Noisy Animals
By far the greatest number of complaints we receive about noisy animals relates to barking dogs.
It is normal for dogs to bark, however, when that barking turns to loud and continuous barking or frequent bursts of barking throughout the day and night, it can amount to a serious noise nuisance.
I'm disturbed by a barking dog, what should I do?
- Often an owner may not know their dog is causing a problem, so before contacting the Environmental Health & Licensing Division try to discuss the problem with them or write a polite letter (remember to keep a copy) to try to arrive at an amiable solution.
- Failing the above approach, start gathering evidence. You can print a |Nuisance Record Sheet and begin logging the instances of barking.
- Register your complaint with the |Environmental Health & Licensing Division and forward a copy of your completed nuisance record sheet.
A barking dog complaint will be treated in the same way as any other noise complaint. This could lead to us serving a Statutory Noise Abatement Notice on the owner of the dog.
My dog barks a lot, what can I do?
- The more tired a dog is the less it will bark - organise regular exercise.
- Do not let your dog bark or whine for long periods or leave it alone for long periods.
- Try not to excite your dog too much when playing as this will lead to barking - try to keep it calm.
- Do not leave your dog outside late at night or very early in the morning if it is prone to barking.
- Consider seeking professional advice from a vet or pet behaviour specialist.
