can a complaint be logged with council for dog barking indoors?

[Minnie Mouse!!]

twice in a year my dog barked in my back garden for about 5 - 10 minutes (got over-excited when my mum came to visit) because he wanted to come in the house. on those two occasions my next door neighbour (grumpy 70 yr old man) logged a complaint with the local council claiming he was excessively barking causing a disturbance. long story....he basically picks on anything to complain and wind us up. so if the dogs barks while he's indoors for whatever reason, does he still have the right to log a complaint given that he's indoors on his turf?

[B.Sc. Math]

yes a complaint can be filed, if your neighbor says that indoor barking is disturbing him. If you get in trouble, hire a lawyer or move out to another place where you don't have such grumpy neighbors. I hear lots of noise of children playing outside my house and am not able to study, but i never complain. A dog's bark will not disturb me if it goes on for only 5 to 10 minutes. If it goes on for like hours --- then i'll take notice.

your neighbor is just too mean

[snookies68]

I feel what u r going through- seriously I would ask if you lived next to my neighbor except she is on a corner block and lucky me I am next to her. This lady is really weird, like she is known for complaints- once she lodged a complaint because the neighbour behind her was having a bbq and the smoke was going into her house- this is how insanse she is.

Well from experience, the best thing is to be cooperative with the council- whenever a complaint is lodged, the Council has to investigate so in short the answer is yes- they can lodge a complaint, the real question is whether the council after investigating the complaint will do anything to in a sense fine you or do other things.

It would help to video the circumstances, for example how the dogs only bark when your mum is here and also video tape other times when your dogs are quite- this will be good evidence. Ask if anyway else has a prob with your dog. Start there and give the council your evidence, they will understand. Also tell the council of your situation and explain and ask them what you can do to prove your dogs do not bark excessively- they will give u gd hints.

Good luck

All the best

[Canmore Media]

Yes, he has a right to complain. Just the same as if someone was playing loud music next door. It's antisocial! Get your dog trained not to bark or excited with some professional help. The more the dog barks the more hostile your neighbour will become. It was your choice to have the dog so you have some responsibility to make sure it behaves in a sociable manner.

A quiet neighbourhood means peace for everyone!

[honey]

This drives me nuts!!! I have two dogs who rarely bark and i STILL have neighbours complaining - these complaints are from the people who's kids are out there screaming day in day out, do i complain about their kids - of course not, they are kids. Kids gotta scream, dogs gotta bark just live and let live people, there's none of us perfect.

[willowGSD]

Yes he can file a complaint but he also has to keep a record of the times and how annoying it is. This then has to be seen by the Enviromental Health department and if they think it justified you'll receive a letter. If he claims that the noise hasn't stopped they'll put in sound recording equipment to monitor the levels and then if that is excessive you will be asked to do something more or could face a fine or risk losing your dog!
I doubt if it's only occasional barking and not prolonged or during the hours 11pm to 7am that any action would be taken! Certainly if what you say is correct then the barking outside would not be seen by the Council as grounds for action! It has to occur frequently and be loud enough to cause a nuisance and they are not going to just take his word for it that it's happening. Hence the monitoring!
I know this because myself and the neighbour on the other side of our next door ones have just gone through these procedures. Not over a dog but the same rules apply to all noise!

If your dog does bark excessively then either get a spray collar or one of the other training aids for when you are not there and when you are keep a spray bottle of water near you and when he starts barking spray him and tell him No or Quiet. As soon as he is quiet for a minute give him a treat.
Good luck if you need it but if it's just your neighbour trying to cause trouble you have no need to worry!

[Polarized]

Simply put anyone can file a complaint anytime they choose for almost anything. Whether your dogs in your house or not makes no difference as your neighbor sees it as annoying.