Canine Partners

My dad and grandad both had Parkinson’s disease, so I recognised the signs. I was losing coordination and shaking in the right-hand side of my body. I would lose my balance quite often, which resulted in some falls. I was also struggling with depression and anxiety, which are among the many hidden symptoms of the disease.

I left my job as an IT manager in 2004 because I had agoraphobia, causing panic attacks whenever I left home. It also affected my cognitive abilities to the extent that sometimes the simplest task could become very complicated for me to understand.

A lot of the time the thought of just leaving the house was horrific. Although I could drive I would find it difficult to be out in the open. Once I arrived somewhere I would feel awful and I would be shaking, so I was staying at home as much as possible and getting very little exercise.

The right-hand side of my body was curling inwards as my muscles tensed up over the years to cope with the shaking. This affected my posture and gait, which in turn caused back problems and nerve damage in my shoulder.

My wife found Canine Partners’ website and after attending an open day at their southern training centre and talking to the team we decided that an assistance dog could be just what I needed to get my life back on track so I applied immediately. When my application was approved I was over the moon, but I still couldn’t quite believe it.

Then when advanced trainer Els Boardman phoned and said they had a match the reality of it all started to settle in. We arranged to meet Hamlin with Els and another advanced trainer, Clare Cannon, soon after.

It seems funny now, but the instant I saw him I thought: “Oh my, he’s so furry. Imagine all the hair that will come off of him.”

By the time we had finished talking he was asleep by my feet and I just fell for him. It was love at first sight.

Els and Clare asked what I thought and I told them I wanted to take him home right then, but I had to wait until Hamlin and I were fully trained. That was the hardest part – the waiting.

The course at Canine Partners’ training centre was amazing but exhausting. It was a lot more tiring than I ever expected, even though I had been warned. However, it was very well organised, well thought out and a lot of fun.

My trainers were Els and advanced trainer Julia Chase, who both had different approaches to teaching, and that was just brilliant. I felt they could deal with any situation that came up and they were never short of advice or praise. For the first week after we got home it was incredibly exciting, but also a bit stressful. I wanted to do everything right because of all the time, effort and care that had been put into training me and this wonderful dog.

Now we are completely settled and I get up in the morning looking forward to seeing Hamlin, whereas I used to find it hard to motivate myself.

As soon as I move, Hamlin’s there, ready to help. We get up and I feed him and we play, then he goes back to bed for a while before we work out what to do for the day. He loves a quick lie down after breakfast.

Hamlin goes everywhere with me – even to the gym and Pilates, which is excellent for my back. Everyone there loves him.

I tried to go to the gym before, as exercise is essential for people who have Parkinson’s, but I found it very stressful. There’s something about having Hamlin with me that boosts my confidence.

He makes me more approachable as people see me with a beautiful dog rather than just seeing a big, nervous man who shakes a lot. People home in on Hamlin and end up talking to me as a result. He has removed some of my social discomfort. The difference he’s made is incredible. You can’t measure it.

One of the most important things about being with Hamlin is that he gives me a constant point of reference by my side while we’re walking. When you have Parkinson’s, stumbling and falling can be reduced with visual cues like having a dog walking gently by your side. He keeps me going straight when we’re out and about.

He picks my keys up, which I’m forever dropping. He opens doors for me, helps with the washing machine and he helps me with my shoes because sometimes bending down puts a strain on my back. His favourite job is closing the dishwasher for me by flipping it up with his nose. He just loves it.

Hamlin has given me the courage to go back into the outside world, and my wife knows that, while she is at work, he is keeping me safe. Without him I would have become progressively more introverted and reclusive. He enables me to do exercises that help combat some of the effects of my illness and, in addition to all of these wonderful things, he makes me smile and laugh at his antics. He shows a level of devotion to me that I could never have imagined before. He is a joy to be with and I am proud to have him by my side.