Barking dogs

Barking as normal behaviour 

Barking is natural behaviour for dogs – it is how they communicate with people, other dogs, and the environment. However, if barking becomes loud and persistent, it can create a nuisance for others living nearby. 

Excess barking is a learned behaviour, so the longer a dog is allowed to freely bark, the longer it will take to retrain them. 

Reasons for barking: 

• Alerting/territorial: Warning of intruders, people passing by, or unfamiliar sounds. 
• Attention-seeking: Barking to get a toy, food, or playtime, as they’ve learned it works. 
• Excitement/play: Happy barks during greetings or play, often accompanied by tail wags. 
• Fear/anxiety: Reacting to things that scare them or cause discomfort, including separation anxiety when left alone. 
• Boredom/loneliness: Barking to self-stimulate or because they are unhappy being alone. 
• Medical issues: Pain, hearing loss, or cognitive decline can trigger increased barking. 
• Breed traits: Some breeds are naturally more vocal due to the original purpose they were bred for. 

Excessive barking can disrupt and distress neighbours and potentially damage neighbourly relationships. Animal Education and Control investigate complaints about nuisance barking, howling, or whining. 

Before making a complaint, consider the following: 

• Is the barking loud and persistent? 
• Is it worse at certain times or on particular days? 
• Do you know the correct address where the dog lives? 
• Is it safe to speak with the dog owner? 
• Have you tried leaving a note in the dog owner’s mailbox? 

Many dog owners are unaware their dog barks excessively, especially if it happens when they are not home, and appreciate being informed so they can address it.  

There is a template you could use to get started if you’d like to leave a letter in their mailbox here.

 

How to report a barking dog

To report a barking dog, you can call Council on 07 838 6699 or submit a report online here 

A barking log form is available here, but you are not required to complete it before making a report. After you submit a complaint, an Animal Education and Control Officer will contact you. 

Please be mindful that resolving a barking nuisance may take some time, as excessive barking is a behaviour that needs to be unlearned and replaced with positive behaviours. However, we find that nearly 70% of barking issues resolve quickly once the owner is aware and able to make changes to the environment or the dog’s routine. 

We address nuisance barking on a case-by-case basis, as there are many reasons dogs bark and no ‘one size fits all’ solution.

 

How we investigate barking complaints

We follow a step-by-step process to make sure concerns are handled fairly and consistently. 

1. Initial contact 

Our Animal Education and Control team will contact both the complainant and the dog owner to: 

• Confirm the address and understand the situation (e.g. when the barking occurs, how often, and for how long). 
• Let the complainant know we’ll be speaking with the dog owner. 
• Talk with the dog owner to gather information and offer advice to help reduce barking. 
• Explain that we’ll check back with the complainant in a week to see if things have improved. 

Most complaints are resolved at this stage. 

2. One-week follow-up 

We follow up with the complainant a week later to see if they feel there has been any improvement. If not, we ask them to complete barking log sheets so we can better understand the issue and let the dog owner know that logs are being completed.  

3. Review of barking logs 

Once we receive the log sheets: 

• A member of the Animal Education and Control team analyses the information to identify barking patterns and assess whether a nuisance may be occurring. 
• Our findings are discussed with the dog owner, and we may offer a property visit to give tailored advice. 
• The complainant will be updated on progress. 

4. Further follow-up 

We will check in with the complainant again after another week: 

• If the barking has improved, we may close the case. 
• If not, our team will continue working with both parties to help resolve the issue. 

5. Neighbourhood check 

If concerns continue, we survey nearby residents to see whether others are also affected by the barking. 

• If the survey shows that the complaint isn’t supported by neighbours, the case may be closed and both parties informed. 
• If multiple neighbours report being affected, we send a warning letter to the dog owner.  

If there’s still no improvement after a warning, we may issue an abatement notice. Continued non-compliance with an abatement notice can result in the dog being seized by Animal Education and Control.