For some excellent advice on how to handle noisy neighbors with or without a barking dog, including the anonymous letter approach, click here:
How to Handle Noisy Neighbors and Their Barking Dogs
If you are a victim of irresponsible dog owners with barking dogs, visit BarkingDogs.net
If you live in Monroe/Union County, NC also see Ordinances and Local Contacts
If you are in a position (e.g., judge, magistrate, law enforcement, city council, county commissioner, etc.) to put an end to nuisance dog barking or to enforce noise nuisance laws but don't view the problem as serious, click here: Why Exposure to Chronic Dog Barking is So Profoundly Debilitating and here: The Deleterious Effect of Exposing People to Noise

Friday, January 22, 2010

I Love the Rainy Days...

Today was an excellent day - cold & rainy! Why??? you say. Because on days like this Harley is not out their psycho barking. In fact, if he was always as quiet as he is on cold, rainy days, I could live with it and probably not be as deranged and batty as I am. Ok, ok, that's debatable but I'd be willing to bet on it.

I used to think that his people let him come inside on rainy days, but no such luck for the irritant. I heard a few feeble attempts at barking after I came home around noon (and by the way he did not yap once when I left this morning which is a rare treat) and later looked out of an upstairs window to see him wandering around his yard, soaking wet. According to Google the high today was 55 and the low will be 34. My cat stayed inside today, and when it's wet and this cold I even make my outside cat come in, but poor Harley is all wet and out in the cold. As much as I despise Harley's barking, I despise his people more for being so negligent and  insensitive to his requirements and comfort. After all, it is their own fault that Harley and his buddy, the Quiet One (actually her name is Cherokee...but she doesn't like that name...hell I don't think either of them know their names anyway), lack good house manners, and poor Harley is the type of dog that really needs to be with his people rather than in exile.

This is also the first day for a while that I haven't been walking around outside with my mobile phone in one hand to make these repulsive videos of Harley barking while trying to do something else at the same time. I have a nice camera that makes great videos, much better than the cell phone, but having that ball and chain around my neck while trying to do other things would be rediculous so I just keep making really lousy videos of Harley's barking with my cell phone. However, it is the sound I'm after and that come through loud and clear and spot on.

As a special treat for anyone visting Barking Mad, I've now made an accompanying blog called Barking Mad Videos (I know, I know, not very original but hey, remember the signs and symptoms chart about the reduced brain function). The star, of course, is my most despised and biggest irritant (second only to his humans), and you can click Harley's photo at the right to see these videos. I know, you can hardly wait. Yea, you say.