First things first, I want to clarify that Willow is a dog. I feel like it’s important to specify this. Fun fact about my family: my mum used to be convinced that Timmy in the Fantastic Five series was a child. Timmy is a dog.
Anyway, today I will be sharing a snapshot of a typical day in Willow’s life.
Imagine: It’s Sunday morning. The sun is creeping through the windows and there is a waggy tail thumping beneath the quilt. It’s a new day and it’s time to pounce on people.
Willow’s favourite game first thing in the morning is slipper police. She’ll steal a slipper, force you to chase her for it, and then as soon as you get it off her she will go back for the other slipper. This dog is wily. She knows slippers come in twos.
Next order of business is to find me. She likes to knock on my door and generally whine until she is let in. Remember that scene in Frozen where Anna knocks on Elsa’s door and asks her if she wants to build a snowman? That’s me and Willow.
When Willow gets in she begs to be picked up and placed on the bed. I don’t know why this is. She is very capable of jumping onto my bed at other times during the day-just not in the morning. I think she just wants the attention. Usually I will stumble out of bed, half asleep and forklift her on to my bed (because, to be honest, she’s pretty big). She will then force me to lift the quilt so she can tuck herself in and settle down for bedtime #2. Until breakfast arrives. Then she starts whining again.
When I start to get dressed to take her out things can go one of two ways.
Option one: While I am getting ready Willow will pretend she’s asleep and ignore me. When I’m ready to take her out she will not be helpful and will only get up for a biscuit. She will look super depressed as I put her lead on and go out in a gloom mood.
Option two: She will start being naughty while I get ready. She will steal things, get in the way and be very chatty. While I put on my shoes she will be bursting with excitement and likely start barking. She’ll head out in a happy mood.
The main thing that determines her mood is whether my mum is coming out on the walk with us or not. I am sad to say that she is more likely to be happy when my mum comes. I try to act like Willow’s not insulting me by only being grumpy when it’s the two of us. But, to be honest, I do take it personally.
During her walk she gets to partake in one of her favourite activities: playing with tennis balls. If she doesn’t have one with her, she will likely produce one from a random bush. Creating tennis balls out of thin air is her super power.
Willow likes it when you throw the ball for her but at the same time she hates giving it to you. This makes playing fetch rather difficult. It has also resulted in her carrying tennis balls all the way home before, all because she would rather make her jaw tired than let me carry it for her š.
When she gets home from her walk she will generally be calm and sleepy until tea time. She likes to sit on the sofa, stretch out and watch her TV. She really loves TV. If you tuck her under a blanket she will fight it until she has her head poking out so she can see what’s going on. Her ears go all big and she stares intently at the screen, barking when things disturb her.
As she watches TV we will often stroke and cuddle her which she pays back with kisses and head nuzzles.
At teatime she will start to stir because she gets a special snack (and woe betide anyone who forgets to give it to her). Once she has had her treat, she will settle down again until about 9 pm. After that she will dazedly come upstairs and try to get in my bed if my parent’s haven’t come up yet.
Willow is a very unique dog and perhaps the most pampered one I know. It’s a hard life, but someone has to do it.
I’m lucky to have her.
Lauren x
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: Parts One and Two (Harry Potter, #8) by 
