Friday, June 1, 2012

Rescuing a Word

One of the more annoying excuses for a barking dog is the rescue excuse. As in, the dog is a "rescue," so how dare you criticize its behavior?

In this context, the word "rescue" means that the dog was adopted from a shelter and, therefore, saved from euthanasia. Since behavior problems like barking are among the most common reasons why dogs are taken to shelters by their previous owners, it's no surprise that adopted dogs continue to have issues in their new homes.

But that's no excuse for failing to train the dog. Or to keep it inside the house where its barking will not disturb the neighbors.

I also think that it's time to restore the word "rescue" to its proper context. To me, it implies heroism. Like Newark Mayor Cory Booker bringing his neighbor out of her burning house. Or the Coast Guard pulling New Orleans residents off the roofs of their flooded houses after Hurricane Katrina.

Sorry, but adopting a dog doesn't rise to that level of heroism. It's a business transaction -- money changes hands.

There also is a responsibility that comes along with this transaction. I'd like to see more dog owners live up to that responsibility.

The Department of Shameless Self-Promotion. Need to be rescued from all the barking dog noise in your neighborhood? Take heart, barking is becoming as unfashionable as secondhand smoke. You can help spread the word via the tee shirts and other clothing in my QuietBarkingDogs store. Or adorn your car with a bumper sticker like this one -- " Yes I Do Mind If Your DogBarks."

7 comments:

  1. I wish someone would rescue us from the noise, but that is highly unlikely until the establishment is swimming in dog feces than perhaps they will get a clue.

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  2. Hey,

    Great post. The numb-skulls across the street used the "rescue" angle, too. Now, consider that the dogs in question were tied to a tree in the yard 24x7, in all weather and were never given any attention. What kind of a half-assed "rescue" is that? This lousy behavior is supposed to impress me somehow? Actually, I WAS impressed, by what LOW-LIFES they are!

    The IMPORTANT question is, who is going to rescue US from THEM?

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  3. Wouldn't that be nice!? If these owners actually lived up to their responsibilities and starting actually training their dogs, instead of throwing them in the back yard to be used as lawn ornaments?! I have a neighbor who's pit bull lived its entire miserable life in that back yard, never even going for a walk. It finally died from old age, and never saw anything but that idiot's back yard. That is the saddest thing, if you ask me. That dog barked its whole life away in some idiot's backyard. Disgusting! And now that the old pit bull is dead, he has another one, to do the exact same thing!! He doesn't walk this one either, it never leaves the backyard. I do think it goes in the house from time to time though. But if you live where I do, you know that it just gets too damned hot to leave your poor dog outside in the 100+ temps! People who do this, SUCK!
    Thanks for your blog!....and for visiting mine. I appreciate your feedback!

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  4. Thank you so much for dropping by, Jewel Jade! You'll be pleased to know that I've found a sympathetic ear over at the city council ward office. (That would be Tucson City Council Ward 3.)

    I also have to say that I was impressed with yesterday evening's police response. Mind you, this was the same police department that tried to intimidate me into silence earlier this year. Reason: I kept reporting another neighbor's robo-barking pit bull.

    A few hours after my final report, when the officers came over and warned me that I could be arrested for false reporting because the pit bull was no longer barking, the dog and the owners just up and disappeared. They haven't been seen in this neighborhood since.

    I wonder if all my police calls made this neighborhood a bit uncomfortable for those people. After all, the pit nutters don't like the scrutiny of law enforcement.

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  5. Mind if I use this in my upcoming "Countering pro-barking propaganda Part IV?"

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    Replies
    1. Of course you can, Animal Uncontrol! And thank you for all of your excellent work.

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  6. I definitely agree that there is nothing heroic in adopting a dog on a whim and leaving other people to mind or be very inconvenienced by it. It seems around here since it is not affecting nearby city officials' homes and places of interest, it is really none of their concern regarding irresponsible dog owners and newly adopted dogs.

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