I allow Clare to roam around in the evenings. There are so many foxes on the property - you may trip over them when not careful enough. When she recognized an intruder she runs away and returns about five minutes later - pretty exhausted but happy to have chased away our enemy. Yesterday she didn't return. I was waiting then shouting and whistling. Nothing. I thought - take it easy. She will come soon. 2 hours later I decided to go to bed. It's impossible to find a black dog in the black night. So I postponed the search for the next morning. I couldn't find sleep. Where the hell is she? Has she jumped into a sheep paddock? Is she now in a savage frenzy? Killing one lamb after the other? In the morning we went to our own property and she spent the whole time watching neighbors' sheep. As soon as she started to move into their direction I jelled at her to let it be. All those emotions now relieved? I rolled from one side of the bed to the other. Somehow I must have been falling asleep because at 1 a.m. I suddenly awoke by the barking of Clare! But the noise didn't come from the front it came from the backyard! I rushed outside and there she was: all the time caught in the back. The gate was left ajar so she was able to go in but not able to get out. And this stupid dog didn't utter one single word when I was looking for her. We both spent the rest of the night pretty relaxed.

that was the problem: you expected her to utter a single word - how could she?