A good idea for being aware of your situational awareness is; when you get down to dig, make sure the sun is at your back, casting shadows to your front, that way you can see the shadow of someone approaching you from behind. But, if there is no sun, keep one of you probes always at hand, My probe saved me from a pit bull attack, I was kneeling down digging a target and I heard something growling and snarling approaching me rather quickly, as I turned around to see what it was, it was already in its lunge attack mode, it sounds cruel, but I ran it through with my probe, then beat it with my trencher shovel till it stopped moving. There were no tags or collar on the dog, that was the deepest hole I ever dug in a park. A little while later some old lady came through the park looking for her dog, oh well.... Keep the dang thing on a leash! I told her, no I haven't seen her dog.