Song dogs...

(this image from: http://yosemiteblog.com/2008/02/04/photo-of-the-day-a-pair-of-coyotes-by-thaths/) Last night, after I had walked out with the dogs one last time and delivered a couple of flakes of hay to the goats and horse, I snuggled into clean sheets and fell promptly and happily asleep. About an hour later I was jarred awake by a sound. The sort of sound that makes all those little hairs on the back of ones neck stand at attention. I stopped breathing, and listened very carefully. Outside my window, and very nearby, there was a chorus of howling under the nearly full moon. The calls were punctuated with high pitched "yips" and then many voices would lift again to howl. I woke my husband. "Do you hear that?" I asked. "Yes," he said. "Coyotes!" I whispered. "I am going to go check the animals." "OK," he said. I had hoped he would volunteer, but instead he pulled the down comforter higher up under his beard and resumed his peaceful breathing. I am sure I was a vision in my pink elephant flannel pajamas, calf-high muck boots and giant flashlight. It was snowing, and I slipped down the deck and out to the pasture, shining my light all around. It was as silent as only a snowy night can be, and the only eyes that reflected light back to me where those of the goats. They were very alert, necks stretched, ears forward. As animals of prey, they pay close attention to threats,and a pack of coyotes so close had them on their toes. The horse was unconcerned, nibbling hay. I stood outside a while, listening. Watching. The song dogs were gone, or hushed at least. Fretful, I returned to the house. The visiting Golden Retriever was asleep by the door. Upstairs two pugs and a toy poodle were sprawled out on my side of the bed, and the big standard poodle was statue still on her stack of cushions. None of them had made the slightest sound when the coyotes where calling from the front yard. These are dogs that will erupt into a deafening cacophony of barking if a leaf falls, but faced with a pack of wild canids they had nothing to say. I fell asleep after a while, dreaming of livestock guardian dogs and thinking my current breed list is a whole lot of useless. Unless you count snuggling. They are very good at snuggling.