I've known her for ten years.
It's been quite a stormy relationship.
We've had a few fights and arguments.
But we're still together after all this time.
I'm not having an affair - Lucy is our number one dog.
She's getting a bit slow and creaky now.
That's not surprising as she hasn't looked after herself that well.
Lucy is not easy to be around because she is highly territorial.
This trait makes her a wonderful guard dog. However, the problem is she doesn't know when to stop.
She throws herself at the fence every time a car goes past. She wants to defend us from anyone who comes to our house, including our friends, the vet, delivery people.
Her bark is particularly blood-curdling. A plumber who was doing some work for us said it sounded like Lucy wanted to rip his guts out and eat them!
Her fighting spirit also extends to other animals that might threaten her domain. Cats and neighbouring dogs are always on her list.
Though she almost met her end taking on a cobra. It managed to bite her on the lip, and we had to rush her over to a (very expensive) 24-hour vet hospital for anti-venom.
But she was walking around and eating normally the next day.
Toughness is a two-edged sword though.
At the time it looks impressive to keep bouncing back as if nothing had happened. But eventually it takes its toll. That's why Lucy walks with a slight limp now and can't keep up with our other dogs.
But she's lucky in one respect.
She's friendly with a good Osteopath!