New signs that Bess is growing up.

Subtitle: How to scare your humans to death.

Our young lady Rott Bess has entered a new stage in life. She has become Dora The Explorer. I should have anticipated this since my first female Rottweiler, Mo, also did the same thing 20-years ago. And can you imagine how scary it is when you realize that your big black dog walks away and disappears into the dark? And I mean pitch black dark. Then after ten minutes of frantic calling, running inside to grab a flashlight and come out to begin a search. Then, all of a sudden, "Hi, here I am." her face lit up with excitement and the little girl suddenly reappears out of nowhere coming from a different direction.

It took me completely by surprise the first two times it happened but the third time she did it in the daylight so when I saw Bess take off I followed her. Little Bessie was doing a perimeter check. Yesterday morning when I walked down the driveway looking for her, I spotted her walking back toward the front on the other side of the fenced area around the pool.

Usually, when I put Bess and Ruff outside in the fenced-in area around the pool they methodically walk the inside perimeter of the fence, sniffing and checking everything out. But when I take the three Rotts out for the bedtime potty around midnight we are in the open front yard. And there is a very wide-open area outside of the fenced yard behind the house and little Bess had decided to do her perimeter check walking the outside of the fence and around the house. In the dark. Alone. With no one to protect her.

That red line is the length of two football fields.

This morning Bess decided to expand her range of exploration beyond the perimeter check. When I saw her walk down the driveway I thought she was going to circle around the house so I took my time and put Ruff and Axl inside. But when I walked out back I didn't see her. I quickly checked the other side of the house hoping to see her coming back but she wasn't there. Instead of doing a perimeter check Bess had completely vanished. I came back and grabbed her leash and took Ruff with me. We started walking down to the far back yard calling her name and whistling for her. Then after another 10-minutes or so I spotted Bess emerging from the woods at the very back of the yard where the creek divides the property line. Running toward me and Ruff with the happy look of extreme excitement on her face that said "I just had a big adventure." "I'm a big girl now."

So now I have to give her another lecture on how precious she is because she has no concept of danger and how someone might see her and take her away from her family or how she could get lost exploring places she has never been to before. And after the warm greetings on her return everything returned to normal. Except that I feel a little older than I did when I woke up this morning. And I sure Bess feels a little older, too.