Barking mad with no solutions

I am realising that I am not the only one who has a problem with doggies that bark obsessively, and receive snotty emails, notes and complaints from neighbours. Perusing community Facebook pages, I soon realised that many people throughout Joburg have the same problem, and while I agree the barking needs to stop, a little bit of tolerance from both parties is sometimes required.

I am not a big believer in shock collars and removing a dogs voice box – to me this is cruel. So what options am I left with? Behavioural experts, homeopathic calming medication – or eviction.

Yes, it would seem that those who don’t have dogs would prefer dog owners to live on large plots where no one else can hear the joys of a dog that has found a new bone or is barking at a ball.

I read an online letter from one neighbour to another, where the complainant suggested the dog owner find alternative accommodation for their fluffy children. The first thing that crossed my mind was the nerve this individual had to suggest the dog owner gets rid of her pets. Yes, hearing a dog bark can be unpleasant, but their are solutions out there… I, along with many other Joburg residents, do not know about them yet.

Living in a high density area such as Joburg comes with its positives, but one of the negatives is we are all living on top of each other. Unless a law is passed (which will never happen) prohibiting Joburgers owning pets, we are going to have to learn to work together to find solutions.

[F] Do you have a neighbour with a barking dog – or are you the one with the problem? Go to the Rosebank Killarney Facebook Page to tell the team how you managed to solve the problem.