Barking Dogs

4/8/2014

I live in a neighborhood where the houses are relatively close to one another.  On our street there are also five or six dogs.  Unfortunately, unlike humans who can talk to one another, dogs bark to communicate. 

Even though I have two dogs, the terrier and the lab, they both know that if I'm home incessant barking on their part will produce a rap on the window.  The rap is their signal that they had better get their butts inside the house - or else catch a bad guy trying to get in the house.  

The dog that lives next door, comes out periodically during the day and hollers his hello to Sam and Maggie.  Those dogs could be fast asleep on the floor, but one bark from Murray, and they bolt down the stairs and out the doggy door in seconds.  Once outside, obviously they have to respond.  It's just what dogs do.  It is not, however, what my non-dog owner neighbors like!  Even though I own dogs, I don't like non-stop barking any more than the next person.

The dogs don't respond to the meter reader's presence in the backyard, or when the men come to mow the yard.  They don't even care when UPS drops off a package at the front door.  But, please don't ring the doorbell!  The sound of the doorbell whips the dogs into a frenzy of barking from Maggie and yapping from Sam.  If I know somebody is coming to the house that is not a dog person, I put the dogs in the basement before answering the door.  This does not mean that they remain quiet in the basement - nope - they make sure that I know how annoyed they are to be locked out of the house!

If we're out of the house at night, I believe that poor ol' Sam, who can't see very well in the dark because of his cataracts, probably does a lot of barking while he's outside.  Luckily, we're not away from the house often at night.  I just watched a YouTube video where a Westie, has barked, so they say, continuously for six years.  One neighbor on the video said she wanted to kill the dog.  I can understand that.  What I can't understand is why the owners have allowed this barking to continue.  Dogs can be trained, even if they're a little older when you get started.  Better late than never.  I do know that much of Sam's barking while we are gone is truly separation anxiety, but we can't be home 24/7!  Since Jeff and I aren't working at the moment, the time Sam spends outside, is minimal.  He much prefers a blanket and/or a pillow!

P