The Carpathian Sheepdog

16 Feb 2012 by Chris Boughton

Until last week we had enjoyed one of the mildest winters on record where we live in the eastern part of the UK. However, around 10 days ago that all changed with the arrival of snow and below freezing air temperatures. We only had about 4 inches of snow but with the temperature rarely getting above freezing and at times as low as -8°C, the ice and snow have not yet gone away. This has left us with treacherous ground conditions locally, especially as we live off the village’s main road and the road past our house is never gritted. Like many people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) my balance is poor, and especially so when my medication is wearing off or I am having a generally poor symptom day. Walking my dog in these conditions is out of the question as I would be highly likely to slip and suffer a fall. Apart from the loss of much needed exercise, provided by the twice daily dog walks, there is also the sadness at not been able to experience the aesthetic visual delights of a snow laden countryside landscape. When the weather is like this my friends and family could not be more supportive and my dog gets plenty of walks. He famously hates the rain and even walks around puddles, and would never jump into a lake or river. He even tries to hide in the house if he hears rain on the conservatory roof to avoid going out and getting wet. However, he loves the snow and despite being in his twelfth year responds like a young puppy would by rolling around in it and going crazy – strange behaviour because snow is no less wet than rain!

We got our dog from a rescue home four and half years ago, when I had to stop working, to provide company for me at home when my wife is at work and to force me to get out and take exercise. We know nothing of his background except that he was found in Bucharest as a stray and shipped to the UK along with other Romanian strays to be rehomed. He is a very affectionate and attractive dog and from the start we were always being asked what breed he was. Our vet suggested he might be part Norwegian Elk Hound but not a pedigree as his ears were the wrong shape and he had the wrong colouring, and until a few weeks ago this was what we told anyone who asked us. However, my wife’s brother went to Bucharest on business just before Christmas and relayed the story of our Romanian stray to a client he was visiting. On describing our dog the client immediately responded that it was in fact a pedigree Romanian Sheepdog, which I have subsequently discovered is also known as a Carpathian Sheepdog. This is apparently a popular breed of sheepdog in Romania. We now both feel very guilty for passing him off as a cross breed for the past four years. He is sitting by me as I type this hoping that I will share my custard cream biscuits with him and as I am on a guilt trip, writing about him, I probably will.

Apart from the dog, my other main distraction strategy from my PD is the degree in English and History that I started at the local college in September. I have now completed my first History module which primarily covered the Early Modern Period in England (1560–1720). This was a period of significant witchcraft activity, especially in our local town where many trials were held and those convicted of witchcraft were hung. Because of the local connection I concentrated my study for this module on witchcraft, writing two essays totalling 3,000 words. The local interest must have galvanised me because I got a first for the module overall, which has done my confidence a power of good. Sadly, the grades in the first year do not count towards the overall grade for the degree, but anyway there is still a long way to go. However, I have started better than I could have ever hoped for and now have the first 20 points out of the 360 I need to get, over the next three years, to secure my degree.

About the Author

Chris Boughton
I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD) in February 2004 at the age of 51 having experienced undiagnosed symptoms for at least 4 years prior to that. My wife and I have five adult children and three grandchildren. We are fortunate in that we live in a lovely rural part of the east of England, with King’s Forest situated nearby for my much needed, therapeutic dog walks. I spent most of my working life involved in electronic, mechanical manufacturing management within the Worldwide Broadcasting industry and I am extremely lucky to have travelled extensively through my work. Since I was diagnosed I have dedicated much of my time to researching all aspects of PD and trying to both support others with this illness and raise the profile of PD. As well as writing a blog on this website, I administer an internet patient forum for people with PD which I set up in September 2008 and it currently has over 150 members. I also administer the forum’s Facebook, Friends Reunited and Twitter pages. My younger son recently ran in a half marathon race to raise funds for the Cure Parkinson’s Trust. I am currently studying for a BA (Hons) in English and History as a mature student.