# Neighbour complaint to council about my dog barking 24/7!!



## Poodle5

Hi there, I have just received a letter form the council to say they have received a complaint from my neighbour about my dog barking 24/7 (which is a complete lie)!!!

Wanted some advice from anyone who has encountered this problem please?

Give you breif backgorund about my 1yr old miniture Poodle. 

He does not bark after 9pm unless soemthing disturbs his sleep i.e. police sirens etc then it is a short sharp yap & back to sleep. He does not bark when he wakes up, just jumps up on bed and paws you. We then take him our for an ealy morning walk to the park. We dont let him out in the back garden in the morning just in case he does bark and wakes the neighbours!!! He does not go out after 9pm apart from a quick night widdle but then he is on lead & with us outside, again no barking.

He is not left alone during the day as always someone with him, so we know his actions. He gets taken out for a lunchtime walk & then sleeps a little during the afternoon. He will have a yap when we come in from school/work which can last for a little bit but that is more to do with him being excited to see us & wanting to play...but again it is not prolong periods of barking.

Have told the council to come round unanounced at various times of the day to see what they hear??

Are we at risk of being fined? or worse case, having him taken of us? Is there anything legally we can do?

Cheers


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## CarolineH

They will have to conduct noise observations (sitting near your property in a vehicle taking notes of times dog barks and duration etc) before they can take further action, normally also installing noise monitoring equipment at the complanants address in order to gather evidence. If your dog is not making the noise as claimed then I really wouldn't worry about it. Just ask them to provide irrefutable evidence to back up their claims. Remember, the council have to follow up all complaints received and they cannot take your dog off you anyway.


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## Cleo38

I have looked on my local councils web site & found the following which advises what steps will be taken if a complaint is logged:

"Brief details are given here of the investigation procedure when a noise nuisance is reported.

When a complaint is received, the details are logged onto a database and given a unique reference number. 
A member of the Environmental Protection team will make an initial response to the customer within three working days. This will be by letter, telephone or in person. 
Diary sheets and guidance notes will be issued to the customer to complete and return within seven to ten days. 
If no response is received from the customer within twenty eight days, the case will be closed. 
If diary sheets are returned, an Environmental Protection officer will analyse them. 
If there is evidence of a possible nuisance, the investigating officer will either visit the person responsible for the noise, install a noise recording machine (DAT) or will send a warning letter. 
If the problem continues and the nuisance is witnessed by a North Hertfordshire District Council officer, an abatement notice will be served. An abatement notice is a form of protection which can be used by local authorities in seeking to achieve a speedy remedy for an alleged nuisance. 
Contravention of an abatement notice could lead to a fine or the equipment being seized."

Are there any other dogs in the neighbourhood that your neighbour may be confusing with your dog?
Is this a personal issue? Have you had any problems before?
Are you really sure that your dog isn't barking more than you think? (Sorry but you have to be sure)
I would also start keeping a diary of events relating to your dog or noticing if there are any triggers that set the barking off.
I really don't think that you have anything to worry about if it is only to odd bark. If you have neighbours then you can't expect them to be silent, you have to except a bit of noise. Just make sure that you look at your councils website, don't be too confrontational when you speak to them, appear willing to get this resolved & I'm sure it will be fine


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## dodigna

I would start keeping a log of your where abouts with the dog, including when you are out for how long etc, once in is he barks time it and log it and also put the reason behind the barking, ie: police siren, excitement to see us back, etc.

When you live him, do record for the duration of you being out and the dog left alone. This is very important as this is where some time neighbours cause the dog to bark in the first place so they can call out the wardens to witness the nuisance.

Some councils are different then others, but the general guidance and procedure should be the same, like warning /final warning etc. Having said that only a few weeks ago some one from this forum has had to re-home her dog has she was landed with an abatement order or court. She didn't stand a chance of working on her dog's SA as the notice was final and had no choice but re-homing. She received no warning prior. So be very careful!

Also find out who complained and put a face on and go round with your best puppy eyes on to offer an apology and ask exactly when they hear your dog barking as it is news to you and it might have been a different dog as in you want to cooperate to resolve this, but try not to admit to too much... Avoid any confrontation.

Clearly of it turns up your dog does bark, then you need to resolve this.


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## healpro

Keep your own log as suggested, the complainant will be asked to keep theirs and then the council will put monitoring equipment in place at the complainants address.
I know this because I made a complaint to my council about a neighbour (noisy parties on a regular basis).
If you know for a fact that your dog does not bark excessively then you have nothing to worry about


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## sunshinelolly80

Hi there, I'm new here and have just come across your post. I know how you're feeling, I received a letter going back about 4 years ago now, saying that my neighbour had made a complaint about my dog barking all the time whilst I'm out, I didn't know he was doing this and I went round to the neighbours house to apologize and told him I would do all I could to sort the problem out. I had the dog warden round for some advice. She explained to me that as long as I was doing my best to minimise the barking and that it wasn't unsocialble hours(which it wasn't), then everything would be ok. Well, I did try my hardest and had a behavourist out and the vet put him on medication for his anxiety, I did keep going round to the neighbour to see if there were any improvements which he said sometimes he didn't bark much. Then on one occasion he got very confrontational with me when I returned home from being out shopping for 2 hours , he came right up to my face when I had my little girl in my arms and started ranting and raving, it was so frightening! To cut a long story short, I became scared to go out just in case my dog was barking and I became really down about it all. We did end up moving, not because of him. We explained to our new neighbours from day one, the problems we had had with our dog and told them that we were continually working to help him with his problems. Fortunately, we live in a semi detached now and the neighbours next to us are animal lovers and are very understanding. We have another dog too now, who we've had almost three years and although our other dog still occasionally barks when we're out, he's much better and we try to be considerate and not leave them for long periods of time or at night. I hope you get things sorted with your neighbour but try not to worry too much. x


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## k8t

Hi

First thing you need to do is to find out procedure for a barking complaint. You needn't say it is your dog, just ring up and ask what the councils procedure is.

Every council is different and also who deals with the complaints are different. It could be the Dog Warden, or it may be an Environmental Health Officer (EHO).

Usually, after receiving a complaint the Council will write to the alleged offender (this is standard procedure), informing them that a complaint has been received. What happens next depends on your individual authority. Some councils as the complainant to keep a log of noise and will look at it to ascertain if there could be a nuisance. Sometimes someone from the Council will monitor the noise themselves to see if it constitutes a noise nuisance. What is a nuisance can vary from person to person, so the guidelines laid out in the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (do a seach for noise nusiance). Basically it is expected to be a nuisance if the noise is prolonged and/or between the hours of 11pm - 7.00am. Of course, what constitutes a nuisance is different from person to person.

If the EHO or Dog Warden witnesses the noise, they can go to the Magistrates and ask for a Noise Abatement Notice to be served, which basically says the noise must cease. If not, then you could face a fine.

As I said before, each Council is different, so find out what yours does. If the Dog Warden deals with it, then speak to them (again helpfulness will depend on one Dog Warden to another), lets hope you have a good Dog Warden - what area are you in? A good Dog Warden will give you advice on how to deal with it.

In the meantime, keep your own record of whenever you are out and the dog is alone - this could be useful if you are accused of your dog barking at certain times. Maybe set up a video recorder to monitor if your dog is stressed. It can be a good idea to approach neighbours, saying that you have been told your dog is barking and although were not aware of it, you will be taking the appropriate steps and would welcome their help in letting you know if and at what times your dog is heard. This will depend on how well you get on with your neighbours though!!

Also, think about what you can practically do for your dog, could it be separation Anxiety? If so, do some work on that. Maybe your dog is hearing things outside and is reactive? Try and desensitise to the sounds that set him off - or leave a radio/TV on in the house. Is your dog barking as it can see other dogs/people? Think about where you leave your dog, close blinds/stop the dog getting into a window.

Everyone has to leave a dog sometime, whether it be to pop to the shops for an hour or so, or go out in the evening, could it be on these occassions your dog is continually barking?

It is always shocking to find that someone may not like your dog as much as you, and it is never pleasant to think that a neighbour couldn't approach your directly if they had a problem, but believe me, it is more common than you think. Don't ignore these initial contacts, do something about it now, as you may have to prove your dog doesn't bark and that is not as easy as you may think, so get your evidence together and speak to the Council.

Best of luck and I hope it gets sorted.

Kate


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## narquatic

hi,

my neighbour has made a complaint to the council saying my dog barks alot(which is not the case). my dog only barks when he hears police sirens, or any unknown noises from the other gardens.

the council tried contacting me only once which i wasnt at home, the next day i received a letter stating that she tried calling me but i wasnt home which means i am leaving my dog unattended. she only called once and how can she be sure that i am leaving my dog as if it is for 24 hours?

on the letter she is giving me one day notice to get my dog out of the property because the nieghbour made her listen to the dog barking over the phone...how can she be sure that it was my dog barking? how could it be proved?

she also states i had to ask for written permission before owning a dog which i didnt know about. i am sending my dog to my friends for 2 weeks and will call to speak to council on monday and see what will happen.

but i found it very unfair the way she didnt even listen and came to conclusion that my dog was barking over the phone and also giving only 1 day notice for my dog to leave the premises.

can anyone give me any advice please.


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## Guest

Moose's dad barks rather loudly. Now, before the owner got him, nextdoor to her on one side was always being burgled. Since they have had the dad no burgalries. But, now the neighbours both sides are complaining that he barks too much! 

Some people are so child like when a dog doesn't bark hardly ever, and when they do, thats it their precious peace is broken. Lets go and complain! 

I wouldn't worry too much over it chick, sounds like you have a neurotic neighbour who may have something against dogs making a bit of noise.


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## newfiesmum

narquatic said:


> hi,
> 
> my neighbour has made a complaint to the council saying my dog barks alot(which is not the case). my dog only barks when he hears police sirens, or any unknown noises from the other gardens.
> 
> the council tried contacting me only once which i wasnt at home, the next day i received a letter stating that she tried calling me but i wasnt home which means i am leaving my dog unattended. she only called once and how can she be sure that i am leaving my dog as if it is for 24 hours?
> 
> on the letter she is giving me one day notice to get my dog out of the property because the nieghbour made her listen to the dog barking over the phone...how can she be sure that it was my dog barking? how could it be proved?
> 
> she also states i had to ask for written permission before owning a dog which i didnt know about. i am sending my dog to my friends for 2 weeks and will call to speak to council on monday and see what will happen.
> 
> but i found it very unfair the way she didnt even listen and came to conclusion that my dog was barking over the phone and also giving only 1 day notice for my dog to leave the premises.
> 
> can anyone give me any advice please.


That is appalling! If I were you I would be taking legal advice about your situation, because the neighbour could have been playing a tape over the phone for all this stupid woman knows.

As to the original poster, if you know for certain it is not your dog, you have nothing to worry about. As advised, keep a detailed log, even set up a video camera so that you have proof. It could be anyone's dog they can hear, but because yours is the only one they can see it must be yours.

When my daughter was away, she gave her neighbour my phone number in case her little ckc started yapping, because he did do that a lot. Her son was home, but at work during the day. One day I get a phone call from her neighbour saying that Max was barking constantly. How long has this been going on? Two weeks! Well, they had the bloody phone number, why didn't they phone earlier? And no, they hadn't mentioned it to my grandson. Of course, he was seventeen and they didn't bother trying to find out if he was going to be reasonable, just assumed he wouldn't be. Of course, I immediately went and brought the dog home with me. Why can't people talk to you first before complaining to the council?


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## narquatic

hi again,

thanks for your responses i will do my best and will take legal action to keep my dog. this is my first pet and i really feel emotional when i think he has to leave us.

his an german shepherd and he does bark when he hears any type of noise round the garden. he provides security for my house and neighbours too. the neighbour that complaint has a german shepherd too but i really dont know why she dont understand. or how would she feel if her dog is taken away from her.

i am also sending him to training too so he will improve too, his only months old so he is very energetic and gets hypered when he hears people around because he wants to play.


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## Guest

newfiesmum said:


> Why can't people talk to you first before complaining to the council?


Because they are afraid of what may happen. Or they just cant be a*sed to bother 'trying' to talk.

More the latter I'd say, especially if you know who and what your neighbours are like (friendly etc)


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## xhuskyloverx

Can't really offer any advise but we ere going through this about a year ago! Had lots of probs with neighbours!! They didn't like us having 2 dogs! The council people sat outside our house everyday for 2 weeks and heard nothing so it was dismissed! Hopefully this will be the case for you too. Our neighbour did carry on for ages tho until we threatened her with a harassment order! lol That shut her right up! :thumbup:


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## dave shadow

I have a nieghbour who on a occassions when my dog is in the garden and as barked opens is window and shouts down with words i cant repeat to shut my dog up, im not sure if its just me but i find it really hard to respond to someone hurling abuse and threats, so i slowly responded several weeks later i was busy in the garden grass seeding and was just putting up a dence i had almost finshed left my dog on the varanda with the gate closed for around five six minuets it was 3pm the dog barked out came the head of my nieghbour the same abuse when i told him dont respond to that , he said he would be down in two mins to sort me out which sure enough he did, i told him if you talk to me rather than abuse and threats the dog would be in no problem , right or wrong his attitude created a reaction in me, which normally i wouldnt of shown, he has now complained to the council ,he once got the rspca out saying there was an abandoned dog meaning mine , the guy as lodged a ton of complaints this is how ridicoulos it is he once shouted at me to shut my dog up and my dog wasnt even out it was next doors now ive been summoned to the council any advice woukld be appreciated and whats even more strange i used to work at the same place as this guy, one day we had finished work he was walking in front iof me when a guys dog barked at him and he went nuts threatening to kill the dog later found out when he was younger he had been attacked by a dog which could explain his hatered and rage, whatt worries me is what lenghs he will go to and what lies he will tell along the way he has already vowed to have the dog rid off.


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## newfiesmum

dave shadow said:


> I have a nieghbour who on a occassions when my dog is in the garden and as barked opens is window and shouts down with words i cant repeat to shut my dog up, im not sure if its just me but i find it really hard to respond to someone hurling abuse and threats, so i slowly responded several weeks later i was busy in the garden grass seeding and was just putting up a dence i had almost finshed left my dog on the varanda with the gate closed for around five six minuets it was 3pm the dog barked out came the head of my nieghbour the same abuse when i told him dont respond to that , he said he would be down in two mins to sort me out which sure enough he did, i told him if you talk to me rather than abuse and threats the dog would be in no problem , right or wrong his attitude created a reaction in me, which normally i wouldnt of shown, he has now complained to the council ,he once got the rspca out saying there was an abandoned dog meaning mine , the guy as lodged a ton of complaints this is how ridicoulos it is he once shouted at me to shut my dog up and my dog wasnt even out it was next doors now ive been summoned to the council any advice woukld be appreciated and whats even more strange i used to work at the same place as this guy, one day we had finished work he was walking in front iof me when a guys dog barked at him and he went nuts threatening to kill the dog later found out when he was younger he had been attacked by a dog which could explain his hatered and rage, whatt worries me is what lenghs he will go to and what lies he will tell along the way he has already vowed to have the dog rid off.


First thing you need to do is start videoing and recording your dog (to see how much and how often he barks) and your wonderful neighbour (to see how many times he sticks his ugly head out the window). You also need to start keeping a journal of the times, duration and dates of everything. Dogs barking constantly, the council might just be interested in. Dogs barking occasionally because they are dogs, they couldn't care less about. But they have to investigate.

My dogs rarely bark, but the other dogs in this neighbourhood, of which there are many, bark a lot. It doesn't bother me, but then I love dogs. The best way to stop the dog from barking is to ignore him, but you can't do that with this a-hole about, can you?


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## petzplazaUK

I had exactly the same thing happen to me hun, my dogs only bark if theres something to bark at and rarely after 8-9pm but this girl said they barked from 8am til midnight(she lived in house flats next to me upstairs).
i phoned the council and spoke to a lady who was very helpful and said u cant really stop a dog barking (she had dogs herself), she said they would conduct noise level monitoring and the complainant had to write a diary of times for one month etc but not to worry too much about and i said im ringing you from home now can you hear them?she told me to keeop a diary also of the times my dog barks so they can look at both diaries.

Hubby told me not to say anything to her but well my dogs are my babies so im afraid i went like a bull at a gate and confronted the woman aswell and asked if she would complain about my kids playing in the garden because they were too noisy aswell (i was livid lol), annoyingly the woman had a terrier aswell that often started my dogs off when she left him in all day whilst she went out (she didnt work just went out most days).she slapped the door shut on me and then shouted s**g as she ran up her stairs  which made me even more mad .

needless to say nothing ever became of it because my dogs didnt bark like that so the case wasnt even followed up , the guy who lived underneath her used to come to the fence and talk to the dogs and offer treats to try and make friends with them , they never bothered him and only barked if he surprised them walking down the path alongside our back door.

You may not ever hear from them again hun - fingers crossed


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## SleepyBones

> she also states i had to ask for written permission before owning a dog which i didnt know about. i am sending my dog to my friends for 2 weeks and will call to speak to council on monday and see what will happen


That's quite normal for councills to write that into a tenancy agreement, it more than likely reads 'tenant agrees to keep no pets', to that effect, not just dogs. If that written into the tenancy agreement you have no grounds of defence, non, it's the law of contract & binding.

But they cannot just evict you just like that, they have to issue you with a formal eviction notice & around 28 days notice at least, where your councill goes from here is guesswork but probably they will ask to state you have removed the dog from your property & go from there.

They don't have to take the no pets contract route if they don't want to but to have mentioned that at all is not a good sign.

.


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## Quinzell

I can't tell from this comment


> left my dog on the varanda with the gate closed for around five six minuets it was 3pm the dog barked


 if you meant that the dog was barking for this duration. To be honest, 5 or 6 minutes of continuous noise is quite irritating. Unfortunately, background noise can be something that gets to people more than noises in their own house.....I know because I'm one of those people :blushing: Unfortunately, I have a very low tolerance of noise. I don't mind dogs barking because I have two of my own so I know how it goes but as soon as I can hear someone's TV or music I start to lose my rag 

If I hear one of the neighbourhood dogs barking for that length of time it worries me that something is wrong (usually shut out of the house on their own and distressed!). If one of our dogs start barking while they are in the garden, my husband or I will rush out to quieten them down.

A couple of Christmas' ago I was at my brothers house with Harvey, who was a juvi at that time. My SiL couldn't tolerate him because he kept getting under her feet and she was a little unwell at the time. I put him out in the garden and he barked. After a few minutes one of the neighbours opened the window and politely asked me to keep him quiet which I totally respected.

I have since taught Harvey the "quiet" command, so he knows when his barking is not acceptable. It might be an idea to look into that. Use positive reinforcement to try and get your dog to stop barking.

Unfortunately, not everyone loves dogs (especially the noises that they can make  ). You have to ask yourself if you would be happy having to listen to loud music whilst you were trying to watch TV or concentrate on something, regardless of how short the bursts are. Dogs can be trained to stop barking and in my opinion this is one of the most valuable commands that I have taught my dog.

I'm not trying to have a go at you, especially as your neighbour seems like he's a bit of a twit, but just offering another point of view and something that might help you and your dog whilst reducing the risk of complaint


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## Vik81

Iv got a stupid neighbour to, iv ad a letter saying my dogs are aggressive , noisey and poo all over her back garden( i wish ) i ad a letter of dog warden, i rang dog warden and dog warden nevere answered my call. Now this is about my fence wohich i av been trying to get council round to fix for 4 yrs and i have all sorts patching it up all around my garden but my 2 pup shih tzu still get in, so now shes left her garden gate open so my dogs can get knocked over on the main road which my house is on, its a very busy road with buses every 2 mins and all over traffic. Can she do this knowing my dogs could be killed.


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## SleepyBones

> Have told the council to come round unanounced at various times of the day to see what they hear??


If its only one person complaining the normal thing for most councills to do is set up recording instruments somewhere for a few days and see what they get, some might send an observer but thats unlikely due to manhours etc. It could be a different matter if there is more than one person complaining.


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## newfiesmum

Vik81 said:


> Iv got a stupid neighbour to, iv ad a letter saying my dogs are aggressive , noisey and poo all over her back garden( i wish ) i ad a letter of dog warden, i rang dog warden and dog warden nevere answered my call. Now this is about my fence wohich i av been trying to get council round to fix for 4 yrs and i have all sorts patching it up all around my garden but my 2 pup shih tzu still get in, so now shes left her garden gate open so my dogs can get knocked over on the main road which my house is on, its a very busy road with buses every 2 mins and all over traffic. Can she do this knowing my dogs could be killed.


I doubt there is anything you can do about that, as it is her garden and her gate. My best suggestion if you can't get the council to mend the fence is to get someone to do it for you. A patch up job might not be too expensive if you get a local handyman, and it is certainly worth it for your dog's safety.


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## 912142

God the world has gone mad! Nothing is said about unruly kids or households that hold screaming matches on a regular basis or teenagers coming home in the middle of the night stoned out their minds screaming, screeching and gods knows what else - why on earth would a dog not bark at such disturbances.

The one thing that gets under my skin are those people who have little or no life that they have to continually report others to make themselves feel better.

Grrr.


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## newfiesmum

912142 said:


> God the world has gone mad! Nothing is said about unruly kids or households that hold screaming matches on a regular basis or teenagers coming home in the middle of the night stoned out their minds screaming, screeching and gods knows what else - why on earth would a dog not bark at such disturbances.
> 
> The one thing that gets under my skin are those people who have little or no life that they have to continually report others to make themselves feel better.
> 
> Grrr.


I used to have a neighbour like that. he complained to the council about everyone and everything, from someone having a pile of sand in their front garden to someone else having a commercial van in their driveway. Even complained that one neighbour was building an extension without planning permission, even though she was simply converting her garage. Oh, and someone else had a tree which was overhanging the pavement - only if you happened to be the Jolly Green Giant! It's quite sad really.


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## swarthy

Good job your neighbours don't live next door to me 



Cleo38 said:


> Are there any other dogs in the neighbourhood that your neighbour may be confusing with your dog?


This is a very valid point - in a short section of about 8 houses on our road, there are no less than 14 dogs (and many more in close proximity)

I am not going to lie and say mine don't bark because they do - thankfully for me possibly - so do my neighbours dogs 

Then we have a dog up the street who barks all night, every night - so in our situation, it could be very easy to confuse dogs - and on more than one occasion I've intentionally reassured my neighbours that it wasn't our dog(s) in their garden barking at 3am.

I think my 'up' neighbour has now got the hang of recognising the big dog -v- small dog barks - and we tell them if there is ever ANY problem, however small, they come and talk to us.

I wouldn't think the council could act without definitive proof (could they?) - hope you managed to get it sorted out.

In many instances - there is often something else behind neighbours arguing - this led to a relatively minor spat between us and our neigbours over dogs barking and babies crying - when actually the problem was CAR PARKING !!! (we live on a main road and most of us don't have driveways)

Do you know which neighbour has complained? can you speak to them reasonably?


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## metaldog

This resurrected thread is nearly 2 years old


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## misscastleford

i work at the same place as neighbour, i leave the house at 8.30am and get home around 13.30pm. my neighbour is complaining about my dog barking while i'm out when she starts work before me and finishes later than me, obviously she is complaining for the sake of it and i have no idea how to respond to this. most of the time my partner is in bed after a night shift and never hears a thing either, this has really annoyed me, got any suggestions?


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## newfiesmum

misscastleford said:


> i work at the same place as neighbour, i leave the house at 8.30am and get home around 13.30pm. my neighbour is complaining about my dog barking while i'm out when she starts work before me and finishes later than me, obviously she is complaining for the sake of it and i have no idea how to respond to this. most of the time my partner is in bed after a night shift and never hears a thing either, this has really annoyed me, got any suggestions?


You really should start your own thread, but since you have asked, I would ignore the silly moo. If she is not there, how can she possibly say your dog is causing her problems? If she does complain to the council or someone, they will come round for a listen themselves.

Don't worry about her.


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## pencoulter

I have ridiculous neighbors. 

I received a letter from the council today about excessive barking late at night. I phoned them immediately and was told that after 9pm at night if my dog wants to go outside for a wee I should take her for a walk! 
I have a front and back garden, back means making next doors dogs bark. The front means she may see other dogs or bikes, so she will bark. If she does I bring her in straight away, apparently this is a nuisance! 
I am usually in bed by 10.30 and she sleeps with me, so why have these people not spoken to me about there issues and gone to the council?


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## smokeybear

Many people avoid speaking directly to people, neighbours or not, for fear of confrontation and being on the receiving end of verbal and/or physical abuse.

(_And quite franklly reading many of the posts on this forum I am not surprised; as many have said they would quite happily hit people at the drop of a hat and not stop, commit murder etc etc_)!

The best way to handle this is to provide evidence to counter any allegations. EG record/film your dogs and make a diary of your movements and that of your dog and, if it barks.

As you know, the EHO can provide the complainant with a recording device and/or come round and monitor the noise themselves and there are hefty fines for noise pollution (rightly so in my view).

And of course you could always train your dog not to bark at dogs and bikes!


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## Lettie07

Hi, 

I have 2 dogs a border collie/jack russel cross and a husky/malamute cross.One set of neighbours have started complaining about them saying 'its like living next to a pack of wolves' and threatening 'if you don't do something about it I will'. I unsure of what to do my husky/malamute cross doesn't bark but does sometimes howl and cry, especially when my fiancee goes to work, he's not bothered when I leave the house just my other half! We have tried some different things, we don't make a fuss when we're leaving, we've tried ignoring him when he's noisy and rewarding him when he's quiet, he constantly has toys and bones so he's not bored and he has my other dog to keep him company. In my opinion it is not excessive noise, he does not do it all day every day, it will often be for 5-10 mins after my fiancee leaves and once I calm him down he's ok. Very rarely he will do it a few more times a day but only for a few minutes, he does not howl through the night and is a friendly dog so once told to be quiet by whoever, he does stop.

I am quite worried about the councils involvement as I have heard some horror stories and that they can put your dog down as you are not controlling them properly, please tell me this is not true!? 

Any advice would be great! thanks


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## smokeybear

Whilst dogs are allowed to bark, they are not allowed to bark so that it causes a nuisance. It is a matter of fact and degree in each case and factors that may be taken into account include the volume, duration of the barking and the time of day it happens.

If a complaint is made to a Council, they have a duty to investigate it. The Council may serve a Noise Abatement Notice and if the barking continues then they may prosecute under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The likely penalty is a fine.

The neighbour may also take action themselves

Doglaw - Barking dogs : Environmental Protection Act 1990

Information Guide - Do you know dog law? - The Kennel Club

http://www.south-norfolk.gov.uk/environment/media/barking_dogs_factsheet1.pdf

Dealing with Barking Dogs - Problem Neighbours


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## newfiesmum

Lettie07 said:


> Hi,
> 
> I have 2 dogs a border collie/jack russel cross and a husky/malamute cross.One set of neighbours have started complaining about them saying 'its like living next to a pack of wolves' and threatening 'if you don't do something about it I will'. I unsure of what to do my husky/malamute cross doesn't bark but does sometimes howl and cry, especially when my fiancee goes to work, he's not bothered when I leave the house just my other half! We have tried some different things, we don't make a fuss when we're leaving, we've tried ignoring him when he's noisy and rewarding him when he's quiet, he constantly has toys and bones so he's not bored and he has my other dog to keep him company. In my opinion it is not excessive noise, he does not do it all day every day, it will often be for 5-10 mins after my fiancee leaves and once I calm him down he's ok. Very rarely he will do it a few more times a day but only for a few minutes, he does not howl through the night and is a friendly dog so once told to be quiet by whoever, he does stop.
> 
> I am quite worried about the councils involvement as I have heard some horror stories and that they can put your dog down as you are not controlling them properly, please tell me this is not true!?
> 
> Any advice would be great! thanks


Nobody can put your dog down unless it bites somebody and even then there has to be an enquiry. I don't understand why people can't just live and let live. I am very lucky with my neighbours here; I have two dogs, next door has four dogs and the people next door to them have three, so when one starts, they all start!

This is a very old thread though. You really should start your own.


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## Malmum

Hopefully the council will want an audio recording of them howling/barking from the neighbour because anyone can just make things up. I would tell them your neighbour is a bit of a trouble maker (without slagging them off) and insist they have concrete proof of the allegation. As you can see I have three Malamutes and I know exactly why they are complaining. You're right, they don't bark but they do howl when they hear a siren, which can be often some days and others not at all. When they do all three join in and my little dog Bruce barks like crazy - I expect your little one does the same. Tell council officials you really can't help the occasional howl because all sled dogs do it but that it's short duration and ask their advice. Whether you are home or not they'll still howl on and off but other than for the occasional siren mine don't make a sound at all, where as two dogs up the road yap all day till the owners come home. I bet it's the howling the neighbours are moaning about - because I am friendly with mine and many fuss Flynn on his walks, I have lots if ally's should I ever need them, which hopefully I won't.

Most importantly be nice to the neighbour, knock and ask them what they would like you to do and apologise profusely for any inconvenience. Be seen to care rather than get annoyed. It's in your dogs best interests and falling out can be dangerous because of reprisals. 

Be ultra polite when dealing with the council and offer any help you can with their investigation. Showing good manners will go a long way to keeping them sweet.


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## Summersky

You've been given lots of good suggestions and advice here, so good luck.

Personally, whilst I don't own a dog, I love the sound of dogs at play and barking in the garden. What makes me sad is the sound of the dogs at the end of the garden howling when their owners are out. We also went through a spell of one of the dogs constatly barking at us through fence - even if she could see me in my kitchen. It slpoilt 2 summers. I gave up gardening at the end of the garden, because she would suddenly appear and bark furiously and snarl. On three occasions, she got through, and once tried to bite when we caught her.

Fortunately, we knew the owners and were on reaonable terms. With some fence adjustments, she can no longer see us, so no longer barks AT us. Of course we still hear the dogs barking in the garden, but that's dogs for you. no different from the sounds of children playing.

As regards your problem - 

- find out as much as you can - what your council's process is, now it has begun

- be as proactive as you can, and be seen to be so. Now the complaint process has started it woin't just go away, but don't panic.

Perhaps make appointment and talk to someone at the CAB for advice.

Then perhaps write a short letter in reply to council (keep a copy). Acknowledge complaint, say that, whilst yours, like other dogs barks at times, your dog is not a persistent/noisy/anti-social barker, but that you will be monitoring situation.

If you feel you could do so amicably, try talking to the neighbour who complained, but only do so if you feel you can stay calm. You need them onside, rather than to antagonise them, which will make things worse.

I suggest going cap in hand and apologise that your dog is disturbing them (only words, you don't have to really feel sorry at this stage). Be seen to want to help.

If you can, try and find out when your dog is annnoying them. It may be they are shift workers. It might be one of them is ill and sound sensitive/stressed. The more info you can gather, the better it will be.
Be polite and show you want to solve the problem. You are doing this for your dog. If they get stroppy, smile, thank them for their time and walk away. More likely, you will catch them off guard, and they might get flustered. Stay calm. Listen to what they say, don't argue, just acknowledge (Oh dear, I see). Think of your dog.

(If the meeting goes well, you may be able to meet up again, so try and finish on good terms.)

Also, while you are there - can YOU hear your dog barking?

Once home, make notes of your conversation. date it.

Again, be proactive. You want to be seen as reasonable and cooperative.Consider writing again to council saying you have met with neighbours, and what action if any you are taking. Keep copy of your letter.

The neighbours will be logging barking disturbances, and may have a machine to monitor noise levels. So you need to now keep records too. Doesn't have to be anything too complicated. I'd suggest a diary broken down into hours.
Keep records of when you are at home and out. You could do this by simple colour shading. Also keep records of when you notice your dog barks and time the barking (watch/stopwatch). Palava I know,but necessary as evidence, and it will soon become routine.

You records should tie in with theirs- if they don't, there is another dog nearby, or your dog is barking when you are out.

Do you have neighbours you are on good terms with that you can talk to? Do they find your dog noisy? If so, when? If not, would they put this in writing for you?

This will help you build up a clearer picture. 

Meantime, keep windows closed as much as possible, to reduce any noise.

Consider training/talking to vet for advice, for ways to minimise barking as much as possible.

Finally - the very, very best of luck.

let us know how it goes.


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## paws4rescueUK

Jumping on the thread, 
does anyone know HOW to appeal an Abatement Notice? 
They specified that for ONE HOUR recently, at 3pm the dogs were barking when I was not here. 

No other times/days were specified but obviously I have had an initial warning that they had a complaint from the next door neighbour (recently retired and nothing better to do with their time apart from curtain twitch and a falling out over car parking started all this after living next door for 11 years!!!!). 
Since this warning, we have been very prevalent in watching the times and duration of the dogs barking etc, meal times, going to loo, playing etc, and they are allowed even less 'bark time' than ever in all these years, but we cant help if we leave house and someone knocks the door ? ? ?

The council officer did say 'cant you get rid of the dog'!!! :cursing:


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## danielblackmore

I have had 2 similar issue's previously. 1 at our old house and 1 last year, both were easily solved.

The first issue a few years back was a dog behind our house was barking constantly. I honestly didnt really care about it, but my next door neighbour did.

I received a similar letter saying that there has been a noise complaint made against me blah blah. I was quite shocked as even though my dogs have barked, they are not that bad. 

It was easily solved by asking someone to visit my house so they could see it wasn't my dog and the problem was sorted. 

The second issue we had last year was similar to your issue, our neighbour complained to the council about my dog barking constantly. We only were a semi detached house so we couldnt ask the other neighbour if that was the case or not. 

Just to check, we started voice recording when we left the house to see exactly what was happening when we were away. If you have a smartphone or an iPod you can download several apps that will do voice recording. Alternetivly, you can purchase a dicitiphone and just record on that then transfer to a computer to listen to. A half decent dictiphone will cost about £40 but money well spent.

We started recording, and surprisingly our dogs were not barking. We simply contacted the council about it and said we can prove that it is not our dogs that were at fault (Couldnt here any barking at all either). 

I dont know if it has been said or not, and I can only speak for my council, but their proceedure normally involves the complainent taking a noise diary of the barking and going from there. If you have recordings while you are out, and when you are in if she says its 24/7, you can pick apart her allegations to the council.


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## paws4rescueUK

The council who attended here today (kept them standing at front door) could hear my dogs in dining room barking when I first answered phone then they went quiet after a few minutes, again they could hear this, said one of their officers had heard them for the 1 hr. 

Don't know if they were outside the house, or from recording equipment outside or from the next door house, etc?
I was too shocked and upset to have them issue this legal notice to me to ask many questions. 
This is a legally binding notice which is only appealable via magistrates court so im very worried about it now


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## Wildmoor

I had a problem where I lived before I didnt get a notice served as my neighbours told me, I put CCTV up and a clampit family at the back of my house were tormenting my dogs in the kennel, I actualy complained about them and informed the social landlord who owneed the properties at the back that I would take legal action against them if they didnt sort their tennant out, needless to say my dogs were no longer tormented.
If I was you I would put recording equipment up to record when you are not there if you have to attend court you have proof that your dogs do not behave like this all the time, maybe the council worker who attended parked straight outside your house?


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## paws4rescueUK

Wildmoor said:


> I had a problem where I lived before I didnt get a notice served as my neighbours told me, I put CCTV up and a clampit family at the back of my house were tormenting my dogs in the kennel, I actualy complained about them and informed the social landlord who owneed the properties at the back that I would take legal action against them if they didnt sort their tennant out, needless to say my dogs were no longer tormented.
> If I was you I would put recording equipment up to record when you are not there if you have to attend court you have proof that your dogs do not behave like this all the time, maybe the council worker who attended parked straight outside your house?


i have just sent the council a letter asking for detailed evidence they collated and any recordings, where from and over what duration of time etc.
im living on my nerves about leaving the house even for 10 minutes now as it only takes one report and they can take me to court - or so the notice is worded. 
how would i work the recording equipment,i have an old cctv i never installed but it would hook up to the tv for current view, how would i record it? 
im off work with ill health as it is, and this is now adding greatly to it. 
if i left the dogs all day every day barking i wouldnt dispute it, but i dont, they are rarely left for even an hour a day! now they are not being left as im staying in 24/7 to keep them safe from reports.


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## Wildmoor

Sorry for some reason the email update to this post went into my spam box

Is there any way you can rig the CCTV upto your computor and download to your hard drive, my CCTV at my other house recorded straight onto a media card which I could view via the computor but watch live I could see on my TV


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