Barking dogs

Excessive barking can be annoying for neighbours and nearby residents. Dogs often bark because they are bored, lonely or frustrated due to lack of exercise and mental stimulation. 

If your dog is barking, there are several actions that can help: 

• Take your dog for more regular walks. 
• Enrol your dog in obedience training. 
• Block the view of movement outside the property if your dog is barking at people walking past. 
• Ensure your dog is in good health. 
• Seek professional advice. 
• Your neighbours can complain if your dog is often noisy or disturbs the peace unreasonably. Under nuisance laws, we can investigate complaints about noise from domestic animals in the community. If your dog constantly barks you may be fined or taken to court where you could be ordered to take action to stop your dog barking. 

What can I do if my neighbour's dog is barking? 

• We recommend speaking to your neighbour to resolve the issue in the first instance. In many cases they may not know their dog is barking. 
• Report the issue using the details below so we can investigate the matter. Ensure you find out where the barking is coming from, to enable us to respond. 
• Keep track of the barking and when requested by an animal management officer, complete a dog noise diary as accurately as possible. 

Report an issue 

We can investigate ongoing issues with a barking dog, noise from domestic pets or stray and roaming animals – including unowned or feral animals in public and cats trespassing on your property.