Normal? I don't have a dog, so no, it wouldn't be normal for me. But yes, if a dog barked in my home it would be heard over most any system not turned up to ear bleeding levels.[/QUOTE]

Well thats what I was saying ---- if you dont HAVE a dog, how could it possibly apply to YOUR situation? LOL. But we have FOUR dogs, not just one, and while I try and keep them out of the home theater as much as possible (this room connects to the kitchen with no separating walls of any kind with any sound deadening materials), they manage to work their way in and bark their heads off somtimes and I can hear that over the DVD soundtrack----this would be considered "normal" then unless the system was turned up to ear bleeding levels?