What to do if your neighbor's dog won't stop barking

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There is nothing more irritating than hearing your neighbor’s dog barking over and over and again – through the day and night! Obviously, you don’t want to fall out with your neighbor over the incessant noise, but at the same time, something must be done. Thankfully, there are six simple steps that you should take in order to get a good night’s sleep, or a good day of relaxing, and we should start by saying that starting your own level of noise with a heated debate with your neighbor probably isn’t the best idea in the world!

1. Start off with a gentle approach – you want to let the neighbor know that the barking is becoming a problem for you. If you have kids, say that the barking is interfering with the kids nap time. If the dog barks through the night, tell the neighbor that that dog is keeping you and your family awake. You could try writing a little note if you don’t want to speak to the neighbor face to face, but make it friendly – they may not know that the dog is barking while they are at work! One thing that you should do is make a photocopy of the note or print out two copies, just in case!

2. If something doesn’t appear to have been done about the noise, or if you have had no response, (usually it is polite for the neighbor to apologize and say that the problem will soon be rectified) you can take a different approach. If you live in a rented house or within a housing organization, you can try writing them a letter instead. Some areas may have noise control regulations in place, and by informing the right people of the noise reach, (include a copy of the note that you left the neighbor) you have a good chance of getting something done about it.

3. If you don’t live in rented accommodation or nothing happens still, you could try a more firm approach. Get a copy of the laws regulating noise for your local area and write another letter, saying pretty much what you said in the first but this time, with a copy of the rules and regulations. You can even make both of the letters anonymous if you are not brave enough to mention who you are. Tell them that you have tried to resolve the situation a couple of times, to no avail, and the authorities will need to be notified if something doesn’t change.

4. Try some technology. There are some gadgets on the market that have been said to stop a dog barking – for more information, you can contact the local wildlife control experts or a dog shelter/pound to see which ones have had the best results.

5. If nothing happens still, keep a log of all the times and dates that the dog is barking and driving you nuts. If you decide to take legal action, you will need evidence on your side – if you have a camera phone, you can try taking mini clips and videos of the noise.

6. Get in touch with your local law enforcement agencies – dog barking is not a priority usually so it may take a bit of time before they eventually follow up your complaint, but they will do in the end and you should supply them with copies of everything you have written and done – videos, logs, letters sent etc.

If the noise continues and nothing appears to be done about the problem, you can file in a small claims court and get a lawyer to give you a hand. You have rights in your own home, and if the neighbor really doesn’t want to do anything about the issue, you will need to take matters into your own hands.

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