{"id":10967,"date":"2026-01-12T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-12T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/?p=10967"},"modified":"2026-01-14T21:33:40","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T21:33:40","slug":"i-found-dad-washing-the-car-with-a-paintbrush-his-dogs-knew-exactly-what-was-happening","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/12\/i-found-dad-washing-the-car-with-a-paintbrush-his-dogs-knew-exactly-what-was-happening\/","title":{"rendered":"I found Dad washing the car with a paintbrush. His dogs knew exactly what was happening"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n\t\t\"Chloe\t<\/div>
Chloe (R) and her dad (L) (Picture: Chloe Aldred)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I glanced down at my phone, which I used to track my dad, Keith, who had Alzheimer\u2019s<\/a> \u2013 and gasped.<\/p>\n

He was walking up the M60 slip road.<\/p>\n

It was bad enough that my 72-year-old dad was in the middle of a motorway<\/a> at 7:00pm on a Saturday night \u2013 but I knew he had his two dogs with him, and that he\u2019d lost the capacity to understand the importance of having them on a lead.<\/p>\n

Terrified, I called the police and the family, but my cousin got there first. Thankfully, the roads were fairly quiet.<\/p>\n

But I was right \u2013 the dogs weren\u2019t on a lead. There could have been a catastrophe. But, amazingly, the dogs never left<\/a> Dad\u2019s side.<\/p>\n

My dad and I have always loved dogs. Almost 30 years ago, when I was 11, he and my mum decided to get a flat-coated retriever. Seven years later, they got another puppy.<\/p>\n

The dogs meant everything to Dad. He and I would get up at 6:30am every morning and walk them together before school; he\u2019d talk to them constantly, and our teatime routine revolved around them.<\/p>\n

For years, Dad was a member of the Flat-Coated Retriever Association, which involved training gundogs using dummies, and he made so many friends just from walking his dogs. Everybody loved him.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"Chloe\t<\/div>
The dogs noticed something wrong with him in 2017 (Picture: Chloe Aldred)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n
\n\t\t\"Chloe\t<\/div>
Chloe’s dad would frequently get lost (Picture: Chloe Aldred)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But in 2017, we started noticing something was wrong.<\/p>\n

Dad was a wonderful listener<\/a> \u2013 he\u2019d always want to know how you were, first and foremost. But that year, he started just talking, talking, talking about himself.<\/p>\n

There was a sudden lack of listening skills and attention span, and it was very out of character.<\/p>\n

Then he started forgetting words, and getting muddled and frustrated. In 2018, I remember worrying, before my wedding<\/a>, about whether he\u2019d be able to do his speech.<\/p>\n

He\u2019d get lost frequently, which was bizarre for him, and one day I found him washing the car with a paintbrush.<\/p>\n

He was clearly worried, but he put off a diagnosis for years. Even after he was eventually diagnosed in 2019, it was a battle to get him to go for check ups. He was just in denial.<\/p>\n

His dogs always knew, though. They had always wanted to run off and explore on a walk, but when he started getting lost they would not leave his side.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"Chloe\t<\/div>
Chloe (R) with her dad (L) walking their dogs (Picture: Chloe Aldred)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The oldest dog used to just stare at my dad constantly on walks, and in the house, they\u2019d both follow him everywhere. It was incredibly intense and the whole family noticed it.<\/p>\n

\n

\n\t\t\t\tHow to sign up to our 2026 Metro Lifeline challenge\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
\n

This year Metro.co.uk is proudly supporting Alzheimer’s Society<\/a> for our 2026 Lifeline campaign.<\/p>\n

On Saturday 13 June 2026<\/strong>, we\u2019re inviting our readers to take on an unforgettable challenge: an epic hike through the stunning Cotswolds countryside \u2014 all to help support people living with dementia.<\/p>\n

Choose your distance: 25km, 50km or 100km.<\/em><\/p>\n

With registration starting at just \u00a315<\/strong>, and fundraising targets of \u00a3150 (25km)<\/strong>, \u00a3225 (50km)<\/strong> or \u00a3330 (100km)<\/strong>, you can push yourself as far as you want \u2014 while helping fund vital support and research.<\/p>\n

Whether you sign up solo or take on the challenge with friends, you\u2019ll be part of Team Lifeline<\/strong>, with plenty of guidance, encouragement and support along the way. Every mile you walk and every pound you raise will help make a real difference for people facing the daily realities of dementia.<\/p>\n

For our ‘everything you need to know’ guide, click here<\/a> – or if you’re already raring to sign up, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Dad\u2019s decline was very sudden.<\/p>\n

His personality started to change. He\u2019d do things like picking bobbles off his clothes and stacking them on the arm of the sofa and if anyone cleared them off, he\u2019d get really angry. In his mind, his task had been ruined.<\/p>\n

And, of course, there was the motorway incident in 2022.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"Chloe\t<\/div>
Chloe (L) and her dad (R) with their dogs (Picture: Chloe Aldred)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mum had to start locking all the external doors, because he\u2019d forget he\u2019d been out with the dogs already, and would want to keep going out.<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t understand why he was locked in and he\u2019d try to get out, rattling doors and banging windows.<\/p>\n

Towards the end of Dad\u2019s time at home, his dogs were his only pleasure.<\/p>\n

He loved my mum and I, of course, but the dogs were different. He\u2019d sit on the sofa, with one on each side, and they made him feel safe and secure.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"Chloe\t<\/div>
The dogs made Chloe’s dad feel safe and secure (Picture: Chloe Aldred)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One day in October 2022, my mum called me \u2013 Dad had locked her in the garden, so he was inside alone.<\/p>\n

I could hear him shouting and banging the windows, and I couldn\u2019t get there quickly on this occasion, so I advised her to call the police.<\/p>\n

Neither Mum or I imagined what would happen next.<\/p>\n

The police were brilliant, getting him to unlock the door and speaking with both him and my mum.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"Chloe\t<\/div>
The whole family noticed how devoted Chloe’s dad’s dogs were to him (Picture: Chloe Aldred)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

They thought he should go to A&E<\/a> for a medical review, so they called the paramedics \u2013 and he never came home again.<\/p>\n

It was a huge shock, and incredibly sad, but looking back, things couldn\u2019t have gone on as they were.<\/p>\n

That day, Dad was taken to a dementia<\/a> assessment unit. Mum and I went over, and the Sister in charge warned us that he was very aggravated.<\/p>\n

Dad saw me from across the ward. He shouted my name and wet himself, and I hurried over to him.<\/p>\n

We hugged for what seemed like 10 minutes. He kept begging us to stay with him, and I thought: \u2018This is truly the worst day of my whole life\u2019.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"Chloe\t<\/div>
Chloe started started grieving the loss of her dad years before he actually died (Picture: Chloe Aldred)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Dad stayed there for around five months, and we made the difficult decision for him to never see his beloved dogs <\/a>again. It would break Dad\u2019s heart for them to visit and then have them taken away from him.<\/p>\n

Dad seemed to deteriorate very quickly in the hospital. <\/p>\n

Still, we tried to make it cosy. We put pictures up, and there was a little robotic dog <\/a>that was supposed to be for the whole ward but became my dad\u2019s. He\u2019d just sit and stroke it.<\/p>\n

\n

\n\t\t\t\tPrefer us to the others? Then tell Google!\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
\n

As a loyal Metro reader, we want to make sure you never miss our stories when searching for your news. Whether it is the latest politics news explained, live football coverage or a showbiz scoop.<\/p>\n

Click here<\/a> and tick Metro.co.uk to ensure you see stories from us first in Google Search.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\"\"\t<\/div>
Our journalists work hard to deliver the most important stories from around the world<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

I trained one of my dogs to be a therapy dog so she could visit him, and that made a big difference, too.<\/p>\n

Dad was moved to a care home in February 2023, but it wasn\u2019t quite right for him.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"Chloe\t<\/div>
There was a robotic dog at the hospital that was supposed to be for the whole ward but became Chloe’s dad\u2019s (Picture: Chloe Aldred)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

My dad was never comfortable with anyone helping him with his personal care. It was only me who could change his pads and clean him up \u2013 if anyone else tried to do it, it was hell on earth for them and for him.<\/p>\n

I loved that Dad still knew he could trust me, but that home wasn\u2019t the best place for him; the staff just weren\u2019t trained to cope with his needs.<\/p>\n

So later that year, he was moved to a challenging behaviour care home, where the staff were very highly trained in dementia. But he was only there for six weeks before he got shingles<\/a> and passed away in October 2023.<\/p>\n

\n

\n\t\t\t\tLearn more about Alzheimer's Society\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
\n

Alzheimer\u2019s Society is there for people again and again, through the hardest, most frightening times. If you need support or information, visit <\/em>alzheimers.org.uk<\/em><\/a> or phone the Dementia Support Line on 0333 150 3456<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

I was with him when he died, and both Mum and I cried from sheer relief \u2013 relief that he wasn\u2019t living in this hell any more \u2013 and I haven\u2019t cried since.<\/p>\n

I started grieving the loss <\/a>of my dad years before he actually died, because the Dad I knew was disappearing before my very eyes and I just didn\u2019t know anything could be done.<\/p>\n

His deterioration hit us like a tornado \u2013 and we couldn\u2019t do anything to stop it.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"Chloe\t<\/div>
Goodness knows what he would have done without his dogs, says Chloe (Picture: Chloe Aldred)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Now, though, I know the importance of early diagnosis \u2013 and I encourage any family members of someone with suspected Alzheimer\u2019s to urge them to get diagnosed as soon as possible. They might be able to get treatment to reduce some symptoms.<\/p>\n

My dad put off getting a diagnosis for years. We just didn\u2019t know how important it was.<\/p>\n

Dad\u2019s condition plateaued for a long time \u2013 and goodness knows what he would have done without his dogs. They kept him busy while his world as he knew it was disappearing.<\/p>\n

After Dad left home for the last time, his dogs seemed to relax \u2013 as though they\u2019d taken on the role of his carers and now they were off duty.<\/p>\n

Now, they\u2019re eleven and six years old, and they live a content and quiet life with just my mum \u2013 but I\u2019ll never forget how they acted around Dad when he was ill.<\/p>\n

I doubt I\u2019ll ever witness anything like it again. <\/p>\n

Originally published on 13th April 2024<\/em><\/p>\n

As told to Izzie Price<\/em><\/p>\n

Do you have a story you\u2019d like to share? Get in touch by emailing Ross.Mccafferty@metro.co.uk<\/a>.<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Share your views in the comments below.<\/strong><\/p>\n


\n\t\t\tComment now<\/title><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"share-bar-comments__label\">Comments<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t<\/a><a class=\"metro-button share-bar-preferred-source\" data-vars-position=\"bottom\" href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/metro.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span><title>Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google<\/title><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"share-bar-preferred-source__label\">Add as preferred source<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/a><\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Chloe (R) and her dad (L) (Picture: Chloe Aldred) I glanced down at my phone, which I used to track my dad, Keith, who had Alzheimer\u2019s \u2013 and gasped. He was walking up the M60 slip road. It was bad enough that my 72-year-old dad was in the middle of a motorway at 7:00pm on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10969,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[9],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10967"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10967"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10967\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10981,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10967\/revisions\/10981"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10969"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10967"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10967"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/curiousdrive.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10967"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}