dogs

How do you handle having barking dogs as neighbours? Not easily as far as I'm concerned. The dogs bark when I chop broccoli. They bark when I turn on the shower. When the dishes get done, when the recycling needs to go out, and when I ride home on my bike from work. When I put on the kitchen fan. Bark, bark, bark. Our neighbour is a cop, and he doesn't really seem to care all that much if the dogs disturb us. In fact, I think he wants these family pets to be kinda guard dogs. Even though they are yellow labs.

They get let out at 600 am in the morning on the weekends, and the dogs bark at squirrels, raccoons, crows... and when I flush the toilet. Then eventually they get let back in. But only after our mornings to sleep in and catch up on sleep from the work week are long gone.  I've taken to feeding them chicken bacon, you know, when they are quiet. Training dogs that aren't mine. Because they bark when we watch TV, when we have guests over for a BBQ, and when we turn on the lights at night. When I sneeze.

I even got aggressive this summer. Had just had enough. Shouted back at the dogs and the neighbours, (after a glass of wine or three.)... as if that would help. All I did was embarrass myself in front of dinner guests. Bark, bark, bark. There really is no moral to this story. I could end by saying I have found compassion for the dogs and our neighbours... but that would be a lie. That I have developed patience and tolerance. That I have risen above the din. Alas... that would not be the case. So... who knows. Maybe they'll move. Maybe our neighbour will get tired of the barking too. Maybe my chicken bacon training will work. Bark. Bark. Bark.