Jake the Dog ~

'You use funnily enough to indicate that, although something is surprising,     
it is true or really happened.'

~ Collins English Dictionary ~

Being ill for long time can be incredibly boring. Although he had no idea why I was lying around all day, it was our dog Jake who helped me to cope with the tedium of Chronic Fatigue. He would come upstairs, of his own accord, just to keep me company and was happy to rest with me all day long.

Funnily enough, Jake was born under my bed one Christmas morning. Daisy, our rather dim Airedale, who looked like a ginger biscuit on legs, unexpectedly gave birth to three unusual looking puppies. Jake was the one my parents chose to keep. Like many cross-breeds he proved a wonderful dog, living to a great age.

Jake was a character; a dog who seemed to have a sense of humour. Although he was not particularly well trained he had quite a notable career as an actor. This started when he cast himself as the hero in 'The Day in the Life of the Otter', which was made at home by the BBC Natural History Unit. In the story he rescues one of the otters from drowning in a fisherman's keep-net. It was a role he shared with Spike Milligan, who provided his voice. On the strength of this he appeared in Mr Bean with Rowan Atkinson and was asked to star in a television commercial.

The fact that Jake was quite a big dog worked well on film. When my father played the part of an estate agent in an educational info-drama called 'The Walls of Jericho' Jake was there as his dog. He enjoyed appearing in a Day Time magazine programme for Granada Television. Mum was interviewed on how to make your own dog food. They called the item 'Jake's patty pies'. I think all he did was eat them. When she tossed small meat balls in his direction, he'd catch them in mid-air and look terribly pleased with himself.

However, when our house was used as a location for 'The House of Elliot' Jake decided to take a back seat. He took up a position at the rear of the catering bus from where he surveyed progress of the shoot. The crew gave him the title 'Director of Operations'.  

Although he started life as a mistake, Jake proved a remarkable animal and is remembered with huge affection. He added an optimistic dimension to our lives and was a good friend of many. Honesty compels me to admit that I was slightly allergic to him, and perhaps he contributed to the load my system was having to cope with but he staved off loneliness. That was a great blessing.