The guy nearest has a Parsons.
She’s a great little dog that I adore but every night, she sleeps in her crate, unable to patrol the house or alert to noises.
The age demographics of my area tend towards small dogs.
In fact, except for a Pit about a mile away, I’m the only one around with anything respectably effective.
The guy across the road has an old GR mix but he only comes out to go to the bathroom, on a leash.
Once in a while, late at night, I hear a medium sized dog barking in the distance but i have no idea where it is.
So, *my* dogs now watch over the neighbor, via a different configuration of my art studio, so that they can see his yard, too and I have installed a security system with one of my cameras covering his yard and house.
I also have history behind me.
For 40 years, people have talked about “that little girl with the big damn Dobes”.
They know where I live.
:)
When I picture Appalachia, I don’t picture small dogs. :)
It sounds like your dogs are truly the Ebil Dober-lords (and Ebil Dober-ladies) of the neighborhood. ;)