DEAR JOAN: I adore my latest puppy, who is 8 months old, but she yaps incessantly. I’ve had small dogs in the past — Chihuahuas and a min pin — but none of them have had the same sharp bark that I am ...

There is a particular kind of irritation that builds slowly, quietly, and without warning. It is not a fight, a broken window, or a stolen package. It is just a small dog behind a fence, yapping at ...