This is important because the aurora borealis has been extremely quiet this year. It is a low sunspot year, which means less sun plasma to make auroras. I've only seen two so far this winter until tonight.
Sofia is a weird dog in that she's got some pretty silly habits. She sleeps under my bed, even though she's a 50 lb dog and the futon frame is only six inches off the ground. Her communication is excellent, if eccentric and funny, using lots of dog ballet, "talking" and pointing at things and then looking exasperated if you don't "get it." She jams her head into every possible prey hole she can find, checking under the snow regularly for voles or whatever else might be there. When she and her sister were puppies, they'd jam their heads into the crack of the couch cushions looking for mice. I guess. We thought they were crazy, until we figured it out.
At 3:30 AM I was awakened by the sound of bouncing dog and pitter pattering feet, very soft ruhh!s, and finally a dog pouncing on the bed and telling me in no uncertain terms to get up right now! Sofia has done this before, but until I followed her to the front door (with much pointing and urging from Sofie) that I saw the reason: the aurora was in full swing right in front and over the house.
She's done this before, too. When there is an aurora she'll come and get me and insist we go outside RIGHT THEN. It's not that she has to dog stuff, trust me. This dog goes twelve hours and never, ever wakes me up to go outside for that reason. Unless there are lights out there. If it was a moose, there would be barking, nay, dog screaming and running around with a mohawk that goes from the top of her head to her poofed out tail. Nope, Sofia's Aurora Alert is persistent, but much gentler. Oh, and when we go outside, she stands there and watches it. What a pal!