The Bible is clear. Love your neighbor. But a question kept coming to my mind yesterday, do I have to love their dog?
We have lived in this neighborhood for around 9 years. We've seen lots of people come and go. Fortunately, the 4 houses on our side of the street have been occupied by the same people from the beginning. That is pretty amazing! However, across the street, down the street, and everywhere else, people typically stay for about 2 to 3 years.
You know I love my neighborhood, but yesterday I was tested.
Our backyard neighbor's house has a fence and we do not. Our yard goes right up to their fence. Behind this fence is 2 dogs. They come to about your ankles, I'm not sure what kind they are, other than crazy-barking dogs.
We happen to love being on our backporch. The problem is this. As much as we love being on our backporch, those 2 dogs hate us being on our backporch. The minute they hear us talking, the barking begins. And it doesn't stop. I honestly did not know a dog could bark at that frequency and volume for that period of time.
Yesterday was a Sunday, Poptart had invited D over from church, and I was enjoying some leisure time on the backporch swing while they played. The barking ensued, and I fantasized about what I could do to those dogs. I'm afraid D heard me yelling at the dogs and mumbling under my breath just what I would like to do to them. I assured him that I would never actually hurt the dogs and I certainly do not yell at children that way, just those blamed barking dogs that wouldn't shut up!
Even Gogurt came around the house asking what we could do about the dogs. "I don't know, son. But I know what I would like to do."
Don't worry...I'm not actually going to harm these dogs. But I am contemplating a conversation with their owner. But that's alot like confrontation, and I'm so NOT a confrontational person.
So for now, I guess I'll just be glad winter's coming and we won't be outside much anyway.
If you have any advice on how to get a dog that doesn't belong to you to stop barking, I'd love to hear it!
2 comments:
HELP!It must be something about our family name since it's happening to 2 households the only difference is we have 1 very large and 2 medium size dogs that never and I do mean never stop barking if we are outside and we don't stay long since you can't hear what the person next to you is saying. I must say that I have 2 little barkers that live with us and yes, they do bark but it's most always inside the house and will stop (well after being told a number of times) so if you have any tips that will not get us in deep hot water PLEASE pass them on to us and hurry before both families are completely deaf and crazy. Nana
I had to ask D about this incident ... he hadn't mentioned it, but he did tell me that the dogs were bothering Mrs. Amy! I can sympathize though, the people behind us used to have hounds that would bark all night long! Now we are the ones with a dog, but she only barks at other dogs as people walk them by our house.
Post a Comment