How to stop nuisance barking

Got a nuisance barker in your neighborhood, or your home? Here's how to sort it out, without causing a war.

Nuisance barking can be a nightmare – not just for the people listening to it, but also as an owner of an incessantly barking pooch. Nothing causes animosity between neighbors like constantly disrupting the peace, but in order to effectively sort it out, both parties ideally need to have some patience and work together.

Dogs may bark for a wide variety of reasons. They may bark because they have physical needs that are not being met; for example they could be hungry, thirsty, cold, hot, in need of exercise, or perhaps sick or injured (when sick or injured, it is more likely to be a howl or whine). They may bark because they are protecting their property, because they are bored or understimulated, or to seek attention.  

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Step one to solving the problem is to understand why it is happening. Whether or not it is your dog, building a clear picture of when they bark and for how long, can help identify why they are doing it. This will allow the dog’s owner to come up with an effective solution that will stop the barking.

What is nuisance barking?

Local Councils, who are responsible for the monitoring and resolution of such complaints, state nuisance barking can be defined as:

• A dog regularly barking at every person or dog passing property or using part of the street, with barking continuing for a period of time. 
• A dog regularly barking, howling or whining for periods in excess of 10 minutes, when the owners are absent or ignoring the dog. 
• A dog aggressively rushing, jumping, barking or growling at any of the fences. 
• A dog regularly barking during the night. 
• A dog regularly barking at the neighbours. 
• A dog barking excessively for no reason, or no apparent reason. 

How to handle it

If you feel comfortable talking to the dog’s owner, it’s best to approach them with tangible information. Keep notes of when the dog barks and for how long so you can give them specifics. Also make a note of anything you observe that could be helpful; for example, are there kids riding skateboards in the street at the time the dog barks?

As annoyed as you may be (and this goes for being on the receiving end of such news), it’s more helpful to be polite and keep it factual. Keep in mind that as dogs often bark when their owners aren’t home, this is likely the first they are hearing of it. And if it is your dog that’s barking, recognize it takes courage to approach someone with a problem, so stay relaxed and be willing to work with them to resolve the issue. 

If you are not comfortable talking to the dog’s owner, contact your local council and request a barking dog diary. This requires you keeping note of when and how long the dog barks for, usually for a two week period. They will then contact the dog owner and alert them to the issue. It’s worth remembering that behavioural-related problems like barking can take a while to resolve so patience is important, especially if the owners are trying to rectify the problem.  

What not to do

Failing to handle nuisance barking correctly can actually make things worse. Avoid verbally abusing the dog in an aggressive manner, hitting the dog or fence, hosing or throwing objects at the dog, or teasing them through the fence.

If you’ve been approached and aren’t convinced there is a genuine issue, don’t argue with the complainant, and instead gather your own facts. Drive to a location where you will be able to hear what your neighbour hears, at the times noted as an issue. If you consistently can’t hear anything, and they are continuing to complain, ask the council to visit at these times. You may also want to take your dog to another location for a week and see if the complaints continue – if they are still complaining about the noise and your dog isn’t there, then their complaint can be redirected to the correct dog, or dismissed as a nuisance itself!

Do you live near or own an incessantly barking dog? Tell us in the comments below how you solved your barking dilemma without going mad! 

 

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