A neighbours has 2 dogs, an Akita & a GSD. They sometimes will bark in the day, an odd 'woof' if somebody is passing, just to let everone know they are there sort of bark, but they are quiet at night (they spend most of thier time outside).
A few minutes ago they both started barking, (at about 1:30 AM) a warning/alert sort of barking, the sort of bark you'd expect to hear if there was a stranger prowling around, ohhh it gave me goose bumps.
Hubby is in bed, so i went to have a look around the garden, to see if I could see anything. Buster came and sat watching me (bless him, he likes to keep an eye on me), then suddenly, he jumped to his feet, stood in the doorway looking back into my house, very alert. As he puffed himself up, looking all 'macho', he was standing as if he didn't want me to go back into the house. I was convinced the neighbours dogs had spotted a prowler that had now got into my house I inched forward past Buster and then ............my little cats head popped into view from the stairwell. PHEW!!!! - it was only the cat!!! As soon as Bust saw the cat, he switched back into dopey mode and went back to bed, LOL.

Amazing how the dog can hear the tiny cat padding down carpeted stairs, thier hearing is fantastic!
One look at the cat and it was obvious there were no intruders, she's a great watch-'dog' LOL and growls her little head off if she thinks we are in danger of being invaded by intruders (ie the postman!).

I am glad my neighbours dogs will bark if there are strangers about, as Buster only barks if he's playing, but tonight it nearly gave me a heart-attack!

what a night, or should i say morning you have had! :) i feel so safe having my dogs too, they are brilliant alarms! :) one of my girls will even let me know when a storm is coming, she will come into the room i am in give a little growl and a bark, and within a few minutes the rain will come and a clap of thunder. :)

My Oh often has business visits and is away days at a time, Im never alone with our two in the house. OH worked all night Thursday last week and Jake did not settle at 4am so i got up let them both out for a pee, did not lock them in their crates but left them in the kitchen.
OH left London at 4am drove home got in at 5am, then got up and went to work at 7:30am I made sure our young surveyor drove all day, I did not consider OH safe driving after an all nighter.
Im sure Jake knew OH was on his way home? or just wishful thinking?

> one of my girls will even let me know when a storm is coming, she will come into the room i am in give a little growl and a bark,

Ahh brilll :) It's amazing how in tune to nature animals are.

One neighbour often moaned about the dogs barking. Until some one was attempting to get into her property. Then they were the big heros. All my other neighbours say the dogs give them a bit of security.

I just hope if any one did get into my house the boys would have the sense to hide!!

Our very first dog(I was about 4 at the time) was a sheltie. My dad was a miner and when he was on back shift my mum always knew when he was on his way as Kerry would start getting restless. It wasn't always the same time and they reckoned that Kerry could hear the car engine at the bottom of the hill (around 0.5 miles away) and knew dad was coming! He was a great search dog too - my brother's hamster regularly escaped his cage at night and Kerry would always find him - even when he was in the ottoman (and we never found out how he got in there as it was rarely opened and the lid was heavy). He used to search out the tortoise in the garden too and found him every time.

When my son was at Lympstone as a  cadet due to security we did not know what time he would get home for Xmas except that it would be on the Friday/Saturday. At about 08.00  on the Friday my collie started going spare, running up and down the stairs, staring out the window and going  into my sons bedroom. Joking I said to the dog he is not coming yet we have to be patient. 08.15 my son put his key in the door. It had taken him 15 mins to walk from the local railway station.

That dog always knew when my son was on his way..

Yes they do its amazing they have senses that we just dont have.

What a night, must have been so scary while going through it, only to find out it was the cat!
I always listen to my dogs, its amazing how in tune they can be!  One time I was taking Cher for a walk, and there is a wooded area just around the bend from my house.  A guy passed me on his bike, nothing of it.  When we were about to walk through the wooden section of the walking trail, Cher stood strong as a brick, and all hairs on her back were raised.  She did a low growl, one I hadnt heard before.  I decided since this was so unlike Cher, that I would turn around and head home.  I figure if I continued, who knows what could have happened.  I believe something will happen if I dont listen to my dogs- they havent steered me wrong yet! 

> Amazing how the dog can hear the tiny cat padding down carpeted stairs, thier hearing is fantastic!

Its the little things that dogs do that never ceases to amaze me! :-)