Barking dogs

All dogs bark, but some barking dogs become a real neighbourhood nuisance - greatly reducing the quality of life for their neighbours and increasing neighbourhood tensions. Barking dogs is one of the most common animal behaviour problems council is asked to deal with.

Ongoing barking is often a symptom of another problem, and taking time to understand what makes your dog bark (especially your pet or other dogs in the neighbourhood) is the first step towards solving this problem, for both the dog involved and your neighbours.

Why dogs bark

• Dogs are very social animals and often bark when they are lonely
• Separation from an owner can cause dogs to stress
• Barking may also be the result of boredom and frustration
• Dogs bark out of fear - this can be fear  of people, objects or other dogs
• Dogs bark when there is a threat to their territory
• Playing with your dog sometimes stimulates barking
• Some breeds have a reputation for barking

You can control barking

Barking can be controlled through several small behavioural changes. Some behavioural changes could be as small as walking your dog twice a day to relieve boredom.

Dogs are social animals and require a certain amount of interaction on a daily basis. If your dog barks when you are away from the premises it is probably due to loneliness.

An easy way of combating this is to provide your pet with stimulants such as balls and chew toys to keep them occupied while you are away. It can also be handy to leave something that belongs to you such as an old shoe.

Give the dog a bone when you leave the house. This will teach your dog that when you leave there is a positive reaction.

A fence that is correctly designed to restrict your dog's vision will help reduce barking. Obedience training and discipline are also very important when trying to stop a barking problem.

My neighbour's dog barks, what can I do?

Talk to your neighbour as soon as the problem arises. They may not be aware that their dog is barking or that their dog's barking is bothering you.

Give your neighbour this information and if the barking persists after a week or two, speak with your neighbour again to provide feedback.

If your neighbour is unapproachable, or does not agree that a problem exists, you should contact council for further advice.

If you wish to lodge a request to investigate a barking dog you are obliged to complete a survey before the investigation can begin.

Barking laws

The Queensland Government has introduced nuisance laws to help make Queensland a more liveable place.

These laws cover acceptable conditions for barking:

• 7am - 10pm - no more than six minutes of noise in any hour
• 10pm - 7am - no more than three minutes of noise in any 30 minute period

If dogs bark outside of these conditions, a complaint should be made to council for further investigation.

Irresponsible owners who fail to comply with council recommendations will face significant penalties including infringement fines.

Council staff can help you with barking problems in the community so that you do not have to suffer the nuisance caused by dogs that make too much noise.

Excessive barking

Excessive barking is an offence and council staff will respond to reported barking problems. Residents are obliged to complete a survey before an investigation can begin. Initially, the owner will receive an administrative letter. If the problem continues and further complaints are reported, council will investigate.

Anti-barking collars

Council provides anti-barking dog collars for hire. Customers are required to complete a rental agreement and collect the collars from the Sir Albert Abbott Administration Building on Gordon Street. The collars are noise activated and release citronella. The collars can be hired for a period of one to two weeks.

To find out more about anti-barking collars contact council.