in your shoes before

Several years ago when we purchased a house in Pennsylvania, our house was next to a house owned by a very nice couple whose dog was barking nonstop whenever we were in our backyard. The dog almost drove me mad, but I was embarrassed to go to the neighbors to complain about their “kid”. Later, we learned that the prior owner of our house used to give the dog some dog biscuits whenever he was in the backyard. The dog did not know that prior owner had moved. Barking was his way to remind us of his treat. We did not know how to make the dog understand and accept the change in his life. Consequently, we started to throw him one or two biscuits whenever we want to enjoy peace in our backyard. It worked like a miracle.