WHEN Sally the dog wakes up this morning, it is doubtful she will be bounding up to her master with her leash.

For having just recovered from a 900-mile cross-continental "walkies", the labrador-collie cross will be enjoying a well-deserved rest, along with her owner Ian Young.

Mr Young and Sally last night savoured a tall pint of ale and deep bowl of water, respectively, after returning from their marathon trek.

The dedicated dog has accompanied Mr Young, 40, of Chester-le-Street, County Durham, since setting off from Remagen railway station, in Germany, on May 3, to raise money for the International Service Dog Fund.

Mr Young had taken Sally from the Deerness Kennels Rescue Centre, in Langley Moor, Durham, to be trained as a service dog in Germany.

But the woman he was training her for fell ill and he decided to return home.

Mr Young said: "If I was going to return, I would have had to wait for a pet passport.

"So, rather than sit around doing nothing for the best part of three months, I decided to walk back and raise money and get publicity at the same time."

Mr Young was joined during the German leg of his journey by a German colleague, Nicol Weller.

He made several detours, visiting as many interesting places as he could along the way, largely for the benefit of pupils at Pelaw Infants School, who have charted his progress on a map at the school.

Mr Young said: "Among the highlights were when my colleague was chased by a wild boar - luckily, her Rhodesian ridgeback saw it off.

"On another occasion, after she had left me, I had nowhere to camp and slept where I stopped.

"I was woken by a security guard in the morning who informed me I had nodded off in the grounds of a home for the mentally ill."

The pair averaged about 18 miles a day on the continent and up to 30 miles a day, once Mr Young was met by a support car in the UK.

Sally's feat was all the more commendable because of a metal plate protecting one of her legs. She walked all the way, except for a few short stretches on busy roadsides in the UK.

Mr Young is hoping to set up a centre in Chester-le-Street to train dogs to be of service to the community.