Hackman (Spaniel), or "Hack" to his friends, family and shrink, is very set in his ways. Rarely stuck for an answer, he feels he has a Sgt. Bilko rapier-like wit but, deep down, he's as insecure as the rest of us. He worries about being laughed at and assumes he's part of a "con" before it happens. This gives him a very blinkered view of life and the bucket doesn't help either!

The "bucket" came about when Hackman was a puppy. His owners bought a "Pup Cop", a remote-controlled device for use when the puppy is alone. It senses when the puppy has been bad and lets out a warning: first a high-pitched alarm and then "NO HACKMAN! BAD HACKMAN!" However, the device was faulty and poor Hack suffered a constant barrage of abuse until the batteries finally ran out three months later! So the stress was born, and manifested itself as an itch behind Hack's ear.

The constant scratching led to the wearing of the bucket and the rest is history! Hackman and the bucket are entwined like the "Stockholm Syndrome" where the captive develops a relationship with the captor. These two need each other. Whilst Hack hates the bucket, in a strange way it's made him what he is a paranoid mixed up Spaniel.

Hackman-isms

"THE PARKING LOT OF LIFE IS ALWAYS FULL."

"LIFE'S JUST A BUNDLE OF FRIDGE MAGNET PHILOSOPHY."

"I HAD A FEELING IN MY WATER ABOUT THIS ... TURNED OUT TO BE A URINE INFECTION."

"FRIK!"