Your neighbor’s dog may be driving you crazy. Their dog is barking 24/7, and you can’t get any peace and quiet. Worse still, it’s night time and you have work the next morning – and their dog is still at it. You’re at your wit’s end – so what can you do?
It’s something you are doing
It’s possible that something you are doing or have done is triggering your neighbor’s dog to bark. If this is the case, then there is immediate action you can take that may stop the barking. Dogs bark for a variety of reasons, and we cover this in another article in more detail. However, in summary, those reasons can include barking due to excitement, attention, boredom, territorial behaviors and fear or surprise.
For all of those reasons, it’s best not to respond to the dog – as doing so may reinforce their behavior. For example, if the neighbor’s dog is barking because they want to play with you (i.e. seeking attention) and you acknowledge them, then you are actually reinforcing this behavior. You will be ‘rewarding’ their negative behavior and they will learn to continue to bark in future.
So what else can you do? Some other suggestions include:
- If the dog is barking due to fear or surprise, then you may want to minimize sudden, loud noises that may startle the dog.
- If the dog is barking because it is anxious or fearful of you, your own dog or other members of your family, then it might be beneficial to ‘befriend’ the dog. If it is safe to do so, and with your neighbor’s permission, you might find that familiarizing yourself with your neighbor’s dog – letting it sniff you and interact with you – may actually extinguish any negative emotions the dog will have towards you. Once the dog’s fear and anxiety is gone, then hopefully the barking will be too!
- If you have an open fence (i.e. one you can see through), or even holes in the fence between you and your neighbor’s yard, you can also try covering it up. You can repair the fence, change the fence panels, use pot plants or plant a hedge. This will stop your neighbor’s dog from seeing you and eliminate the trigger for their barking.
- If you have kids or your own pets who like to interact with the neighbor’s dog, you may want to stop this if it seems like it encourages barking. The neighbor’s dog may see your own dog as a threat and become territorial. Or, unknown to you, your kids could be taunting the dog.
It’s not something you are doing
A lot of times the barking from your neighbor’s dog is out of your hands, so in this case your neighbors need to be the ones to resolve it.
1. Speak to your neighbor
Believe it or not, your neighbor may not be aware of how much their dog is barking. For them, they may simply not notice it (as they are away from home often) or they may think it is normal. And most importantly, they may not know how much the noise is affecting you. So speak to your neighbor about it first – in a polite and friendly manner. Dealing with issues informally and over a chat can sometimes be the quickest and easiest way to solve problems. Telling them how it is negatively impacting you and your family may incentivize them to act more seriously to address the issue. It’s best to give them a chance to respond, and not let the discussion become a heated argument.
2. File a noise complaint
Unfortunately, speaking to your neighbor may not always stop the barking. Your neighbor may not be able to control their dog or your neighbor simply may not care. At this stage, it’s time to escalate the issue to the next level. In most areas, you will be able to file a noise complaint. You will need to do some research to find out where your complaint can be lodged and the exact handling process, as this differs from area to area. However, most of the time this will be one of the local:
- Municipalities
- Governmental authorities
- Police departments
- Homeowner’s associations or landlord
- Animal services
You may need to record and submit evidence such as a diary of the dates and times of the barking, as well as photos, videos and sound recordings. You will then need to follow through the complaints handling process.
3. Take legal action
If things are still not resolved after you have lodged your noise complaint and gone through the entire process, then it may be best to speak to a lawyer. The lawyer can advise you on further ways to escalate the complaint, or even if you can take legal action in court. Going down this route may negatively affect you and your neighbor’s relations – but it may also be the only way for you to have some peace and quiet. During this process you should gather any evidence on the issue if you haven’t done so already, including any notices or communications to your neighbor. Dates, times, photos, videos and sound recordings of the barking are also important to keep records of.
