Have you ever let your dog out in the middle of the night so they could do their business? Well if you have, you might have noticed how your dog runs straight to the fence around your backyard and starts barking at some unknown creature behind the fence. Maybe you even grew curious enough to walk outside after your dog with a flashlight and look for the source of the uneasiness felt by your beloved dog.
You’ve probably noticed over the years of putting your dog out that there’s nothing behind the fence and you’ve learned to ignore the barking and growling coming from your dogs at night. You probably just push it aside and tell yourself that it’s just your dog’s imagination, or shadows from passing cars and streetlights.
Now, did you know that dog’s hearing is so strong that they hear sounds that have too high a pitch that human ears can’t pick up? That’s why humans can’t usually hear dog whistles. They say the same thing about ghosts. That ghosts put out sounds when they talk that can’t be heard by the human ear, but, just maybe, the dogs can hear it. Maybe that is what the dogs bark at late at night.
Some of you might be thinking “Oooh, ghosts. They don’t exist.” Or “So? I don’t live anywhere near a graveyard or something, so why on earth would there be ghosts in my house?” Well let’s think. There are 6 billion + people on this earth and people die every day. Not every living soul can just stay in a graveyard; they wander. Your fence protects your house and yard, claiming it as property of a living person. Every fence has gaps, though, and sometimes things can find their way into those gaps.
When you put your dog out at night, they usually run to the fence with the biggest gap. And they will just stand there and bark, and they won’t stop. They will just stay there, maybe for a few seconds, maybe for minutes, but they won’t move. If your dog is barking, go out there and stand beside them. Don’t bring a flashlight; it won’t help. Just walk outside and stare where your dog is barking at. Try to see what he/she does.
As long as your dog continues to bark, you’re safe. They’re succeeding in protecting your yard. If your dog stops barking though, turn around. Walk as fast as you can into your house. Don’t turn around; don’t call for your dog, just walk into your house and close the door. If you open that door, you’re screwed. Don’t open that door until your dog starts barking again. When your dog suddenly stops barking out of nowhere but is still fixated on that spot, something is wrong. Something has their attention and won’t let go.
If you open the door before your dog starts barking, you’re opening your house to the things outside of it. If your dog walks into your house, so does whatever they were barking at. Have you ever fallen asleep after bringing your dog in at night, and the last thing you saw before you closed your eyes is a random shadow darting across your room? That isn’t a light from a passing car or a street light. That’s what causes the sounds your dog barks at. Remember that the next time your dog barks when you put him/her out at night.
