Excessive Dog Barking: The Sad Case of Our Neighbor's Dog

I can’t begin to tell you how incredibly relieved my husband Marty and I were the moment the moving van pulled into our neighbor’s driveway. We were so overjoyed with the sight that we did a little happy dance around the living room!

Now, don’t get me wrong; we really like our neighbors. But here’s the problem. They both work in an area which is a long distance from their home, requiring them frequently to be away overnight.  Since their employer doesn’t allow dogs on the premises, they are forced to leave Sammy, their highly energetic Jack Russell terrier, alone in the house. Like clockwork, within an hour of their departure, Sammy starts his non-stop, high definition broadcast to the entire neighborhood, letting everyone know that he’s not a happy camper.

Since this little dog’s vocalizations are incredibly loud, I suspect that Sammy is endowed with a set of pipes that rival those of Luciano Pavarotti.  The terrier’s operatic performances continue for hours on end until that blissful moment when he has finally worn himself out sufficiently to catch a brief doggie nap.  But within a short time, Sammy is back at the microphone, continuing his protestations with his excessive barking.

So while we like our neighbors, and we will miss them, both of us are incredibly relieved that we no longer will have to put up with the tenure of their canine tenor.  Gone forever are the endless, sleepless nights, the insomnia and leaden heavy eyelids in the morning that Marty and I have had to put up with for years, due to their terrier’s incessant yip-yapping serenades. Dr. Hush Puppy and Sir Hubble Pinkerton, our two Oriental Shorthair cats, are even breathing a sigh of relief.

But before you jump to the conclusion that I hate dogs, and feel little compassion for Sammy, I fully realize that this overwhelming canine cacophony was really not this miserable pooch’s fault. Since barking is one of the primary means of canine communication, in all good conscience I cannot blame the noisy pup for his behavior. 

Being left alone at home for hours on end, bored, miserable, and without a soul with whom to play, Sammy clearly was stressed out and just expressing his frustration. I dearly hope his anxiety will be alleviated since Sammy’s guardians have moved to an area much closer to their job.

Maybe in one of my former life-times, I may have insulted a dog, although I highly doubt it. But it seems more than coincidental to me I may be paying off some bad doggie karma. I say this, because believe it or not, just two weeks later, a moving van pulled into our new neighbor’s driveway. And guess what? They have a – (gasp) - Bulldog.

Don’t you think it’s best to let sleeping dogs lie while the jury is out? Let me know what you think in a comment.