The Times Article

Lucia and Erté

Erté is my cocker spaniel. He’s 11 weeks old and I expect him to grow up to be entirely dysfunctional as I have encumbered him with such a pretentious name. I take him for walks in Holland Park; the name fits in there.

Actually, so far, he’s turning out to be a pretty confident and feisty character. He likes to do what I call his Geronimo run, where he launches himself onto the bed or sofa for a cuddle. My husband, Hugo, tells me off for being soft on Erté, but I think he makes a great hot-water bottle. But he can be naughty. One day, he leapt onto the sofa, then promptly ran off and peed on the landing. I’m sure I saw him raise a cocky eyebrow. I guess at least that means he has a sense of humour.

Erté comes to work with me, and his trainer, John France, says he will soon be ready to design the clothing and style the clients.

He already knows how to make friends. The other day, he jumped up at the window as the local girls’ school walked past, drawing lots of admiring glances.

Erté is more than just a dog – he’s my new relaxation technique. He’s not concerned with yesterday or tomorrow. He lives entirely in the present. He knows who he loves and he knows who feeds him. What more do you need?