Assistance Dog for Parkinsons - Grace the Rottweiler

by Lee Castle
(Walthamcross, Herts, England)

This is Grace my Rottweiler in training as an assistance dog to help me with my disability and Parkinsons Disease.

She is pictured with my grand daughter Lainie.

Grace is 5 months old in the picture and Lainie is 6 years old. I was given Grace as a present just when it was confirmed that I had Parkinsons Disease.

Prior to this I got busted up in a motor bike accident leaving me with the loss of the use in my right hand and a bad limp.

With this and Parkinsons, at the age of 61, I had to stop working after working from the age of 13.

With so many negative things happening to me I picked my self up and decided to turn a run of bad luck into a big positive.

So after a lot of searching web sites and directories, and sorry to say breed discrimination against Rottweilers, I found a trainer who would take Grace and me on board on a one to one basis of special training.

I have always had Rottweiler males - three in 23 years - and until now never a bitch.

Wow what a big difference!

Beside the obvious sex difference, I found basic toilet training and socialising easier. Also she loves licking my cats from head to paws at least twice a day. Both cats love it and Grace just loves to do it.

Beside the basic training bronze, silver ,and gold, she is at the moment learning how to break the freeze position that you some times get with Parkinsons. She does this by coming to the front of me and pawing my legs. This has the effect of breaking the freezing spell.

If I fall over she stands close to me and I can grab the harness handle. This allows me to pull my self up.

We both have a long way to go yet in training and letting people know that these dogs are not snarling devil dogs as described in the newspaper. This is a breed that's loyal with a temperament that's calm. It's a dog that's willing to work and please its owner with a big love of life.