Being bothered by barking dogs?

General

Noise is generally regarded as "unwanted sound". In our daily lives we are subjected to different types of noise and usually we are not disturbed by it. However sometimes it could be too loud, too intrusive or just happen at the wrong time or without warning.

The term "Noise Nuisance" is used in law to mean noise which affects the enjoyment of your home to a level which is considered unacceptable to most people, e.g. you are unable to sleep at night, or cannot hear your television over the unwanted noise.

What To Do If You Are Bothered By Noise

Ask yourself the following questions:

are you being reasonable? we all have to put up with some noise, even in the countryside
is the person aware they are causing a nuisance?
is this a one-off event?
is the problem due to poor sound insulation?

What if I still feel the noise is unreasonable?

first, approach the person responsible - they may not be aware of the problem
write to the person responsible politely asking them to reduce the noise - keep a copy of the letter
keep a diary of disturbance for about 3 weeks to show any patterns to the problem

For more information as to why dogs bark, please click on the following link:

Why do dogs bark?

For more information on Responsible Dog Ownership, please click on the link below:

www.defra.gov.uk/environment/localenv/dogs/owner.htm

Click here to download the leaflet called "Is your dog barking too much?" which contains useful tips on how to stop the dog barking.

If all else fails you can contact Environmental Health for more advice. on Tel: (01249) 706555, or email:ehealth@northwilts.gov.uk