C O M M E N T A R Y
Obedience, Intelligence
and Herding
By John Wilson
John Wilson
When Mary K. coughs or sneezes, Jake
gets up on her lap, as if he is trying to
comfort her by saying, ‘I’m here, what
can I do?” Jake, like most Border Collies,
is a talented herder, who is intelligent
and obedient.
Even at his age, he gets around inside
the house and outside in the yard, as if
he has a sixth sense about where he is.
Sadly, on occasion, he will bump into
the furniture. Despite his blindness and
other issues, Jake is clearly focused on
us. When we talk to him, his little black
and white head tilts to one side and his
ears peak, as if he is trying to understand
exactly what we are saying. He showered
Mary K.’s mother Kathryn with affection
while she was alive, as if he knew she
needed his help. When he could see, he
would watch her from our car, as she
took a few steps with her walker up to
the front door. He would not relax until
M ANY DOG OWNERS
already know that some of
our furry companions can
develop such endearing ways and
personalities that they seem human.
We have one of those animals, who
we call ‘Jake’. He is a Border Collie/
Cocker Spaniel ‘mix’ that showed up
one day on my Mother’s doorstep
in the mountains of Virginia 14 years ago.
Mother was convinced he was sent to her
by my Dad who had passed away a couple
of years before. Jake never left her side
through all of the years he spent with her,
as she struggled with Parkinson’s disease.
He even slept with her.
Just before she died three years ago,
she insisted that Mary K. and I promise
to take care of him after she was gone.
Of course, we did so when the time
came. Although we have had many dogs
before, none were like Jake.
He bonded quickly with Mary K. and
follows her through the house, room
to room, and he barks to find me when
Mary K. calls, or when I call to her. While
riding in the car with us, he stares over
the center console, even though he is
blind from diabetes and now requires
two doses of insulin a day, as well as
antibiotics to treat his periodic infections.
she was in her house with the door
closed.
Jake now sleeps at the foot of our
bed, and the white plume of his tail
is almost constantly wagging in an
arc across his back, even when he
is lying down. I am comfortable
that Mother knows Jake is happy
with us in Florida and that he still
considers it to be his job to take care of us
now that she is gone. We will probably
never find another ‘Jake,’ and I’m not
sure that Jake would want us to try.
9
EDITOR’S NOTE: John Wilson ended
50 plus years of radio and television news
broadcasting with his final goodbye on WTVT
Fox 13 on November 26, 2014, the day before
Thanksgiving.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015 TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE 121