ArfArfArfArfArfArf!

Hi, Matt:

Do dogs ever get tired of barking? Is there a record for the longest consecutive bark? My neighbor's dog must hold that record. I'm sure a normal person couldn't talk that long. Even my mother-in-law's record is only 3 hours and 23 minutes.

-- Dave from Arkansas

It's a scientific fact that time moves only half as fast when a Yorkie is barking. And unlike your mother-in-law, the dog won't get to the point where his lips are moving but no sound is coming out. Dogs don't usually get hoarse and croaky because they don't make sounds the way mom-in-law does. The dog's diaphragm and chest muscles force air between the vocal cords, but the sound isn't modulated. So there's no irritation of the larynx, no laryngitis. You, however, get a massive headache. Assuming the dog isn't barking at something specific, that nonstop yapping is either a really annoying canine habit or a symptom of stress. Whichever it is, the dog's probably not any happier than you are. As usual, only the owners can ignore all the racket.