Call of the Woof

Remember Call of the Wild from eleventh grade English? The dog Buck starts out civilized, gets taken to Alaska and eventually ends up as a legendary superwolf. Diana thinks the canine member of our household is headed in that direction.
Until recently, the mutt has been content to sleep through the early morning (she is also quite capable of sleeping during the mid morning, late morning, siesta, pre-dinner...but I digress). Lately, however, she's getting up at a time so early that no self-respecting clock would even show it, and she wants to go down to the main deck and...patrol, I guess. Pace around and warn off the wildlife. Given that we have had no sign whatsoever of marauding deer, moose, wolves, grizzlies, giant squid, or carnivorous sheep on our deck, I'd have to say she's been remarkably successful. Most dogs don't know how to deal with a giant squid, you know.