The dog and me

Over the weekend my neighbour has somehow managed to acquire a dog.
 
The dog hates me. Correction - all dogs hate me. That's because I hate them. I have a crazed warped view of all dogs as potential little - or large, depending on the size - killers because I was attacked by a dog when I was seventeen for no apparent reason other than it possibly didn't like my tennis outfit. The dog knows about my warped views of itself and its species, I suspect. On Sunday evening it started barking like crazy as soon as I got out of the lift. Initially I wasn't sure where the barking was coming from so I hesitated before entering the corridor, expecting to see a large monster standing there. Luckily, it was behind the door so I told it to shut up* and got to my door. But it wouldn't stop barking. Even though I was already halfway inside my flat it went on and on.
 
I'd forgotten about the dog in the morning. I have trouble functioning in the mornings as a sentient being so I do everything on autopilot: find alarm clock, turn it off, tumble into shower, dry hair, find clean-ish clothes and shoes, step out of door, lock door. But this Monday morning was going to be somewhat different.
"Woof, woofwoofwoofwoofwoofwoof!"
Holy cow. That woke me up all right. I had just stepped out of my flat and it was that manic dog barking again. I'm nervy enough as it is in the mornings so you can imagine my fright. I nearly forgot to take my keys.
"Shut up, will you? I live here!" I shouted back at the dog, but it went on barking all the same.
 
Hong Kong flats are very close-knit to each other. I can hear my neighbour come in and the dog making just as much of a racket when she does. I have seen the entire interior of her flat when she sometimes leaves the door open and I know it is a much smaller flat than my own. For this reason, I feel a tiny bit of sympathy towards the dog, cooped up as it is in a small space for the whole day with no one to play with it or take it for walks. My neighbour does not have a maid, she leaves home early and she comes home late.  I don't even know if it is a big dog or a small dog - all dogs sound the same to me. But I do wish it would stop barking at me.
 

*As in, literally: "Shut up!".