Guide to Barking Dogs

Barking dogs are the single largest type of noise complaint we receive.

We spend hundreds of hours each year dealing with these complaints. This page provides advice on what dog owners can do if their dog is causing a problem, and what to do if you are suffering because of a dog barking.

Why do dogs bark?

There are lots of reasons why dogs bark:

• Excitement.
• Frustration.
• The dog is guarding you and your home.
• Boredom.
• Attention seeking.
• Is the dog is scared?
• The dog can’t cope with being left alone.

What you can do to stop your dog barking.

There are a lots of solutions to this problem.

The Dogs Trust have some handy and practical advice on ways of adapting your dog’s behaviour.  You can visit them at https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/dog-advice/training/unwanted-behaviours/stop-your-dog-barking

The Government also has information on this problem including a booklet on ways of preventing your dog barking as well as other neighbour noise problems at:

[Withdrawn] Is your dog barking too much? - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Dogs barking

Dogs will always bark, but it only becomes a problem when this behaviour goes on persistently for long periods, or is happening at unreasonable times, such as in the middle of the night.

In most cases, the best way to deal with the problem is to go to the owner and make them aware of how the dog barking is affecting you.

Quite often, the dog will only bark when its owners are out, so they might not be aware that when they leave the house the dog starts barking.

If approaching the dog’s owners doesn’t resolve the matter, then contact us.

Remember, always keep a note of when and how you’re affected by the barking. We can often make use of this evidence if you can’t resolve the problem with the dog’s owners.

What happens next?

• We will normally send you a pack with diary sheets for you to fill out over a two to four week period to get an idea of the severity of the problem.
• When you return the sheets we will look at them to decide whether we can do anything. An officer will call you to discuss what action we can take.
• We may, in certain situations take action straight away.

We look to find a solution informally, whenever possible.

If we decide that the case needs further investigation, you will be asked to continue writing down when the noise is a problem. An officer may visit to witness the noise at first hand. Sometimes, particularly when noise happens late at night, or is unpredictable, we may look to install a noise monitor for a short period to record the noise.

If the evidence proves there is a statutory nuisance, we will serve a notice requiring the noise maker to stop the nuisance.

If the notice requirements are not met, we may prosecute the person in the Magistrates Court.

Contact us:

If you need any help or more advice then please get in touch with us by email at: EnvironmentalProtection@sstaffs.gov.uk 

Or write to us at:

Environmental Protection

Environmental Health and Licensing

South Staffordshire Council

Council Offices

Wolverhampton Road

Codsall

South Staffordshire

WV8 1PX