I live on a quiet residential street in south-east London – or at least it's quiet for the most part. Every morning at around 6am, about an hour before my alarm goes off, my neighbour lets their dog out into the back garden, where it barks almost continuously for what feels like a lifetime.
Don't get me wrong – I love dogs. But a loud, persistent bark can quickly disrupt a good night's sleep or make it difficult to enjoy your home. In fact, a typical dog's bark measures between 80 and 100 decibels (dB). For comparison, heavy traffic reaches around 88dB, a fire alarm about 97dB, and a nightclub around 100dB.
Occasional barking, say, when a dog spots a strolling cat or a squirrel scurrying up a tree, is rarely the problem. But when animal noise becomes excessive – for example, if a dog barks for long durations, at a high volume and/or at unreasonable times of the day, according to Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) Help – it can amount to a statutory noise nuisance.
Why do some dogs bark a lot?
There are a number of things you can do if you find yourself sharing a wall with a noisy canine. However, before you confront your neighbour or escalate the issue to court, it can be helpful to understand why some dogs bark a lot.
Barking is a natural way for dogs to communicate, but when it becomes excessive, there's often an underlying issue, says Dr Suzanne Moyes, in-house vet at Burgess Pet Care.
She explains that dogs may bark to express feelings like excitement, frustration, boredom, worry or fear. Excessive barking is often a sign that the dog feels unsettled and can be linked to issues like separation anxiety, fear of sounds, smells or people, and even illness.
'In some cases, pain, discomfort, changes in hearing, or another underlying health issue could all make a dog more vocal,' Dr Moyez says. 'If your neighbour’s dog has started barking excessively, or their behaviour has changed suddenly, gently suggesting that the owner speak to a vet for advice is often a great, supportive place to start.'
There are a number of reasons why a dog may be barking a lot, and it's important to keep in mind that it may not be the owners fault, particularly when they adopted their dog at an older age or if barking is the result of pain.
What can I do if my neighbour's dog won't stop barking?
You're more likely to resolve a dispute with your neighbour about their dog if you approach the issue from a point of understanding and concern, says Joanne Ellis, partner and dispute resolution specialist at UK-wide law firm Stephensons.
'The best starting point, if you feel you can, is to try and speak directly to your neighbour and explain your concerns about their dog's excessive barking. Often a calm conversation can be enough for them to take action,' she says.
If that doesn't have the desired outcome, you can contact your local authority's Environmental Health Team, which is typically responsible for assessing if animal noise, in fact, constitutes a statutory nuisance.
According to ASB Help, barking is a statutory nuisance when it 'unreasonably and substantially interferes with the use or enjoyment of a home or other premise' or 'injure health or be likely to injure health'.
To help your local authority in their investigation, it's recommended to keep a diary log of the noise and the dates and times you hear it. If they deem it a nuisance based on the base noise level or frequency of the area, they can issue an abatement notice requiring your neighbour to take steps to stop the noise.
It's worth keeping in mind that even if the noise doesn't meet the statutory requirements, agencies can still take forms of civil action such as issuing Community Protection Warnings and Notices and Injunctions, depending on the evidence.
If your neighbours are council tenants, housing association tenants or private tenants, ASB Help also advises reporting the noise to their landlords.
That said, Joanne stresses that it's not easy to prove excessive noise, so talking to your neighbour remains your best bet. 'Noise nuisance claims are often difficult to prove, largely because noise is subjective. What one person may consider to be excessive noise might be perfectly acceptable to someone else,' she says.
'Many neighbour disputes arise simply from a lack of communication or someone not realising there is an issue or the full extent of an issue.'
Ultimately, while the law can help in more serious cases, most problems with a noisy dog are resolved with a polite conversation rather than legal action. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think it's time I put that advice into practice.
