Sitting on the lounge carpet, chewing a mangled toy, Anton, a golden retriever, looks like any normal pet.

But Anton - dubbed "Wonderdog" by his disabled owner Carol Goodman - is her lifeline to the outside world.

He takes the washing out of the machine for her, and picks up anything Carol drops; he can also do the shopping and answer the telephone.

As Carol moves around her Darlington flat, Anton's eyes follow her every move.

The pensioner, who suffers from arthritis, cerebral vascular disease - which gives her balance problems - and lumba spondolasis - which causes major back problems - would be dependant on home help without Anton.

"Anton is so much help. I couldn't imagine life without him now," said Carol.

If she ever falls, Anton will know he has to pull an emergency cord in the living room, which will bring immediate help.

When she is taking a shower, Anton sits outside the door in case she slips.

Every morning, Carol goes to the nearby newsagent to pick up magazines and newspapers.

But a step at the entrance means wheelchair-bound Carol cannot enter the shop. Instead, Anton goes in with a wallet, puts his front paws on the counter, pays for the magazines, and takes the bundle out to his owner, wagging his tail.

Anton, who was trained by pioneering charity Dogs for the Disabled, was selected especially for his temperament and learning abilities.

Each of the charity's pups are placed in family homes for up to 14 months, where they learn basic commands before undergoing a rigorous six to nine-month training programme.

Dogs are trained to do many tasks, including opening doors, picking up letters from the letterbox, activating switches and alarms, fetching groceries in a shopping basket, and, using a special harness, helping a person with balance difficulties to walk without a stick.

They are specifically trained to match the needs of their new owner.

Carol, who is single and has no close family, said: "I couldn't imagine life without Anton. I am independent and I have a loyal companion - and that makes so much difference to my life."

Dogs for the Disabled was founded by terminally-ill dog lover Frances Hay, who noticed that one of her dogs tried to help her around the house when she was ill.

Its training headquarters and kennels are based in Banbury, Oxfordshire, and Carol said that the charity's profile was much higher in the South than in the North.

She said: "We are trying to raise awareness up here because people just don't know about the charity and what it can do for them."

For information about Dogs for the Disabled, visit the website on www.dogsforthedisabled.org