Kobe does not like the new condo. For the first few days, he hid in the carpeted master bedroom and cowered at the sight of the hardwood floors that cover the entire main living area. The few times that he was forced onto the hardwood floors for essential reasons (to seek food/water, to go for walks, to amuse me), he hunched over and crept cautiously, obviously terrified of slipping and falling. Then he’d see something exciting, bolt forward and immediately slip, and then retreat fearfully to the carpet.
He has since adapted throughout the past week, and now moves slowly and confidently about the house. However, he has instead taken to barking at everything. Every person that comes and goes from our entire building, every sound that echoes in the distance, and every bird or squirrel that approaches our patio or the Commonwealth of Virginia. Sometimes he howls, sometimes he barks sharp little BARK! BARK! BARK! notes that make me want to pour glue in my ears, and sometimes he walks around gruffly barking under his breath like an irritable old man. It’s enough to drive a person to madness.
Last night was the final straw. Actually, I’ve had several final straws – when he barked sharply through a teleconference with a client, when he howled so much during my workout that I had to stop and make certain we weren’t being robbed, when he FREAKED OUT because the show I was watching had a cell phone commercial with electronic beeps – but it’s not like I can take action when I continually reach my breaking point. What am I going to do? Put him in a garbage bag? Tape his mouth shut? But last night, Kobe decided to bark intermittently for over an hour after I went to bed. There would be silence and then BARK! BARRRK! Bark. Bark. Silence. BARK! BARK! BARK! Bark. Silence. By well past midnight, I was so ready to open the bedroom door, yell TAKE HIM! to whatever evil disturbance was upsetting the dog, and then boot his little flip-tailed ass out the door forever.
But that was yesterday and today is a new day with several new straws to burn through. Kobe is lying peacefully on his bed, barking softly at things that concern him (the wind, the sunlight, a neighbor in another block), and I’m thinking somebody deserves a Snausage for the rough night he had. Except that somebody just leaped up and launched a shrieking offense against a dangerous interloper…the dryer. I’m going to lose my mind.
Ohhh goodness, I understand COMPLETELY!!!!
I just moved to an apartment in Virginia Beach with my dog Hershey (she is a yappy little schnauzer poodle mix) and at home, with my parents, she only barks a little bit. But at our NEW home, she barks at EVERYTHINGGGGG. And we have the master jet base down the street, so constant fighter jets flying 10 feet above your roof doesnt help her.
I heard my neighbors below us say something one morning about a “damn dog” and I figured they were talking about mine, since she really is the only “damn dog” there is our building.
I feel you, good luck though!