My neighbor's dog won't stop barking. What do I do?

Oh, this is a layered one. I do enjoy the layered ones.

The dog is not the problem. The dog has never been the problem. The dog is a symptom of a neighbor who has never been given a reason to care about your experience. The dog barks because it is anxious, or bored, or simply doing what dogs do — which is announce, endlessly, that they exist. Rather like social media, when you think about it.

Now. What we’re going to do is this.

First, you’re going to bake something. Muffins, banana bread, it doesn’t matter — what matters is the act of arriving at their door holding food. This disarms every mammal on your planet. You will smile. You will introduce yourself if you haven’t already. You will say, with great gentleness, that you work from home and you’ve noticed the dog seems distressed during the day. Note the word: distressed. Not annoying. Not loud. Distressed. You are concerned for the dog.

This reframes the entire conversation. You are no longer the complainer. You are the caring neighbor who noticed their pet might be suffering. They will feel guilty — not because you accused them, but because you were kind and they weren’t paying attention.

If this doesn’t work, there is always the noise complaint. But try the muffins first. Cruelty is a last resort. Kindness with strategic intent is always the opening move.