The title of this blog is from an English nursery rhyme first published in the 1700s. Historians don’t agree whether the poem was inspired by an actual event or just reflected a natural concern about strangers in uncertain times. One version begins:

“Hark, hark, the dogs do bark,

Beggars are coming to town,

Some in jags, some in rags,

And some in velvet gowns.”

Living at Ulee’s Refuge, you realize that dogs do bark. Often. Loudly. They bark when encountering strangers, when meeting friends, at birds, squirrels, or rabbits. They bark when you walk by their apartment or if they see you crossing the parking lot. Sometimes they bark just to hear their own voice.

The tone of a bark signals a warning, a greeting, an acknowledgement of another dog or an attempt to scare off a threat. At night, if one dog barks, a chorus of howls rises from other apartments as they indulge in a communication system we can’t decode.

After Lizzy barks, her furry face reflects contentment, as if her vocalization efforts has alleviated tension.

Perhaps we humans should try barking as a form of stress release.