Jock lookalike Tyson is also a chivalrous hound

Heather Borradaile feared the worst when a seven-month-old puppy, Gemma, disappeared in the tall grass on the banks of the Jukskei River in Gauteng.

But, after a two-hour search, the interior designer from Dainfern, Johannesburg, found Gemma in the company of Tyson, her two-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier.

The feisty mutt's instinct to find Gemma - his "girlfriend" and part of a group of 10 dogs with whom Tyson walks every morning - had gone into overdrive.

It was not the first time that Tyson had come to the rescue of a damsel in distress.

Borradaile said Tyson had tried, in vain, to rescue a 10-year-old labrador in March.

Tyson and the labrador, Lotty, had decided to have a swim in the Jukskei without realising that the water level was unusually high.

Tyson soon realised Lotty was in trouble.

Said Borradaile: ''He tried and tried to get to her but he could not save her."

She said the drowning had a devastating effect on him.

"He was distressed ... and he still won't go near Lotty's house. He used to pick her up every day for walks."

Borradaile said Tyson embodies the spirit of Jock, hero of the South African story, Jock of the Bushveld, not only because he resembles him but also because of his loyalty.

The classic tale has been turned into an animated 3-D movie. Ahead of its release, the Sunday Times is looking for a dog that embodies the resilient spirit of Jock.

The winning dog could be of either gender and any size, shape or age.

Borradaile said she had enjoyed reading Sir Percy Fitzpatrick's classic, which was first published in 1907.

She said another similarity between Tyson and Jock is that he also has a miniature French poodle as part of his family - as well as a two-and-a-half-year-old border collie and three cats.

''He is very sociable and loves animals. He is very protective of his family members," said Borradaile.

Tyson has also taken to a porcupine which has been a resident of Dainfern for more than 20 years.

"He barks at her every time she passes by and he's got a specific bark for her."

• The world premiere of Jock of the Bushveld will be held at Montecasino on July 19. It will go on circuit from July 29.