CLARE Syvertsen’s condition means she needs help performing everyday household tasks. Fortunately, such help is at hand in the form of her remarkable four-legged friend.

Clare’s dog Griffin is a Golden Retriever–Labrador cross. He is also her best friend and gives her the independence she craves.

The 29-year-old, from Northolt, suffers from a rare connective tissue disorder called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, meaning her joints dislocate easily, she suffers from organ failure and cannot swallow.

Six-year-old Griffin performs household tasks for Clare such as opening doors, unloading the washing machine, helping her dress, picking up items from the floor and flushing the toilet.

And now Griffin’s efforts have been recognised with the pair in the final of the Friends for Life competition having prevailed from their Hero Assistance Dog category.

Friends for Life is a celebration of just how much dogs change and improve people’s lives.

And Clare admitted she is struggling to come to terms with the idea that her and Griffin are in with a chance of winning the overall prize, set to be announced on the final day of Crufts on March 11. The finalists gathered at the Kennel Club headquarters on Clarges Street, central London, for the official launch on Tuesday.

“To be honest, I can’t believe I’ve been chosen, I’m still pinching myself,” said Clare, who is a full-time wheelchair user. “Griffin makes me the most amazing person in the world.

“He’s so friendly with everyone. My family nominated him – there’s so many things that you can say [about what he does], it’s quite hard to put it into so many words.

“My condition means I was born with less collagen muscles and ligaments and it also affects your organs.

“I can get dislocated joints, things like nodding my head could result in a partial dislocation, I could reach for something and my pelvis will pop out.

“You can manage it but it can be life-threatening. It is for me. Two years ago, I lost the ability to swallow, my stomach is paralysed and my bowels have gone into gastrointestinal failure.

“Everything is slowing down. I have to have liquids only – I can’t swallow solids, and that’s only little bits at a time. I’m tube fed now.

“Before I had this, I lived off soup for two years. I lost 14 stone in that 18 months, then people realised that I needed to get me in and put a tube in. It’s literally saved my life.

“I was in hospital for three weeks, and he was pining for me all that time.

“Parents brought him to see me every now and again. When I got home I sat on the sofa and he was nudging my top almost saying, ‘I know what you’ve got now’. When I was really ill, he knew straight away, before I did.

“He kept getting agitated and didn’t want to settle, he didn’t want to leave me – it was really out of character. Within a few weeks I had fallen ill.”

Friends for Life is a celebration of just how much dogs change and improve people’s lives. Five of the finalists will go to the 127th edition of Crufts – where every dog has its day – held once again at the NEC in Birmingham, where the winner will be announced on Sunday, March 11.

People can vote for the dog they want to win by visiting the Crufts website, with the victor receiving £5,000 from the Kennel Club Charitable Trust to donate to a dog charity of their choice and runners-up £1,000.

Clare and Griffin were partnered four-and-a-half years ago through dog charity Canine Partners and have been inseparable ever since.

But Clare insists winning is not at the forefront of her mind and the everyday role Griffin plays is enough for her.

“I’m trying not to think about it much to be honest – I just loved the event and sharing our stories and raising awareness for Canine Partners, for Ehlers-Danlos syndrome,” she added.

“5,000 people have Ehlers-Danlos in the UK and it’s very underdiagnosed.

“Meeting all the other finalists on Tuesday has been really good, just talking to them and meeting their amazing dogs as well.

“I’ve got two other dogs – a Chihuahua-Yorkshire Terrier cross and a Chihuahua-Jack Russell cross.

“When we come home from shopping and Griffin walks in, they jump up like they’re saying, ‘Griffin’s home!’ They’re like his little fan party.

“His puppy parents named him – they chose the name Griffin because it means ‘protector of treasure’, so it’s like I’m the jewel and he’s the protector. It’s so lovely.”

People can vote for the dog they want to win by visiting the Crufts website, with the victor receiving £5,000 from the Kennel Club Charitable Trust to donate to a dog charity of their choice and runners-up £1,000.