THEY are often referred to as man's best friend.

But the bond between an owner and their guide dog shines a whole new light on the phrase.

Four-year-old Kenton became Dave Gwilliam's guide dog in March this year after he collapsed in February 2009.

The 63-year-old, who lives off Marsh House Lane, has been battling his way back to fitness after being diagnosed with diabetes and suffering a stroke and heart attack while he was in a two-week coma in intensive care.

He added: "I was in a wheelchair for three months and then started to walk again again with a zimmer frame and then walking stick.

"But the diabetes had affected my sight so I didn't know where I was going.

"I didn't want a guide dog at first because I was in denial over my condition.

"But as time went by the doctors sat me down and changed my mind and I asked to be put on the waiting list."

Training initially begins without the dogs as prospective owners are taught the commands at the Guide Dog charity's centre in Knotty Ash.

But once Dave, who says he can see little other than bright colours, met Kenton during a home visit, he knew they were a perfect match straight away.

The father-of-three added: "I was over the moon when they said he was mine.

"When I put the harness on him, the confidence flows through me.

"It's unbelievable and I can't explain it.

"I know he won't let me get hurt and I have 100 per cent trust in him as he does me.

"I can go to town, walk to the park, things I would never have dreamt of doing on my own and he's smarter than I think he is as he knows the way back from town without me telling him already.

"Now we have bonded I don't know what I would do without him."

The granddad, who used to make gas cookers for New World in Latchford, is just one of the 256 owners in the Merseyside and Cheshire area supported by the charity Guide Dogs.

The cause funds training, vet bills and pays for dog food from charitable donations alone which totals in a dog's lifetime £50,000.

Guide dog trainers Nina Swindells and Jan Johnstone are part of the team who have trained 56 dogs in the last year but they admit not all pooches make the cut during training and there is a careful process ensuring each dog and prospective owner are compatible.

Nina added: "There's a lot of work that goes into matching the client and the dog before they get to start training.

"We have to match up the speed the owner and the dog walk at and the type of person so if someone is working in a busy town centre we pair them with a dog happy to be in a busy environment and on buses and trains."

Amazing first-hand experience

MEETING Dave and Kenton highlighted the trust guide dog and owner put in each other before I experienced it first-hand myself.

The team blindfolded me and paired me with training pooch Archie, aged 15 months. 

While I was initially a little bit nervous about trusting him to help me avoid walking into trees, bushes and wheelie bins, I soon realised the only danger I was in was being whacked by his wagging tail. 

We took a speedy trip around the estate (with me slowing down a confident Archie keen for a walk) crossing kerbs and negotiating our way around parked cars on the road as I was taught the commands and how to hold the harness to feel which direction Archie was going in.

It was incredible to know Archie had judged the amount of space between the car and bushes and knew he would have to take me out on to the road to get past it and really made me appreciate my sight and what an amazing thing a guide dog partnership is. 

Archie is a few months away yet from meeting his owner, as they are typically taken to homes aged 18 months to two-years-old, but from what I saw, or felt to be more precise as I gripped his harness, he is going to make a fantastic life-enhancing companion.

Visit guidedogs.org.uk/supportus/fundraising.