Neighbour's dog barking? What you can do

Your neighbours leave for work in the morning, and a little later it starts: barking, howling, sometimes for hours. A neighbour's dog barking often or for long stretches can really wear you down. This article looks at why the owners often do not know, how to raise it kindly, what you can ask for and what the rules in the UK say in general terms.

Why the owners often do not know

Most of the barking happens when the owners are out. Many dogs find it hard to be left alone and bark, whine or howl out of restlessness, boredom or anxiety. As soon as someone comes home, the dog settles down again. The owners see a calm, happy dog and have no idea it has been barking for half the day.

Barking is normal dog behaviour; it becomes a problem when it is frequent, long or at difficult hours. Assume your neighbours do not know, and will probably not be pleased to hear it either.

Start by showing understanding

People can be sensitive about their dogs. Talk about what you hear, not about the dog or how they train it. For example:

"I am not sure if you know, but when you are out during the day your dog often barks and howls for quite a while. I hear it because I work from home. I wondered if he gets unsettled on his own. Would it help if I noted down when it happens?"

Things you can ask for

Do not start by asking them to rehome the dog. Begin with something small, such as:

• Listening for themselves. Suggest they set up a camera or sound recorder inside their own home when they go out, so they can hear what happens.

• A dog walker or sitter. A walk in the middle of the day, or someone popping in, can make a long day alone much shorter.

• Training or advice. A vet or a qualified behaviourist can help with separation problems or barking at noises.

• Evenings and nights. For example, that the dog is not left barking in the garden late at night.

Give your neighbours time, as a dog's behaviour does not change in a week. Agree to check in after a month or so.

What the rules say in general terms

In England and Wales, persistent barking can be a statutory nuisance under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Your council's environmental health team can investigate, often by asking you to keep a diary first. If officers decide the noise is a statutory nuisance, they can serve an abatement notice on the owner, and failing to comply is a criminal offence. Scotland and Northern Ireland have similar but separate rules.

If your neighbours rent, their tenancy agreement may contain rules on pets and nuisance, so their landlord or housing association can be involved. In a block of flats, the lease may say something about pets as well. This is general information, not legal advice. Your council or Citizens Advice can tell you more about your situation.

Keep a log

If the barking carries on, keep a diary for a few weeks. Note the date, start and end time, what you heard (barking, howling) and how it affected you, such as not being able to work or being woken up. Stay factual. Do not film or photograph your neighbours, their home or their garden, and do not post accusations in a local social media group.

In practice

Owners often really do not know. The RSPCA says research suggests eight out of ten dogs find it hard to cope when left alone, and half do not show obvious signs. Because the behaviour usually only happens while the owner is out and stops when they return, it often goes unnoticed (source: RSPCA). A friendly heads-up can be genuinely useful.

When a notice is ignored. In Enfield, neighbours complained from September 2024 about a dog that barked continuously. The council served a noise abatement notice in February 2025, and when the barking continued it prosecuted. In July 2026 magistrates ordered the owner to pay £1,850 in fines and costs; he kept the dog (source).

If you cannot sort it out together

Send a second, calm letter with a few examples from your diary. If that does not help, a community mediation service can support a conversation, or you can contact the landlord, housing association or managing agent. Your council can explain how it handles barking complaints. If you are worried about the dog's welfare, contact the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999 in England and Wales, or the Scottish SPCA in Scotland. If there are threats or violence, call 999, or 101 in a non-emergency.

Prefer to write a short note yourself first? Create a friendly first letter in two minutes with our free message generator.

Help with the first message

The CalmNotes pack for a barking dog next door gives you editable example messages to raise the barking kindly, including when it mainly happens while your neighbours are out, with follow-up messages and an Excel log. You can find packs for other situations in our English packs for the UK.