"You're Not the Boss of Me"

An interesting dynamic exists between me and the dog that lives next door. Layla (Laela? Leila?) is one of those intense creatures who must bark at everything that catches her attention. Never mind that the cat across the street or the mail carrier who comes every day or the car that has stopped in front of my house has absolutely nothing to do with her—she must announce her notice of them loudly and incessantly. Mostly she stays inside the house, but on nice afternoons she wants to be in the yard which is, I might add, only a few feet from my window. Mostly I try just to ignore her until she goes back inside.

Now Layla's owner is a good neighbor, and I hesitate to do anything just because of a dog that would change the human dynamics of the situation. The problem has not yet escalated to the point where I feel I need to do a personal intervention. That's especially true since I have found something that is quite effective. When the continual barking is more than I can tolerate, I've learned to say to her very sternly, from my porch or back yard, "Layla!" Usually I say this just once, sometimes twice, but there are no threats or yelling. Just, "Layla!"

The dog barks twice more and then stops completely. This has happened over and over, so that I think to myself, "She's saying, 'You're not the boss of me! I wanted to quit barking just now anyway. So there!' "

Can a dog really be that clever? If so, they're not all that different from people, huh?

MaryMartha