Finally, fell asleep. Raynah curled in the hook of my legs still trying to calm herself.

I had nodded off on the couch watching an episode of Jessica Jones with Raynah snoring away on her bed.

She suddenly woke and was looking towards the window with low heavy ruff.

She then came close and checked on me. I realised then she was sensing some sort of danger. She continued to step away and check the surroundings and come back and stand in front of me in a protective way, engaging every now and again to check on me.

I moved around the house with Raynah right beside me, but she was tense listening to every sound I could here but also something I couldn't.

I turned all the lights on outside and in, we where a glowing beacon. I pressed the maps button on the phone re-familiarising as to where I was, ready to dial 000.

Raynah really wanted to go out the front, with lights blazing bright all around, I opened the wooden door peering beyond the light. Opening the screen door Raynah stepped out slowly, sniffing as she went. As she stepped just beyond the wall of the garage door her tail end curled under her she let out a fearful bark as her body shaked.

I called her with a desperate voice and she came running, locking the screen door as soon as she was back in. Pressed against me every bit of her alert to everything around us.

With both of us now on high alert our breathing rapid we paced around the house checking all windows and doors. Raynah stepping away, sniffing in the air, head cocked to the side listening, coming back to check on me.

Fighting sleep I lay down on the bed trying to stay awake. Raynah positioned herself next to me sitting alert to everything. Slowly she would lay down calming herself but to only become alert again, her breathing still rapid. As her body started to relax, her breathing calm she curled in as close as she could get, both of us succumbed to the pull of sleep.

Waking in the morning I found Raynah asleep on her bed. I remember that at some point she had rolled out of bed and slept on the floor for awhile, lucky the bed is low to the floor. What was it that had caused her to be scared and show me her innate protective side. The realisation that she had stepped up and changed from obedient dog to full on protective dog, the connection that was there, I will never forget.