Bark: (n) the sharp explosive cry of certain animals, especially a dog.

Although it seems very noble to rescue an animal from a shelter, turning the creature into a pet, it is actually similar to seeking a bride by going to a mental hospital.

What they fail to tell you about “rescue dogs” is that often they’ve been abused, misused and further traumatized by being in kennels around belligerent animals who may not even allow them to eat.

I do not offer this as a critique of the process of trying to welcome these friends into our households.

I, too, went to a Rescue to get a dog. I wanted a mutt because my experience is that they are the more intelligent breeds. But not only was my dog abused, but came to my home sick–with fleas, ticks, and nearly died within the first 24 hours.

Yet no matter how much training I gave this pup, he had so much memory of mistreatment that he never quite learned to be…well, let us say, amicable. So every time somebody knocked at the door, he went into a barking fit and was overly aggressive to strangers.

It became a problem.

So we decided to buy one of those collars which lightly shocks the dog whenever he barks without permission. You place it around his neck, and you hold a remote in your hand which can inflict some minor pain on the animal if he begins to erupt with objection.

Well, I will tell you–it works.

It works in the sense that when my mentally ill dog started to bark and I pushed the button, he stopped.

He stopped barking and started whining.

Yes, his barking was replaced with whining.

I don’t have to go into much explanation here, do I? Which would you rather have–a yapping dog or a whimpering canine in pain?

Needless to say, I removed the collar and allowed the old fella to bark at his discretion until he passed away and went to Doggie Something-Or-Other.

To say that a dog’s bark is worse than his bite is to leave out the fact that anything that barks at you is intimidating. That goes for coyotes, rescue dogs … and contentious people.

Thank you for enjoying Words from Dic(tionary) —  J.R. Practix

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