BARK WORSE THAN BITE
Dear Dog Ethicist:
I work from home and the next door neighbor’s dog is constantly barking. Aside from the dog obviously being stressed and neglected, all the noise is driving me crazy. I’ve spoken to the neighbors on several occasions but they don’t seem to care. What can I do?
Lisa,
Buffalo, NY
I know how annoying an incessantly barking dog can be. It almost ruined my life. Oh, wait… the ruining the life thing had nothing to do with the barking dog, that was just a series of awful decisions I’d made. Now back to your question… Since it is bullet-point Friday, here are several options you could pursue.
- Suggest that your neighbors read a few pages of a book into an iPad or computer and then put it on repeat so when they leave, their dog continues to hear their voice – which many dogs find soothing. Although probably not Fran Drescher’s.
- Suggest that they hire a dog walker to stop by or you can volunteer to go over and spend twenty minutes with the dog yourself during your work day.
- Suggest that they purchase a citronella collar for their dog. It won’t harm him at all — it just squirts some citrus spray into the dog’s face. If money is an issue for them and sanity is an issue for you, you could even offer to chip in.
- Other possibilities. Medications such as doggie Xanax; dog anxiety vests that tend to make dogs feel calmer and more secure; video cameras that allow the owners to see/communicate with their pet from work.
But I’d start with some of the earlier suggestions. And if all else fails there’s always cutting off one of your ears* like Van Gogh did when that Brussels Griffon next door wouldn’t stop yapping.
*Don’t do this.
Adogable Swag
