Report a barking dog

While barking is a natural form of communication for dogs, excessive barking is a behavioural problem which needs to be addressed for both the wellbeing of the dog and your neighbours.

Dogs are social animals and often bark due to loneliness, but can also bark excessively for a range of other reasons including:

separation anxiety from owner
boredom and frustration
fear of people, objects, noise, weather conditions or other dogs
feeling threatened towards themselves or their territory
when they are sick or injured

Excessive barking nearly always occurs when the owner is absent. Neighbours communicating with each other constructively can help stop the problem from escalating.

Important information

this application is for submitting a formal complaint to Council, please ensure that you have explored your other options as listed in the Barking Dogs - Information for Affected Neighbours guide first

Steps to report

Before you start How to report What happens next Need help?

Before you start

Step 1.Read the process outlined in Council's guide

There are many steps to take before resorting to lodging a formal complaint with Council.

Barking Dogs - Information for Affected Neighbours

Follow this step by step guide process for dealing with excessive or nuisance barking from a neighbour's dog.

Step 2.Contact your neighbour

Excessive barking almost always occurs when the owner isn't home, so there's a good chance that your neighbour isn't aware of the problem. Before you lodge a formal complaint, it's a good idea to talk to your neighbour and give them a chance to fix the issue first.

If you aren't able to talk to your neighbour directly, you can let them know that there's a problem by leaving a letter in their mailbox.

If you need help writing a letter, you can download our letter template.

If you don't know where the dog lives, you can letterbox drop copies of our Barking Dog flyer instead. If you'd like us to send you some ready-made flyers, please contact us.

How to report

Step 1.Download and complete the Dog Nuisance Barking Diary

You will need to log the dog's behaviour in the diary for a minimum of ten (10) days in a row.

The diary has to be specific and factual so that it shows patterns in the dog's behaviour. This will help our rangers to understand why the dog may be barking.

Step 2.Complete the online form

Attach your completed Dog Nuisance Barking Diary when prompted.

The link below will take you to our request management platform.

Report online

What happens next

Step 1.We will speak with the owner of the dog

We will explain that a complaint has been received, provide the dog owner with self-help information and offer the owner advice and assistance to help them reduce the nuisance.

The owner will be provided with a Dog Nuisance Barking Diary to record their own animal’s behaviour over the following ten (10) days.

Step 2.We will contact you to confirm the owner has been informed

You must give the owner of the dog two weeks from this date to attempt to fix the issue.

Step 3.You will continue logging events in the Dog Nuisance Barking Diary

From the date that we let you know that the owner has been notified, you will need to continue filling out the Dog Nuisance Barking Diary for an additional ten (10) days and then re-submit the diary to Council.

Step 4.We will review the Dog Nuisance Barking Diaries

Rangers will cross-reference and compare your diary against the owner's dairy, as well as any other diaries submitted by other neighbours.

Step 5.We may issue a Notice of Proposed Nuisance Dog Order to the dog owner

If Council is satisfied that an offence has been committed under the Companion Animals Act 1998 Section 32A, then a Notice of Proposed Nuisance Dog Order will be issued to the dog owner.

Upon receiving this Notice an owner has seven (7) days to respond to Council. After the seven days Council will determine if a Nuisance Dog Order is to be issued. Both the complainant and owner will be advised in writing of the outcome.

If a Nuisance Dog Order is made, it will remain in force for six (6) months. Once a Nuisance Dog Order is issued, the Order is not subject to any further appeal or review process. Penalties apply for non-compliance.

Step 6.We will let you know of the outcome

Council will notify you in writing once the matter has been investigated.

Need help?

My dog is barking

If you suspect your dog may be the problem, ask your neighbours questions like the time it occurs, or what may be triggering your dog to bark.

Once you determine the cause of your dog’s barking there are steps you can take to stop it.

For information and resources on how to manage excessive barking and what your responsibilities are if you receive a complaint, download our Barking Dogs - Information for Dog Owners guide.