the better he seemed to like it."

Stickeen took a liking to Muir and began following him on all his hikes, no matter how tough the terrain. Once, Muir had to make a set of moccasins out of a handkerchief for him to wear because his injured paws were leaving behind a trail of blood. "However great his troubles he never asked for help or made any complaint, as if, like a philosopher, he had learned that without hard work and suffering there could be no pleasure worth having."

One morning, Muir set out on his own to explore a large glacier during a blizzard, a journey that was surely not meant for a small dog. His hope was to leave Stickeen behind but the determined dog insisted on going. Stickeen followed Muir without effort as they crossed flooded streams, hiked up and down icy slopes, and leapt over deep crevasses - until they came upon a crevasse that was too wide to leap. Instead, they would have to climb down an ice wall, cross over on a sliver of ice, then climb up an ice wall to reach the other side. For the first time, Muir saw a troubled look on the dog's face as he looked into the crevasse. He whined, and ran back and forth frantically in search of a safer way to cross. "His looks and tones of voice when he began to complain and speak his fears were so human that I unconsciously talked to him in sympathy as I would to a frightened boy." When Muir made it to the other side, it took a long time for him to finally convince the scared dog to cross. Stickeen did make it over to the other side, and the moment he knew he was safe he became over excited with happiness. "Never before or since have I seen anything like so passionate a revulsion from the depths of despair to exultant, triumphant, uncontrollable joy."

The two made it back safely to camp that night, and the once independent dog did not want to leave Muir's side during the rest of the trip. "I have known many dogs, and many a story I could tell of their wisdom and devotion; but to none do I owe so much as to Stickeen."

I want to thank Jim Lawrence for bringing this story to my attention.

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Jeff: Died Doing What He Loved to Do

Jeff made history for his love of parachuting and unfortunate death.

Jeff, a pit bull, was the mascot of the 120th observation squadron of the Colorado Air National Guard. Not only did Jeff help boost morale among his fellow men, the adventurous dog loved jumping out of the planes with them. Outfitted with his own parachutes, Jeff successfully jumped at least 100 times before his fateful day.

On August 16, 1924 Jeff was to parachute from a plane during an air show at Lowry Field in Denver. When asked about Jeff's safety, an aviator responded, "It would break Jeff's heart if he missed a jump on an occasion like this." Jeff was taken up some 3000 feet by pilot Sergeant Kerns, jumped as usual, and sadly plunged to his death when his parachute failed to open. Army Sergeant J. C. Ziegler, Jeff's owner, pushed through the crowd and gathered the body of his beloved dog in his arms.

Jeff was laid to rest by the men who regarded the dog as one of their own - the dog who died doing what he loved to do.

Igloo: American Polar Explorer

Igloo became famous in history for accompanying his master Richard Byrd on his expeditions to the North and South Poles.

Igloo and Richard Byrd

In the winter of 1926, Maris Boggs found a stray terrier puppy shivering on the streets of Washington DC. Unable to keep the pup, she convinced Richard Byrd to take him and include him on his upcoming expedition to the Arctic.

That April, Byrd, his crew and his newly adopted dog (given the name Igloo by the ship's crew) set sail to Norway, where Byrd would challenge Roald Amundsen, a Norwegian explorer, to become the first man to fly over the North Pole. Byrd made the 15 1/2 hour flight, and Igloo was there to congratulate him on his victory - disputes later arose over the legitimacy of Byrd actually reaching the North Pole.

Igloo's second great adventure was in 1928 when Byrd began his first Antarctic expedition. This was the largest and most expensive expedition to Antarctica, consisting of two ships, three airplanes, 95 sled dogs and 650 tons of supplies. The goals of the expedition were to make the first flight over the South Pole and to bring experts to study the unknown territory. A base camp named Little America was constructed near the edge of the Ross Ice Shelf on the Bay of Whales, housing 42 men.

Dogs were common on polar expeditions during this period, but not fox terriers. The little dog could not tolerate sub-zero temperatures like the sled dogs so he wore a specially made jacket and booties to keep him warm. Igloo, nicknamed Iggy, did not pull a sled, but the entertaining dog did serve a valuable purpose there by boosting crew morale during the isolation of their long expedition.

A description of Igloo encountering snow for the first time:

"The soft, yielding resistance of the snow was delicious to his paws. He sniffed it gingerly, then a red tongue emerged for a tentative lick. The sharp coldness took him by surprise... he emerged in a flurry of crystals, made a bee-line dash to the shack at the crest of the slope, then swept into a series of concentric circles that ultimately ended in his becoming a whirling dervish, enveloped in a minor snow storm of his own making."

In November 1929 Byrd successfully flew to the South Pole and back, and in June 1930 the expedition returned to the US. Byrd was given a hero's welcome, and Igloo was at Byrd's side as they rode down Broadway in NYC during a ticker tape parade.

In April 1931, while Byrd was away on a speaking engagement, Igloo became ill. After hearing the news, Byrd cancelled his lectures to return home. Sadly, Igloo died before he made it home.

Igloo was buried in the Pine Ridge Cemetery for Small Animals in Massachusetts. His headstone is in the shape of an iceberg, and on the stone is a bronze plaque with the inscription "He was more than a friend". TIME magazine and newspapers across the country covered Igloo's death, and Byrd received thousands of letters of condolences written by children from around the world.

Later, Byrd's hometown of Winchester, Virginia erected a life size statue of Byrd with Igloo by his side (using the top photo) in front of the Court house.

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Robot: Discovers Lascaux Cave Paintings

Robot became famous in history for discovering one of the greatest collections of prehistoric artwork.

In September 1940, four teenage boys (Marcel Ravidat, Jacques Marsal, Georges Agnel and Simon Coencas) and Ravidat's dog Robot set out on an adventure in the Dordogne region of southwestern France to search for treasure. According to an old legend, the treasure was hidden in an underground passage deep in the woods of Montignac.

As they walked through the dense brush, Robot found a small hole next to an uprooted tree. The boys enlarged the hole and slid into a dark chamber beneath the ground. Their hopes of finding treasure happened. The treasure was a collection of ancient artwork dating back to at least 17,000 years. Marsal would later say that they could see a "cavalcade of animals larger than life painted on the walls and ceiling of the cave - each animal seemed to be moving."

Lascaux cave, 1940

Some 600 paintings and nearly 1,500 engravings decorate the interior walls of Lascaux cave. The displays depict many animals, some abstract symbols and one human (painted representations of humans are rare in Paleolithic art). The cave was opened to the public in 1948, causing the artwork to deteriorate. In 1963, to protect the artwork from further deterioration, the cave closed to the public. In 1983, a replica cave, known as Lascaux II, opened to allow tourists to have some experience of the original.

Bob: The Dog Who Loved Trains

Bob became famous in history as the free spirited dog who loved to travel on trains in Australia during the late 1800s.

According to William Seth Ferry, the first time he saw the scruffy mixed breed puppy was in a cattle truck at Terowie (where he was a special guard with the railway) with about 50 other stray dogs from Adelaide who were destined to become rabbit hunters. Ferry took a fancy to the pup and offered to buy him from the rabbiter. Several sources say the rabbiter refused to sell him but said he would swap him for another dog so Ferry found a stray dog loitering by a police station and made the swap. However, according to Olwyn Parker, author of The Railway Dog, Ferry paid five bob for the puppy, hence he got his name.

For five years Bob lived with Ferry, first in Terowie then in Petersburg (now Peterborough). He followed Ferry to work and rode with him in the guard's van, sometimes in the engine car, traveling thousands of miles around the South Australian countryside. Bob eventually became a free spirit, hopping on trains by himself, so when Ferry was promoted to Assistant Station Master in Western Australia in 1889 he decided to leave the adventurous dog behind with the railway men.

Bob traveled far and wide but he would always come back to his home base around Petersburg. He loved riding the trains, his favorite seat being on top of the coal box, and he loved the men that worked on them. At night, Bob would follow one of the railway workers, usually the driver, to his home where he would be fed and looked after. Bob was a real charmer and became well known in the towns he passed through - the sight of a dog on top of the coal fender brought much joy to adults and children alike.

Bob lying on top of the train

In 1939, The Advertiser said Bob traveled freely "like politicians" on the trains, suburban trams and even the Murray steamers, and attended official functions: "He was a guest at the banquet for the opening of the railway from Peterborough to Broken Hill and appeared at the opening of the Hawkesbury Bridge in New South Wales."

Bob was well-liked by the travelers and the children adored him. The kind-hearted dog made many friends during his travels and even helped, at least one man, during a difficult time. Bob sat next to the man, Thomas McMurtrie, who was lost in grief after the death of his daughter-in-law and five grandchildren in a diphtheria outbreak. Parker wrote in her book "The man gave little sign of having noticed the dog’s presence, except once or twice when his hand came down and rested gently on Bob’s head - just for a moment, but the comfort was mutual ... This dog, though he’d never know it, had saved his sanity these past long hours."

In 1892, Bob disappeared for four months. He was taken by a sheep farmer and it is not sure if Bob escaped or was seen by one of the railway men. Parker thinks he was spotted when he came into town with a mob of sheep and the railway men angrily took back their dog from the sheep farmer. After this incident one of Bob's friends, a commercial traveler, had a special collar made for him with the following inscription: STOP ME NOT BUT LET ME JOG FOR I AM BOB THE DRIVERS DOG - SAR (South Australian Railways).

Bob died in 1895 at the approximate age of 13 years. His collar is on display in the National Railway Museum in Port Adelaide and in 2009 the people in Peterborough and wider South Australia raised funds for a statue of Bob.

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