Nothing beats the love of dogs, especially with Parkinson’s

Growing up, we always had a dog in our family. My mom was particularly fond of schnauzer breeds, so I always had a gray-haired, old-man-looking dog to walk, feed, and keep me company. One dog, Charlie Brown, came into our family a few years before I was born, so we grew up together. After he passed over the rainbow bridge to doggy heaven, I was devastated, as I’d never known life without dear Charlie.

Fast forward to my life as a mom of three young children. My daughters had been begging and pleading for a pet for years, and the closest they’d gotten was when I announced I was pregnant with their brother. While they were excited about baby Jake, they continued in their pursuit of a pet.

By the time Jake was 2 years old, my husband, Arman, and I finally relented. We found a darling Cavalier King Charles spaniel and poodle mix that was being sold by a breeder only a few hours away. Not only was he the runt of the litter, but he was the only dog left that hadn’t been adopted. Although Arman also grew up with dogs, he’s not an animal lover by any means. When he saw the picture of the dog online, he simply said, “That’s our dog.”

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When the time came to pick up our puppy, we piled into our large SUV and drove three hours to a farm in southwestern Ohio. As soon as the dog saw us, he jumped into our car and never looked back at that farm; he somehow knew that we were his family now. The girls named him Duke, after a character in a movie they loved. We referred to Duke as a small dog with a big name.

Duke was with our family as our kids became school-age, teenagers, and eventually young adults. He was beside me as we watched the school bus pull away every morning. He stood patiently by the door while I waited for the kids to return home by bus in the afternoon. He was just as excited as I was to hear about their day, and, of course, he loved the crumbs and scraps from their snacks.

Enter Parkinson’s

After Arman was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s disease in 2009, Duke seemed to look at him differently. I’m convinced that he knew Arman was struggling with something, but he wasn’t sure exactly what. He would stare at Arman, his eyes blue and glassy with cataracts at the end, and you could just tell that Duke was feeling my husband’s pain.

When Arman’s Parkinson’s symptoms became more apparent, such as when his right leg kicked in the air as he walked, Duke knew to keep his distance to protect Arman from stumbling over him. And when Arman fell asleep in his recliner, Duke was usually somewhere nearby, watching over him from afar.

Although Arman would probably never admit it, I think having a dog had a positive effect on him and his health. I’ve been learning a lot about service dogs and how they can benefit people with Parkinson’s and similar diseases. Maybe someday I can convince Arman that a service dog could be helpful for him. But it’d be tough to find a dog quite as special as our Dukey.

Note: Parkinson’s News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Parkinson’s News Today or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to Parkinson’s disease.