How would you like a servant who'll do your laundry, run errands at the grocery shop, and even help clean the house, all in exchange for a single bowl of food each day?

Sound too good (or too illegal) to be true? Think again – though this super-helpful assistant may be a little bit hairier and droolier than the one you're imagining. Meet Connie, a Newfoundland dog from East Sussex, England.

When Connie's owner, Hazel Carter, 68, was debilitated with severe arthritis, she began having trouble with the typical household chores. So, instead of hiring help, she used her skills as an animal behaviorist to train Connie to do all the dirty work.

"There was a point where I was almost bedridden and every movement was painful - so to have Connie there to pick things up and pass them to me was a lifesaver," Carter told The Daily Mail.

Though most dogs may simply sleep, eat, and play with squeaky toys, Connie is always on duty. She can transfer dirty clothes from the laundry basket to the washing machine, add a detergent ball, and turn the machine on. When it finishes its cycle, she even puts them in the dryer. (We must admit, we're not so good at remembering that part ourselves.)

Connie can also pick up Carter's household necessities from the local store, provided that Carter calls ahead to arrange delivery. And the dog's a cleaning whiz – whenever Carter leaves something lying around, Connie always remembers to put it back in its place.

The precocious Newfie even "fetches her own dog bowl at dinner time, making sure to put it back afterwards," said Carter. Can your kid top that?