24 Hours in the Life of Missy - My k9 baby.

Missy is a small white fluff ball who weighs 5kg. She is Maltese with a dash of Bichon Frise thrown in, and she is absolutely adorable.

I became Missy's babysitter in 2006 when she was a small puppy. It was only supposed to be for a short time, but as everyone will know, these things have a habit of becoming permanent.

I wouldn't be without her and she has virtually replaced my grown up children. Sometimes a mother just has to have something to mother.

She adopted my new husband with ease and actually sleeps on a pillow placed at the top of his head. Although when it is chilly she has been known to reverse park into a spot between us. She grunts and groans as she manouevres herself into the required position, and then continues to snuggle until comfortable.

She has developed her own routine and is really quiet demanding, but she has a nature which is extremely lovable and very hard to say no to.

Her day starts at about 2am. This is when she hops out of bed and gently woofs at me to get up. It's toilet time and although she has little doggy doors she still insists that I get up as well.

Somehow or other I think she is actually trying to toilet train me, because I always end up going as well. This is where it starts to get a bit annoying, because I go back to bed, and to sleep, and she is still outside. When she deems it time to come back in, I am woofed at again, to place her back in bed.

It is probably our fault that she demands to be placed back in bed. She had cruciate ligament surgery about 3 months ago and was told not to jump. Although she now has full use of her leg she still does not jump. It's like a woof woof here and a woof woof there, just to place her in the desired spot.

Okay, so I know we are suckers and a soft touch.

It's now 5.30am and, thankfully, I have managed to catch a few more hours sleep. I must be attuned to her because it is around this time that I become aware of a stare.

Missy is sitting upright staring at both of us with an unnerving quiet. Automatically my hand reaches up to pat her and she starts to annoy Daddy until he is wide awake. This is the cue for bird food time.

He wakes up and encourages her to prance and pounce in excitement because she gets to steal the bird's food. She jumps off the bed (hey she can do it) and races over to where the bird's food is kept. Meanwhile bird is squawking in protest because she gets first dibs on his breakfast.

After she eats all the bird food, she proceeds to polish the bowl until it is spotlessly clean. Not a speck of bird food remains. It is her favourite food.

She does have to fend off attacks from 'Bird' while she eats all his breakfast. Bird is a small green lorikeet who weighs 90 grams, but thinks he is ten feet tall. Luckily for him she knows that he is boss and doesn't try to eat him. He is finally getting used to the fact that she eats first and he gets a new lot next.

They have been known to chase each other around the heater, in circles, until Bird has done an about face and outsmarted Missy. They actually play quiet well together. On one occasion she got a smack because we thought she was trying to eat him, but it turned out that he had attacked her and got his claw stuck in her chest fur. She was just trying to scrape him off with her paw.

On the days that I work this is the time when Daddy and Missy come to the gate to farewell me. I receive a good bye kiss, from both, and a continuous paw wave until I reverse out of the driveway.

She will wave hello and goodbye on cue, and seems to understand exactly when to use them.

It is one of her most adorable features. When ever she greets us it is as if we have been absent for a long period of time instead of the usual 5 to 10 minutes. It is not often that we both leave her together.

When we both leave she will jump up on the lounge and stare at us through the window. It's such a sad and longing look and always makes me think of "How much is that doggy in the window". We have actually changed our plans so that we can take her with us. Even our holidays are built around her. She always comes away with us and we wouldn't have it any other way.

Missy alternates between her day bed and her viewing deck at the top of the stairs, where she can see if Nanna is coming yet with her next snack. Nanna lives next door and provides a morning snack, of Smackos.

A play date with Nanna's Sally occurs at this time as well. Both dogs have their morning visit with snacks, every day, compliments of Nanna. Nanna patiently breaks the sticks into small pieces for both dogs and hand feeds them. While waiting Missy will beg if she thinks no more are forthcoming. If this doesn't work Missy will conduct a body search of Nanna to see if any more are hidden. She will sniff out any little crumbs of snacks remaining. 

It must cost her a fortune to provide them both with the snacks. She also brings them other little gifts too. A new coat or a toy. Sometimes they even get new day beds.

Up until lunch time Missy follows Daddy around to help him do the morning chores. It's like Mary had a little lamb, because everywhere that Daddy goes, so does Missy.

They then have lunch, which Missy shares, and they both watch NCIS. Missy usually decides it is time for a walk after lunch. She woofs quietly at Daddy and glances towards her lead until he realizes that it is walk time. They usually walk through the park. Missy zig zags through the entire trip. It must be sniffers paradise because she goes from one scent to another in the weirdest pattern. Every tree and shrub is visited, some more thoroughly than others. 

On return, it is their nap time. They curl up together on the bed and have a couple of hours sleep.

After their nap, they potter around the garden and yard and do some more chores. If any visitors arrive Missy greets them as if they are her long lost friends and charms them all. Although if the person is unknown she will growl and carry on until they have made friends with her.

She is the queen of the castle and lets everyone know it.

By the time I arrive home, it is nearing dinner time. I am greeted with the royal wave and a frenzy of pitter patter until I pick her up and cuddle her. She really does make you feel special with her greetings.

She amuses herself until dinner is ready. This is where she will check out what we are having against what she gets. Usually she decides that our meal is better and won't touch her food until she discovers whether we are going to share with her.

Unfortunately, she has this little streak of avarice where if the outside dog shows interest in her food, she will quickly scoff it down. Missy has been known to go outside and steal bits of the other dogs dinner, even though it is exactly the same as what she has inside, which she won't eat. That is until she realizes that nothing else is on offer.

As a special treat we buy her the very small tins of commercial dog food. She is very partial to the chicken flavour and loves spinach as well. 

After dinner we all watch a bit of television together. She will rest her head on Daddy's shoulder and stare directly at the TV. She does not like scary movies and will leave the room if it becomes too freaky or loud.

At around 8.30pm it is walk time again. When she hears the mobile phone ring, her ears prick up and she prances around staring at her lead. This call usually means that Nanna is home and is ready for the evening stroll. Both dogs go for a walk around the block and have a bonny old time of it too.

We then watch a little bit more television, where Missy lies with her head resting on Daddy's shoes, until Missy signals that it is her bedtime. She woofs softly at Daddy until he prepares her pillows on the bed. One for her to lie on and the other to rest her head on.

She snuggles in, and our little darling sleeps until the grand old time of 2am. A time when it all starts again with a little woof here and a little woof there.

Missy has trained us extremely well.