Just yesterday at 10 pm I e-mailed a neighbor asking if their dog was okay, as it had been barking non stop for hours. I could hear it indoors, with headphones on.

The reply e-mail was shocking. They had left town to try to relax after burying their daughter on Tuesday. The party supposedly taking care of the dog was not taking the dog indoors as requested. The grieving mother took time out of her day to let me know she would ask the friend to put the dog in earlier.

Yes, you feel like a heel when a nicely worded e-mail asking if the dog is OK yields this info. But, at the same time, the dog is left outdoors in sub-freezing temperatures, drinks water from a filthy kids wading pool, and is left alone for hours every day. The dog is mistreated, in my assessment, but I can't imagine the pain of burying a child.

Those poor people.
It sounds like you worded it as nicely as possible. It’s also a good reminder that so many are dealing with so much we don’t know. Giving a little grace is always a good thing.

I've always said in my household when our dogs are barking they are doing so for a reason. Get up and look. When I first got married my house had a swamp cooler on the roof. So, my bedroom window was open during the summer months at night. Somewhere on our block a rather large dog would bark all night long. To solve this problem I spent 8 thousand dollars and got central air so I could close my bedroom window at night. But, when it comes to neighbors my philosophy is if you got a problem solve it on your side of the fence.

quote:

Originally posted by goose5:
I've always said in my household when our dogs are barking they are doing so for a reason. Get up and look.

Agree. We've even learned-- without realizing it, really-- to translate our neighbor's dogs.

"Look, a squirrel" is a different bark then "Hey, you, other dog... stay off my street" and BOTH are very different from "Hey, strange human... you're not supposed to be here."

quote:

Originally posted by goose5:
I spent 8 thousand dollars and got central air so I could close my bedroom window at night. But, when it comes to neighbors my philosophy is if you got a problem solve it on your side of the fence.

Why should you bear that expense and become a prisoner in your home, when someone else can't seem to be decent enough to quiet their dog?

Pointing back at my own location: why should be neighbors and I be the ones required to change their behavior, when the jerk two door down lets his hound scream all day? We're not the ones being rude -- why should we be the ones punished?

That was the best money I've ever spent. Don't regret one single cent.