One of our readers had a rather rude encounter with a neighbor and his barking dog. He writes:
Dear Labby,
This morning I took my dogs for a walk in our neighborhood. As we strolled, a German Shepherd in a yard across the street began barking loudly from behind a fence. A moment later, a man stepped out the front door.
The man said, “Can you walk your dogs somewhere else? Your dogs are waking up the whole neighborhood.”
I said, “Uh, your dog is the one barking. My dogs are quiet.”
He said, “They’re distracting my dog and making him bark, so walk somewhere else.”
I asked, “So you’re saying no one is allowed to walk a dog past your house? If his barking bothers you, why don’t you keep him inside?”
This didn’t sit well with him, and he said, “Why can’t you be considerate of my neighbors? It’s 7am on Saturday! You woke me from a dead sleep! Walk your dogs at a decent hour!”
I was walking my dogs in the morning because it was 70 degrees out, and in a few hours, it was going to be 95 degrees – too hot to walk them.
I said, “Since your dog is making all the noise, and we’re walking quietly on a public street, isn’t this your responsibility?”
My neighbor disagreed, saying, “You’re a horse’s ass.”
Labby, am I a horse’s ass?
Signed:
Dispute Over German Shepherd’s Barking Elicits Quarrel, Unpleasant Individual’s Extreme Tirade
Dear Labby Has The Answer!
Dear D.O.G.S. B.E. Q.U.I.E.T.,
You’re only an ass — and by that, I mean not the smartest creature of all time — if you set foot near this man’s house again. He’s either incredibly naïve about how living in a community is supposed to work, or he’s a pompous fool who doesn’t care.
Either way, these types of people can be dangerous and are capable of much more than verbal insults.
Why in the world this guy thinks that anyone but him is responsible for his own dog’s behavior in that situation is beyond me. Even more puzzling, why would he simply not keep his dog in the house if he wants to sleep in?
Better yet, he could spend some time with the dog. Train him not to bark – or to bark only when someone is actually on the property.
I’m wondering how this man would cope if his dog barked at cars. Would he ask that no one ever drive past his house?
Depending on his dog’s particular quirks, there’s no telling how absurd this could get. The dog doesn’t like the smell of soap? No one in a three-mile radius should be allowed to bathe! At least not before 11:00am.
In fact, there’s nothing more appropriate, polite, and downright delightful about a person walking well-behaved pups around the block first thing in the morning. You were well within the bounds of good pet etiquette.
While you’re definitely not in the wrong here, it’s probably best to just avoid this doggone dummy and find a new morning route. Your pooches will appreciate the peace and quiet.
Have you ever had a neighbor blame you for their dog’s behavior? What other questions do you have for Dear Labby? Let us know in the comments below!
