By New Los Alamos Resident

I am happy to see the barking dog issue come into the news.

I recently moved to Los Alamos and have a wonderful new home in a wonderful neighborhood, but I am surrounded by barking dogs, which are a constant frustration. The owners of these dogs are rude, thoughtless and unmannered. I have no objection to a dog barking a few times at what it perceives as a threat, but then the barking should be stopped by the owner. The message has been passed up the chain of command and the dog has done his duty. That doesn’t usually happen.

The dogs around me bark for no reason that’s obvious and when they do begin to bark they can continue barking for extended times. In the summer with windows open it is unpleasant. I can tell what time it is when the dog behind me starts to bark – it’s time its owner leaves the house for the day.

My theory is that most people in the summer whose dogs bark have air conditioners running or TVs on and don’t hear their own dogs and if they do they don’t care that it might be bothering their neighbors. I occasionally weigh the seriousness of neighbor complaints, comparing a barking dog to a yard full of weeds – another but separate annoyance. I can shut my eyes to the weeds but I can’t shut my ears. They just keep on hearing.

I have been hesitant to complain as I don’t want to seem a fussy person. And since I don’t know my neighbors with the dogs I fear possible retaliation. I hope that public attention to barking dogs might make some people realize that their dogs are bad citizens because their owners are bad citizens. With a bit of work and attention, uncontrolled barking can be discouraged. So owners please take responsibility for your dogs.

Editor’s Note: The Los Alamos Daily Post is publishing unsigned letters related to dog barking to allow the writers to express their thoughts without developing unpleasant issues with their neighbors.