My friends Wiener dogs and her Pug made so much racket that she went out with a flashlight to see what they were barking at. Whatever had green eye shine. She saw it three nights in a row then saw something near her pool. She could not see it clear but knew it's size and how it was sitting. It had to be a big cat coming in for water. She is now putting a puppy pad down for them at night so they don't need to go out.
Jake the boxer is in a fenced area that used to also have horses. He even sounds the alarm when a turtle gets in his area. One night my son called for me to shut him up. When I went out he ran to me with wild eyes. He was grateful to be closed in his dog lot. He barked his complaint a few nights ago. It was a big opossum that was scaring him. A big opossum can take a dog down. Rachel shot it. We did not think to check for a pouch for babies. We went out the next morning and took them out but they had been cold and hungy for too long and did not make it.