Imagine every night a barking dog layered over a drum solo that sounds like someone falling down the stairs with cymbals.

Somewhere out there, Mother Nature is laughing at us, because she gave one little Shih-Tzu puppy a bark that sounds less like a canine warning and more like a squeaky dog toy trapped inside a furball.

Incessant barking is the top complaint to animal-control centers. As always, it’s better to start with a personal approach. By Ronda Kaysen Q: I live in a quiet suburban neighborhood in Metuchen, N.J.