Barking Dog Complaint

[k9angel]

Thats horrible doggyworth.

They sound like neighbours from hell. Who the hell would complain at a dog barking for a few mins of a morning?

I have only just read this from start to finish.

Its good to see you got your furfriend a pal. Are they still complaining?

[Casster17]

doggyworth - explain the situation to the council, most councils will take on board what you have said... I would also mention to the council that the neighbours claim to have come onto your property and filmed your dogs...

[spottychick]

I agree with poodlefan - try and resolve it in a friendly way first.

THe other advice here is good but can be put aside as a backup plan.

[haven]

If the dogs are only barking for a short amount of time you have nothing to do, the council won't deem it a nuisance unless it exceeds a certain limit. I imagine that when you contact the council they will tell you what the limit is, if not ask them. It is generally something like no more than 15 minutes of barking (cumulative) within Xpm and Xam and no more than 30 minutes (cumulative) between Xam and Xpm.

What your neighbours will now have to do is keep a diary of when your dogs bark, how long they bark for and how it affects their life. What you should now do is take steps to ensure that you can prove that your dogs are not barking if the neighbours make a false claim. If it were me I would set up a recording device to record them each day, making sure that you either have a time stamp on the recording or you do something to register the date and time when you begin the recording, like showing the days newspaper or whatever. If your other neighbours are happy to, ask them to give you a statement in writing saying that they are home regularly from X time to X time and to their knowledge the dogs don't bark at all/much/whatever. If they are willing ask them to keep a diary too.

If you do find that your dogs are barking beyond council limmitations then I would recommend you speak with a trainer/behaviourist to help you treat the behaviour instead of just managing it.

If you haven't already I would still approach your neighbours (if they are approachable) and thank them for making you aware of the problem and apologise for the barking. Give them a brief explanation of why it's occuring and what you have been doing to manage it. You may want to include some information from a trainer or simply request that they refrain from things like yelling at your dogs if they are barking or doing things like leaning over the fence, hitting the fence, entering your property etc as this will only exacerbate the issue. I would, as someone else suggested, ask for a copy of the footage they took (when they entered your property). I wouldn't recommend you take the tack of trying to get them for tresspass at this time (that's a surefire way to ruin any posibility of living amicably in future) but at least you have it as proof should you ever need it.

I have lived next door to constantly barking dogs, it can really make your life hell

Edited June 16, 2010 by haven

[cowanbree]

They are bullying you and you have been far too nice and accommodating to them so it escalates. Personally I would take the council regulations over and show them that dogs are allowed to bark, be nice and friendly about it but firm. Get your facts right first, either get one of your friendly neighbors to keep a bark dairy or do what I did and get a voice activated tape recorder. Say you are always interested if there is an issue but no other neighbor has a problem and you believe the current level of noise is normal and acceptable.

I have experienced this and once I pointed out to my neighbor that I spend hours each day listening to her chainsaws and never complained she was far more reasonable

[sosboots]

Do you want to escalate the problem or resolve it? If you involve the police or council, brace for further trouble. All the righteous indignation in the world isn't going to improve the relationship with your neighbours.

My advice:

1. Go and talk to the neighbours.

2. Thank them for contacting you direct rather than going to council

3. Apologise for the inconvenience caused by your dog and explain that his friend has just died and that you'll do whatever you can to fix the barking.

4. Encourage them to keep a diary of his barking and to contact you by phone if there are further incidents.

Now for the dog.

1. I babysit a dog that howls uncontrollably when I leave unless I stop him. Because he's a pig it's not difficult. I scatter a handful of kibble on the back lawn and by the time the dogs have found and scoffed it, I'm gone.

2. As he is an only dog atm, I'd be setting him up with something like a kong filled with treats. If you can get him distracted when you go, the problem may resolve itself.

I agree However In most states and territorys a barking dog is treated under the POEO Act more commonly know as offencive noise. Under this act a officer or ranger will come out and advice you of a commplaint, if there is a second then they have to prove excessive noise by installing noise readers that record the decibel and duration ( these are sealed and can record if they want to be smart and blow a horn into it) if found quilty you will be fined, however a dog would have to bark loud and long for that to happen but remember this Act also has time resriction in place.

Also this is a double edge sword as you can also complain is their children are coursing you a real problem.. but only if they are... There is NO need to get into a neighbour fight if you can avoid it.

Forgive spelling very tired..lol again sorry " POEO Act" = Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997

Edited June 16, 2010 by sosboots

[Hello Gorgeous]

If the dogs are only barking for a short amount of time you have nothing to do, the council won't deem it a nuisance unless it exceeds a certain limit. I imagine that when you contact the council they will tell you what the limit is, if not ask them. It is generally something like no more than 15 minutes of barking (cumulative) within Xpm and Xam and no more than 30 minutes (cumulative) between Xam and Xpm.

What your neighbours will now have to do is keep a diary of when your dogs bark, how long they bark for and how it affects their life. What you should now do is take steps to ensure that you can prove that your dogs are not barking if the neighbours make a false claim. If it were me I would set up a recording device to record them each day, making sure that you either have a time stamp on the recording or you do something to register the date and time when you begin the recording, like showing the days newspaper or whatever. If your other neighbours are happy to, ask them to give you a statement in writing saying that they are home regularly from X time to X time and to their knowledge the dogs don't bark at all/much/whatever. If they are willing ask them to keep a diary too.

If you do find that your dogs are barking beyond council limmitations then I would recommend you speak with a trainer/behaviourist to help you treat the behaviour instead of just managing it.

If you haven't already I would still approach your neighbours (if they are approachable) and thank them for making you aware of the problem and apologise for the barking. Give them a brief explanation of why it's occuring and what you have been doing to manage it. You may want to include some information from a trainer or simply request that they refrain from things like yelling at your dogs if they are barking or doing things like leaning over the fence, hitting the fence, entering your property etc as this will only exacerbate the issue. I would, as someone else suggested, ask for a copy of the footage they took (when they entered your property). I wouldn't recommend you take the tack of trying to get them for tresspass at this time (that's a surefire way to ruin any posibility of living amicably in future) but at least you have it as proof should you ever need it.

I have lived next door to constantly barking dogs, it can really make your life hell

I think that sounds like a great plan

[conztruct]

If the dogs are only barking for a short amount of time you have nothing to do, the council won't deem it a nuisance unless it exceeds a certain limit. I imagine that when you contact the council they will tell you what the limit is, if not ask them. It is generally something like no more than 15 minutes of barking (cumulative) within Xpm and Xam and no more than 30 minutes (cumulative) between Xam and Xpm.

What your neighbours will now have to do is keep a diary of when your dogs bark, how long they bark for and how it affects their life. What you should now do is take steps to ensure that you can prove that your dogs are not barking if the neighbours make a false claim. If it were me I would set up a recording device to record them each day, making sure that you either have a time stamp on the recording or you do something to register the date and time when you begin the recording, like showing the days newspaper or whatever. If your other neighbours are happy to, ask them to give you a statement in writing saying that they are home regularly from X time to X time and to their knowledge the dogs don't bark at all/much/whatever. If they are willing ask them to keep a diary too.

If you do find that your dogs are barking beyond council limmitations then I would recommend you speak with a trainer/behaviourist to help you treat the behaviour instead of just managing it.

If you haven't already I would still approach your neighbours (if they are approachable) and thank them for making you aware of the problem and apologise for the barking. Give them a brief explanation of why it's occuring and what you have been doing to manage it. You may want to include some information from a trainer or simply request that they refrain from things like yelling at your dogs if they are barking or doing things like leaning over the fence, hitting the fence, entering your property etc as this will only exacerbate the issue. I would, as someone else suggested, ask for a copy of the footage they took (when they entered your property). I wouldn't recommend you take the tack of trying to get them for tresspass at this time (that's a surefire way to ruin any posibility of living amicably in future) but at least you have it as proof should you ever need it.

I have lived next door to constantly barking dogs, it can really make your life hell

I think that sounds like a great plan

I agree with this - although I would actually contact the council now that this has been made formal asking them to clarify what constitutes nuisance barking. I'd also ask if the council can please clarify the extent of the complaint - ie what is the neighbour actually saying has happened?

This will at least give you an indication as to whether there is even a case to answer here.

It sounds like this neighbour is just being vindictive and living beside them is probably never going to be any fun but it's important to make the best of this situation and not try to further antagonise them. As long as you're doing everything you can to address the situation, I don't believe that the council will have major issues - as for your neighbour, they'll probably always have them.

[Just love my dogs!]

I can't believe your neighbours are complaining about 5 minutes worth of barking that has only been going on for a week!

I agree with some of the others. Try and solve this problem the 'friendly way' first.

Good luck!

[spoilt lab lives here]

Im in a similar boat doggle worth. Last Friday I had a call from the real estate because a neighbour had complained our dogs were barking and there was someone home but noone telling them to stop. Now I had been at the house 10 mins earlier and they werent barking. So from the time it took me to leave the house and drive to work the neighbour had complained.

The situation on Friday was one dog was chained up because she kept escaping the electric fence and then jumping the gate. The other 2 were in the yard and the chained dog couldnt reach them. We are in the process of putting a colourbond gate on our new rental house because the existing gate is a farm gate. Waist height, wire and broken and the dogs can see through it. Lucky it was the long weekend and we were able to work on some techniques to try to curb the barking and mostly all noise they make. We have only been in this house 3 weeks and already a complaint from a neighbour.

I have spoken with the boys on one side and they said they never hear the dogs and they knew on Friday one was chained up because she had gotten out into their front yard and they let me know she was out. The older cople on the otherside though...Ive been over the a dozen times and no one will answer the door. I have seen the lady go from hanging washing outside and then go in but she wont answer the door. I simply want to clear it up with them, explain the situation and what we are doing to try to minimise the noise and to give them my phone number so they dont tell the real estate again but no they wont answer the door!

Good luck with it doggleworth...Its hard knowing your being watched and spied on because of the dog