A Puppy for Parkinson's

Having lost my canine companion of nearly ten years, the house felt strangely empty without her presence. It’s surprising how a dog can fill a place in the home touching our hearts and literally become part of the family. The benefits of owning a dog when disabled or living with a long term illness are endless.

We recently bought home a new puppy to become my four legged companion and assistance dog. Although generally Labradors are used for this purpose, there are other breeds equally suited to the task. We decided to stick to a Dogue de Bordeaux, being the same breed that over the years we’ve come to know and love. These gentle giants are strong heavy set dogs who are family orientated and smart, making an excellent choice as long as you don’t mind the drool!

Although I have experience with training dogs the basic commands such as sit, stay, down etc. I knew I’d need professional help for a new puppy to become my assistance dog. My husband and I fortunately found someone qualified in this special field and we’ll be working together training the puppy to suite my individual needs. Beginning extensive training when a puppy is very young bears the best results, and should one need to increase commands for various new tasks at a later stage, as the Parkinson’s progresses, this poses no problem as the dog is already accustomed to learning.

We named our new four legged addition to the family, Rosie, and needless to say I wasn't short of material for this week's article in The Huffington Post!