Timing is Everything...

...and somehow my animals already know this. The dogs sense any time a woodland creature even tiptoes across the property and apparently they like to work in shifts to keep the perimeter clear. So in their minds, this is how the evening should go (keep in mind that I'm using my new Internet in my easy chair under my laptop):
Pepper heads out to survey the scene. Now, he's quick so he can get that job done pretty quickly. He comes back to signal to Jorgie that he might need some help so she heads out as well. They head out together to reassess and quickly return to let Jackie know that she needs to crawl out of bed and get out there (they know when it's time for the big gun).
You may be saying to yourself, so you have to get out of your chair 3 times to open the door--what's the big deal? Did I mention that I sit in a recliner with a 13 lb cat perched on the back who glares at me every time I move in the chair and cause her to have to rebalance herself? Now she doesn't have front claws, so I can fool myself into thinking she's just patting my head every time I sit down, but way in the back of my mind I suspect that she'd make a stronger point if she could. Also, the dogs don't ever agree on when the coast is clear. Jorgie always senses that there might be some kind of danger and if she's honest with herself she'd admit that she deals with it much better from inside. So she comes back in early to consult with me. By taking a nap at my feet. Eventually Pepper remembers that the bed is much softer than the ground, so he heads back in. Jackie takes longer. Hours longer. Most nights I have to go outside and get her so that I can go to bed. Some nights however, she notices the other dogs are already in and starts to get worried that they'll eat all the dog food so she hurries in a little early.
Our morning routine is a little easier on me. They all go out at the same time, even though they trickle in on the same schedule they use at night.
They're smart dogs, though. If they start to sense that I'm getting inclined to leave them out all night, they do something very brave--like last night when they saved me from a swooping bat. I'd guess averaging about four bats a year keeps them in pretty good graces.