Hey John, 

My next door neighbor has a small yappy dog. I like dogs. I just don’t like someone’s dog, particularly right next door, barking many many hours of the day (and sometimes night). What’s wrong with people? Why would you not have some consideration for other people? What would you suggest doing? – Yappville, Tx.

Dear Yappie,

I used to think people had some sort of selective deafness in regards to “family” noise. We’ve all seen it in the store when a child is trying to get his mother’s attention while she’s talking to someone else. “Mom? Mom? Mooooooooooooooooom! Mom mom mom mom mom mom mom?” While she has her child-hearing ability turned off, you are contemplating a small tranquilizer blow dart to the neck of junior. In the case of Foofoo the dog, it’s possible the dog is in the back yard while the oblivious owner is many walls away with the TV continuously on. Or, it’s possible they think it’s their right to annoy whomever they want. If you are comfortable enough to go next door and politely inform the neighbor their dog has been barking non-stop, it’s possibly the right first step. Or, if you are not comfortable doing that, you can call either the humane society or the city’s code enforcement board to register a complaint. I would expect compliance within a couple of days. If no change, call until there is a change. Most communities have a dog-barking ordinance. Or, like many folks, you can do nothing and angrily be bullied by a yappy little dog forever.

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Hey John,

This is a ridiculous problem, but we don’t know what to do. My husband and I enjoy, or rather, enjoyed listening to music together more than most couples. We were both rockers, but my tastes have changed somewhat to adding country to my music lists. He doesn’t like country. Neither one of us listen to “radical” music: he doesn’t like screamo rock, and I don’t like hillbilly drooling country. Still, he gets a little impatient when I play my new country stuff. As a fellow music lover, what do you suggest – Nashville Cat

Dear Music Lover,

I wrote an essay a few months back about “The Second Date Again.” In it I noted the difference of how we act towards each other in a long relationship compared to a second lucky date with each other. Part of a permanent relationship is impressing the other person. On our second date, if our girl wanted to jam to some country, would we whine or rather suggest we dance? We get older and start looking out for ourselves more than looking out for our loved one. Share this idea with your husband and perhaps go back and forth some evening picking out songs for each other. Can you impress each other by remembering each other’s taste is important?

p.s. Love of music is far more important than what type of music we prefer. Y’all are fortunate to both love music. Hold onto it.