“Walk, Bark, Cry, Repeat”...

Stroller rolling, baby finally asleep, we turn the corner and a yard dog explodes like an alarm. Two houses later another joins in, then another. Our nine-month-old wakes up crying and the dogs keep barking because they’re stuck outside with nothing else to do. It happens on every single walk.

This has become our routine: feed, strap him in the stroller, hope for a nap, step outside—and hit a wall of barking within seconds. Neighbours say it’s “just how things are.” I don’t see how non-stop noise and stressed-out dogs can count as normal.

Most of these dogs live outdoors day and night, through winter rain and summer heat. They bark at everything because they’re bored and anxious, not because there’s a real threat. It’s bad security and worse animal welfare. Meanwhile our son can’t finish a single sleep cycle and the street never goes quiet.

I love dogs; that’s why this bothers me twice over. Chronic stress shortens their lives, and constant barking wrecks babies’ sleep. Basic training or simply bringing dogs inside part-time would solve most of it and still keep homes safe.

Wanting calmer streets isn’t “foreign complaining.” It’s a small, practical step that helps parents, shift-workers, elderly neighbours—and the dogs themselves. If enough of us speak up, maybe the default can shift from bark-first to live-better.