For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for May 18, 2021

  1. Missing large
    Black76Manta  over 3 years ago

    By the looks of it, reasoning with the owner is a waste of time!

     •  Reply
  2. B986e866 14d0 4607 bdb4 5d76d7b56ddb
    Templo S.U.D.  over 3 years ago

    Seriously, Mr. Bullard?

     •  Reply
  3. Missing large
    capricorn9th  over 3 years ago

    True, dogs don’t know barking annoys the humans, that they sleep at night, can’t read rules, etc, but the owner does have responsibility to TRAIN their dogs. I know some dogs simply couldn’t be trained and perhaps this dog is one of those. Possibly this is a rescue dog that the owner adopted when it was an older dog with bad habits. Etc. What I’ve learned after 30 years as a human parent to many dogs, almost all of which were adopted as grown adults, they CAN be taught. The old saying, "You couldn’t teach an old dog new tricks: is WRONG. My 8 years old chihuahua who was potty trained on puppy pads because her previous owner lived in an apartment learned to go potty outside. She also ate only fancy wet brands and I switched her to dry food – she went hungry for a couple of days before she accepted dry food – she learned eating is better than going without and wait for her fancy food. Now, a barking dog. I had a rescue who barked incessantly at everything when outside. I realized he was in a noise overload, all pumped up,, chasing all the noises. So I used the water hose for every bark he yipped that was not essential. He got the message. He now only barks when he hears someone at the front door, at the gate, someone he doesn’t know, etc. My next-door neighbor was thankful after suffering a couple of months like Phil and Georgia here. The neighbor on my other side didn’t care – they have 3 dogs that bark. With rescues, it is often people are adopting dogs whose bad habits don’t become apparent until arriving at their new homes. Too often, owners are at loss how to remedy their bad habits and simply let it go. Research or hire a dog trainer.

     •  Reply
  4. Eveningledger connie
    Johnny Q Premium Member over 3 years ago

    Just mix up some poisoned hamburger!

     •  Reply
  5. 20211101 125120
    scote1379 Premium Member over 3 years ago

    Our City has a barking Dog Ordinance , Bark more than 15mins , 3 complaints $50 fine after that it goes up $25. A complaint, that usually takes care of it !

     •  Reply
  6. Dragon
    Asharah  over 3 years ago

    Call the ASPCA, the poor thing is being abused.

     •  Reply
  7. Homer  invent that
    comic4matt  over 3 years ago

    Water ballons might do the trick…

     •  Reply
  8. 0438aab5 b754 4b25 b41d bb310caeac1d
    GirlGeek Premium Member over 3 years ago

    That’s insensitive

     •  Reply
  9. Missing large
    Daniel Verburg  over 3 years ago

    Paperwork does not always help. Stricter action is nessesary, an anti bark collar!

     •  Reply
  10. Missing large
    littlejohn Premium Member over 3 years ago

    If the dog is that close, maybe try water pistols. Give the dog a squirt every time it barks. Hopefully the beast will realize that a bark = a wet face. And no barking = no water being squirted in its face. (If you need a bit more range. They do make “Supper Soaker” water rifles.) And if Mr. Bullard complains. It will leave less evidence than a water balloon would.

     •  Reply
  11. Missing large
    abucksworth Premium Member over 3 years ago

    Dogs are social animals. They want your attention. They WANT to please their people. But tying them up in the back yard is not right. They want to live with you. Unless he’s a guard dog (in which case, he needs training) bring this poor guy in at night. If you want a pet, it’s your duty to care for him (or her.) If you’re not willing to do that, then don’t get a pet.

     •  Reply
  12. Missing large
    annebonny  over 3 years ago

    go and collect for dog school, and figure out the reason for his barking

     •  Reply
  13. Photo
    dcdete.  over 3 years ago

    Oh, there is another barf hidden in the barks in panel 4. Appears to be on purpose instead of accidental. I wonder if the storyline coming up will explain this Easter egg.

     •  Reply
  14. Missing large
    fuzzbucket Premium Member over 3 years ago

    I had that problem once. My slingshot and a few peach pits fixed it. By the third night all I had to do is open my door to make him stop.

     •  Reply
  15. Tommy lee jones look
    Johnnyrico  over 3 years ago

    It looks like Phil and George’s window is very close to the neighbor’s yard… Maybe a nice Super-Soaker would do the trick!

     •  Reply
  16. Tommy lee jones look
    Johnnyrico  over 3 years ago

    Seriously though…. A dog will bark like that when they are being neglected too much.

     •  Reply
  17. Millionchimps1
    tripwire45  over 3 years ago

    I looked it up and your options depend on where you live. Even filing a complaint with police or animal control often yields little to no results, especially if the dog owner is really irresponsible.

     •  Reply
  18. Profile msn
    vaughnrl2003 Premium Member over 3 years ago

    Oh well, ear plugs and exhaustion usually works for me. Poor dog probably just needs a friend. He’s all alone, imprisoned in the back yard slowly going insane. Pretty sad if you think about it.

     •  Reply
  19. Missing large
    Jim2g  over 3 years ago

    Put a half a sleeping pill in the treat

     •  Reply
  20. Missing large
    Nala the Great  over 3 years ago

    Isn’t there an SPCA in Canada that they could have given the petition to? I’m sure that they would have seen results very quickly!

     •  Reply
  21. 598f0404 5fe5 49ab ab9f 2f237b14251c
    Fredricrex  over 3 years ago

    All neighbors chip in and buy a good quality bark collar, guaranteed it will do the trick.

     •  Reply
  22. Missing large
    outfishn  over 3 years ago

    Do Canadian cities not have barking dog laws?

     •  Reply
  23. Missing large
    Bob Blumenfeld  over 3 years ago

    As Judge Marilyn Milian on The People’s Court always says in dog bite cases, “We don’t punish the dog for doing what dogs do. We punish the humans for not controlling them.”

     •  Reply
  24. Picture
    summerdog  over 3 years ago

    Time to get the splat ball gun out. What color would the dog look best decorated in?

     •  Reply
  25. Missing large
    vickie.105  over 3 years ago

    The neighbor is a lowlife that abuses his dog.

     •  Reply
  26. Bth baby puppies1111111111 1
    kab2rb  over 3 years ago

    The missing part is talking about what the dog is doing on constant barking.

     •  Reply
  27. Giphy
    jango  over 3 years ago

    Mr Bullard is quite the wise a$$

     •  Reply
  28. Tulips
    locake  over 3 years ago

    What did Phil think getting a signed petition would accomplish? If he already talked to the owner a petition signed by more neighbors would not have any effect. The owner is well aware that his dog is annoying the neighbors.

     •  Reply
  29. Missing large
    BlitzMcD  over 3 years ago

    Mike Bullard had quite the media platform at that time. No doubt any such dissent was curtailed at the onset.

     •  Reply
  30. Nextdoor avatar 05
    JD'Huntsville'AL  over 3 years ago

    It’s really not that hard:

    https://duckduckgo.com/?q=stop+any+dog+from+barking&ia=web

     •  Reply
  31. Picture
    CoreyTaylor1  over 3 years ago

    I doubt he could read, either!

     •  Reply
  32. Notatroll
    Whatever happened to common sense?  over 3 years ago

    People are more concerned about the welfare of some filthy dog rather than that of humans.

     •  Reply
  33. Aatxajzz9 ih8znevuw ic lzs1bgb0bhkn1y3hqsozf=s96 c
    AlfredJr.Hall  over 3 years ago

    Just call your local City Animal Human sociaty the neighbor won’t do nothing to his dog. I moved in neighborhoods that we lived next door to a dog. Whenever he/she sees me they begain barking and Growling. When I was little I have fears of dogs. Loose oned. I run by I should’nt. That don’t work move.

     •  Reply
  34. Missing large
    paullp Premium Member over 3 years ago

    Coincidentally, a rerun of King of Queens I saw last night had a similar situation. Doug couldn’t get up the nerve to straighten out the clueless neighbors; it fell to Carrie to go full NYC on them.

     •  Reply
  35. Missing large
    krhinter  over 3 years ago

    Time for a rope, pitchforks night time visit to owner

     •  Reply
  36. Missing large
    Argythree  over 3 years ago

    The petition should have been given to the neighborhood representative on a city council, or the Mayor or a city manager. (Maybe they don’t have any of those in Canada, though?)

     •  Reply
  37. Missing large
    edeevans1947  over 3 years ago

    I could have told Johnny Q that he was going to get a bucket load of nasty responses! Sorry Johnny, I wasn’t fast enough!

     •  Reply
  38. Missing large
    jeigheff  over 3 years ago

    I salute Lynn Johnston for shining light on nuisance barking. Uncontrolled barking dogs have caused me my share of sleep deprivation in the past. It’s no fun.

     •  Reply
Sign in to comment

More From For Better or For Worse