Missy Elliott paused tour plans to take care of her dog

Missy Elliott has revealed that she paused her tour plans to take care of her dog.

The 53-year-old hip-hop legend has revealed that she put off going on tour several times because of her dog Hoodie, who passed away in November.

"I stayed home a lot because I didn't want to go out on the road, and something happened," Missy told People in a recent interview. "He was 17 and lived a long, happy life."

The Get Ur Freak On hitmaker added that after her beloved dog died, her friend and fellow musician Ciara convinced her to finally go on tour.

"So I said, 'Okay, now I can leave the house without having to worry about anything,'" Missy remembered thinking after Hoodie died. "So Ciara and my dog played a big influence in me making the decision to go out."

On Thursday, the Grammy-winning rapper will kick off her first-ever headlining tour, Out of This World - The Missy Elliott Experience, at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She will then visit cities including Las Vegas, Boston, New York City, Los Angeles and more.

Missy told People that her dog, Miss Fendi Dior, will be accompanying her on the 24-city tour.

"She's six years old," she told the outlet. "So (she's) got her clothes ready to go out on the road with us. (It'll) be fun, fun."

As well as her dog, Missy's frequent collaborators Ciara, Busta Rhymes and Timbaland will be joining her on the tour.