Tessa has always been very protective of her loved ones and at 20 years old, that hasn’t changed.

The terrier mix is devoted to her mom, but nothing beats her toy banana. It might just be padding and yellow fabric, but it’s special to Tessa—and she’s making sure everyone else admits it’s special too.

Tessa’s mother Shanna Loren bought the banana five years ago after a dog destroyed Tessa’s favourite toy. “I found it in a trash can at a pet store, but I knew it was the size of a toy she liked,” Loren told The Dodo. “As soon as I gave her the banana, she took it.”

Now, when people visit, Tessa proudly shows off her bananas and insists guests pay tribute to her prized toy.

“She wants people to acknowledge it before she puts it down,” Loren said. “When she puts it down, she puts it in what she thinks is the best bed.”

Puppies are stubborn about bananas – don’t let age or hearing loss get in the way of their mission. “We instructed the guests to tell her they saw her bananas so she could lie down,” Loren said. “It’s funny that now that she’s deaf, our friends are yelling at her, ‘I love your bananas, Tessa!’”

With Tessa, you’re never too old to fall asleep with your favorite plush toy.

“She never made it a ‘toy,’” Loren said. “It’s her only small possession, and it’s her life.”