neighbours dog barking dog wont be quiet; steps to take

Tolerance is required where occasional barking occurs.

Dogs do bark and at times are required to do so, it is when the barking is loud and/or persistent, that it can become a nuisance.

Closeup shot of a fox terrier type dogHowever:

  • Continuous barking can become annoying and distressing to neighbours and surrounding properties. It is the dog owner's responsibility to ensure that their dog is not causing a nuisance.
  • If neighbours complain, please don't ignore a justified complaint.

Causes of barking

If your dog is unhappy about its current situation, it may bark. It could be unhappy due to:

  • boredom or anxiety
  • changes in family, environment or lifestyle of owners
  • fleas or troublesome flies
  • hunger or discomfort
  • kennel position, size and condition
  • lack of exercise
  • loneliness
  • teasing of the dog through the fence

Preventing your dog from barking

  • See if you can work out why your dog is barking in the first place.
  • Check the list above and if nothing you try seems to work, you may have to start some training.
  • Speak at a normal volume. Dogs learn their behaviour by copying you. If you raise your voice, you are telling your dog "loud is OK".
  • Praise your dog for being quiet.
  • Try plenty of exercise to release the dog's energy prior to it being tied up or left alone.

If your dog continues to bark and you are stuck, contact us for advice. We have the knowledge and experience in dealing with barking behaviour and are very pleased to help you.

If the barking continues

If the barking problem continues, please contact Animal Control and we will organise a visit to the dog owner. It can be helpful to keep a barking record which notes the times and duration of the barking. This allows us to see if there is a pattern or trigger with the barking.

Confidentiality

When making a complaint to Animal Control we require your details so that we can verify the problem and to enable us to keep in touch with you during the investigation. Your details are confidential and are not given to the dog owner.

Please phone our 24 hour line in the first instance.

Alternatively, you can contact us if you can't find the information you are looking for on our website.