EVERY dog has it’s day — and Sizlah was the hot dog today when she saved her owners from a house fire.

Victoria Pateman and Isaac Ferrar thought the two-year-old Hungarian Vizsla had gone barking mad as she scratched at their bedroom door for more than an hour.

A smouldering cigarette left in an ashtray set alight the outdoor deck and fence of the Caulfield North home about 4am.

The flames were licking at a windowsill when Sizlah raised the alarm, saving the home from damage.

“I thought she just wanted to get into the warm bed,” Ms Pateman said.

“She persisted when I yelled at her to go back to bed and I got up to find the whole backyard on fire.

“When I opened the door, I could smell smoke and then the fire alarm went off so she was alerting us long before then.”

Mr Ferrar used a small fire extinguish to keep the flames at bay until fire crews arrived.

The couple are normally forced to wake up the lazy-but-loveable pooch, now dubbed a hero dog.

“She will definitely be getting plenty of treats and the bedroom door will probably be left open tonight,” Ms Pateman said.

“From now on if she is scratching at the door I will get up straight away.”

MFB spokesman David Rankine said the story could have ended badly without Sizlah’s persistence — and a working smoke alarm.

“While the dog has been deemed the hero, the working smoke alarm was a terrific back up for the initial canine warning devise that had been ignored,” Mr Rankine said.

monique.hore@news.com.au

Twitter: @moniquehore