Kolletjie, a female Jack Russell from Blouberg in Cape Town, who will soon turn 10, continues to amaze her ‘dad’ Emil Beetge (46) with her remarkable ability to balance a large ball on her nose.

Speaking to Caxton Network News, Emil, who is known by his first name, says Kolletjie’s name, meaning ‘little dot’ in Afrikaans, comes from the single mark on her head between her ears that she has had since she was three weeks old.

Kolletjie had her right eye removed in June after it became permanently blind due to cataract and nerve damage.

“After all the irritation, she scratched and damaged a layer, which made it worse. The eye specialists said her right eye was permanently blind, and, to take her pain away, I decided to have her eye removed.

“I was happy to see her playful and happy again shortly after the operation. She adapted very quickly and, within three weeks, was running around with the big ball on her nose again, even though she only has one eye.”

Impressive record

Her ball-balancing skills remain impressive. Kolletjie’s record with one eye is 27 seconds. Previously, with both eyes, she held a record of 42 seconds. Emil says she came close to breaking her 42-second record many times.

Watch: Kolletjie bouncing her ball after her eye was removed.

“While her blind spot makes catching a small tennis ball difficult, her intelligence allows her to find it using her sense of smell within 2m to 3m,” he says.

Kolletjie’s personality is what makes her truly special.

“She remains like a little child who just wants to be loved and play. Her intelligence amazes me. She has never done anything wrong, not even once. I never taught her what she’s not allowed to do because, for some reason, she already knew it. Thanks to this, she can live freely without me having to keep an eye on her all the time. Except she’s never left alone; she’s either with my parents or me.

“When we are in public, she stays with me the whole time, and when she runs around with the big ball on her nose, she immediately drops it and stops playing as soon as she thinks I’m no longer in her sight. It took me less than half a day to teach her to sit, turn, lie down, roll over and walk backwards. She was never taught to balance the big ball on her nose. It’s just something that she started doing by herself for her own amusement when she realised she couldn’t bite it,” he says.

Kolletjie is Emil’s only dog, after the passing of his previous dog, Blondie, a mixed staffy, when Kolletjie was three years old.

Emil and Kolletjie enjoy spending time at the beach, where she loves the freedom to play.

Keen kiteboarder

Emil is an avid kiteboarder who has lived in Blouberg for years and started kiteboarding in 2018.

He holds International Kiteboarding Organisation (IKO) Level 4 qualifications (advanced level), which he earned through IKO Instructor John James Donovan in Cape Town in 2022.

“I kitesurf every day. I decided to stay at IKO Level 4 until I have gained a lot of experience with the level before moving on. I have started with parts of Level 5 (evolution) on my own, but I will take a course in time.

“I love kiteboarding because it’s adventurous and challenging. I enjoy flying through the sky and reaching new heights the most. The kiteboarding community is friendly and supportive,” he says.

Kolletjie’s antics have captured the hearts of thousands online, with Emil receiving countless kind comments on TikTok and Facebook over the years.

Despite losing an eye, the spirited Jack Russell continues to amaze with her skill and playful personality.

Follow Kolletjie’s adventures on Emil’s Facebook page.

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