I had such a fright a bit ago

David has been gone this weekend on a trip with some of his buddies, a guy's weekend out at the cabin kind of thing. Well earlier, I laid on the couch feeling drowsy. It had been so nice out today, cooler and in the 70s, that I had the windows open and the front door open (with the screen closed). I ended up falling asleep. I was awakened shockingly by Tasha and Tommy barking and growling frantically and jerked awake to find it fully dark and the front door swung wide open nearby and I think I just lost a couple years off my life. I haven't felt such sheer terror since I was a kid waking from a nightmare.

The pups occasionally spook at something they hear and bark but this time what did me in was Tasha was letting out this anguished crying noise too. I can't begin to describe how utterly panicked I felt. I just froze and prayed with everything in me that no one was outside or coming in. I finally managed to get myself up and turned on every light in the house, closing and locking all the doors. By this time the dogs settled, but I was just in such a thoroughly spooked state I was shaking for awhile. I'm still not sure why Tasha cried like she did except that either she picked up on my sheer terror reaction or she was more anxious because her daddy wasn't around and things seemed more scary to her.

Well I'm ok now but going through something that unexpected and that intensely emotional just takes a toll. I felt really spooked and jumpy for another 20 or 30 minutes after it but now I finally feel calm and just such a sense of utter gratefulness that everything is okay and back to normal. Whew..

{{Hugs}} to you AND your two pups! I can relate to that feeling, and it is horrible. Isn't it so much better knowing that you have two protectors while hubby is away?? ;)

Oh my gosh.. I know how you feel.

I hate when the dogs bark out of nowhere and i'm the only one home. I always keep the lights on when i'm the only one home, and keep the dogs close by :p
I also lock all of the doors, including the door that leads to the garage although the actual door is shut.



{{HUGS}}

I feel 100 times more secure having the pups with me than if I didn't, I couldn't imagine it any other way! But after that ordeal, I sat down and looked at them and said "You know you just about gave Mommy a heart attack right?" and they looked at me with wagging tails :p. I still can't believe how terrified I felt for a few moments. I'd prefer not to ever feel that way again!

Thanks for the hugs, even though it's over now, it still is very comforting :)

I know how you feel, too, Jess. :(

We had an earthquake [or aftershock] hit here a few weeks ago, and I was home alone. A few seconds before I felt it, the dogs starting barking like mad. I didn't know what it was, but then when it happened, I guess they must have senced something was up. I was scared, but it just made me extra glad that I have the dogs around to "protect" me in case something ever happens. :p

{{{hugs}}}. Glad to hear you're okay now. Give Tommy and Tasha a hug from me. :)

How scary! I am glad that it wasn't anything. Do you have wild animals where you live? That could have spooked them?

I know at night I feel kind of scared something is going to happen and one time it happened but it was only our neighbors cat.

Oh, I have had that happen too. Such an awful feeling. To be awaken like that is such a jolt and you just can't get your head together. I always feel like I'm fighting to get awake so I can try to figure out what is going on and where the danger might be. Terrible, scary feeling!

Robin

That sounds scary!!! I can't imagine how freaked you must have felt! If someone was there, the dogs most certainly scared them off.

Nicki's getting old, and I think pretty soon I'm going to be talking to my husband about perhaps getting another large dog in the house. I know that Nicki wouldn't ever do anything to anybody, but her presence alone deters a LOT of people... we live in an urban area and I've seen reactions to her as people walk by my house and she's in the yard with me. They ALWAYS cross to the other side of the street. Not once in a thousand people has anyone stopped to say, "oh, what a pretty dog.. is she friendly?" They all assume she's dangerous. Well.... since she's getting old, I want another dog just as "dangerous" as she is who will have an instant barking reaction to irregular sounds, etc. :D

Catnapper, I know what you mean. Tommy has a very deep, menacing sounding bark. Although I am pretty sure he'd never attack someone breaking in, I am always glad for his deep booming bark and growls. I always tell David not to scold them when they bark at someone at the door because when he is gone, I WANT anyone at the door to know there are dogs here.

Tonya, while we do live in town, kind of along the edges, and a semi-busy road out front, we also have fir trees surrounding the yard and so a lot of small critters take shelter along the edges of the yard. It is possible that they could have heard some critter out in the yard, or even something like a car door shutting at the neighbor's house. All I know is that at the time I was in such a fright I could only imagine the worst!

Oh my! I can just imagine how fast your heart was beating! I have had a similar thing happen, minus the barking dog. Our property backs up to a wooded area and behind that is a highway. Once a few years ago someone was racing down the highway with the police chasing them. Hubby had been downstairs late that night, or I guess I should say early that morning. It was around 2:00 a.m. He said he heard sirens on the highway and saw a man dash through our yard :eek: . We have a picket fence going across the back yard and a 6' wooden fence on all of the other sides. Apparently this person easily went over the picket fence and, since we had the gates locked on the privacy fence, he didn't take the time to open them and scaled the 6' fence, breaking the tips as he went. This all happened, as I say, at 2:00 a.m. and hubby had been asleep on the family room sofa :rolleyes: with the screen door open to get the fresh air. I am glad I didn't find out about the whole thing until the next morning. Where were the dogs you may ask? Upstairs asleep me with! :rolleyes: :rolleyes: