Howlin' Good Time

The family behind me has at least 2 new dogs, but judging from the sound, it could be more than that. I have no idea what breed of dogs these are, but I do know that every time an emergency vehicle runs with sirens, these dogs howl loudly enough to drown out the sirens!

Sound travels in the desert; hence, I usually have to keep my front door closed because I can hear other people’s music from several surrounding blocks, especially if it’s either a live band or a pumped up stereo system from a car parked in the driveway with the door left open for the concert. I literally cannot hear my own TV from the couch when some of these music fans are listening to their music! A couple of times I’ve walked to the house and asked that the music be turned down and, so far (thankfully), the neighbors have been cooperative. Usually, however, it’s just easier to keep the front door closed and turn up the TV, or retire to my room with a good book and TiVo what I wanted to watch.

There are also a couple of emergency responders in the neighborhood, as well as a major thoroughfare about 6 blocks due west, on which the majority of emergency responses either occur or take as the fastest route to the location. The noise from sirens is loud, very loud, and the new neighborhood dogs drown it out. The dogs don’t stop baying until they no longer can hear the sirens, so they can howl for a steady 5 minutes!

I’ve never complained about dogs barking because I want my dog to bark when there are other animals in the yard or people on the street. I like Mia’s early warning system and take heed when she barks in the middle of the night, especially if she won’t shut up or come into the house. I have called the police based on her barking a couple of times, and wished I had her when the burglar broke my window several years ago.

Therefore, I won’t complain about the baying dogs, but it is truly annoying when they crank up the volume. I may not be as nice if I have to contend with both the howling dogs and the wailin' music simultaneously. That combo would surely violate the sound ordnance!