Noisy dogs

Introduction

We receive a large number of complaints about barking and howling dogs. Whilst we are happy to give advice to people who are troubled by noise from dogs, most complaints can and should be resolved between neighbours. 

Our recommendation is that if you are affected by noise from a neighbour's dog, go and see the owner. Three requests a few days apart may be sufficient to resolve the problem, but if they don't, we may be prepared to contact the owner, depending on the circumstances. 

If, however, you are housebound or otherwise incapacitated to an extent which prevents you contacting the dog owner, we will obviously be prepared to intervene at the outset, but please read the rest of the information on this page first.

When to Complain

Almost all dogs bark occasionally for a few moments, for example when being let out after a period indoors, when people approach the front door or sometimes when people walk past the house or garden. This may be irritating, but think carefully before complaining about noise of this kind as there may be nothing an owner can do to secure an improvement.

On the other hand, dogs which bark or howl loudly and frequently for longer periods can cause great annoyance. Incidents which occur early mornings, evenings or at night can be much more of a problem than at other times. It is not unreasonable to complain to a neighbour about this sort of noise.

Visit our information page to see what steps you can take to resolve the nuisance.