There's a very attractive house that sits a short distance down the street from us. It's one of the nicest on the block, if not the nicest. The house itself is very well-maintained, clean and clearly the subject of someone's ongoing attention. Beyond this, however, the entire front yard is beautifully landscaped, and done in a manner that must require regular maintenance. The lot is impressive for our area, and it would seem at a glance that the owners are individuals who indeed understand how to care for things.
Every time either my wife or I walk past this house when we're out with our dogs, an angry German Shepherd emerges in the driveway to bark at us relentlessly. Though we usually keep to the opposite side of the street, the dog nonetheless starts before we're in front of the house and continues barking for some time afterward. Going on and on at the top of his/her lungs, the dog leers at us aggressively through the high metal fence. I am always proud of our dogs in these moments, who stare quietly at the insane spectacle as we walk past. The German Shepherd is almost always there when we pass, and we have yet to see anyone come out and comfort the dog or even communicate with it during these spells. (I did see the people who lived in the house once, getting into their car; I'm pretty sure they were wearing Christmas sweaters.)
I used to feel frustration at this dog and its relentless barking, so uselessly loud and obnoxious, until the Redhead pointed out that this poor animal is just unsocialized, alone, perpetually trapped behind a fence -- not getting what it really needs and reacting accordingly. A prominent Beware of Dog sign on the driveway fence and the giant Merry Christmas permanently affixed above their porch remain the only text adorning the house. This poor, scary dog serves to protect these people's precious things and to complete an image, and has the terrible misfortune of being treated like just another ornament -- living under the control of humans who are either too stupid to understand or just don't care what this decorative creature living at their mercy might really need. But honestly, how could either of these realities be possible? The truly sad thing is, this dog would most likely be willing to die in defense of these people. It doesn't seem uncommon, but it never stops being disappointing -- seeing everything so well-maintained but real life itself.
