Some pet behavior problems, like house-soiling, only affect the people a dog lives with. Others, such as escaping the yard or barking nonstop, spill over to the neighbors and can lead to disputes and violations of the city's animal ordinances. That is how a barking dog turns into a "people problem."
If your pet's noise is causing friction on your street, talk it over with your neighbors. An animal that keeps up noise for long stretches is usually signaling that something is wrong, and that issue deserves attention.
Filing an Animal Noise Complaint
You may file a complaint about a noisy animal, such as a barking dog, as long as the issue does not involve agricultural animals. Your report must include the animal's exact address, with any apartment or unit number, plus 15 minutes of video that captures the noise. Incomplete submissions will not be processed.
When recording, please stay away from the fence. Instead, film from wherever you hear the animal most clearly. For example, if the noise is loudest when you step into your backyard, stand at your back door and point the camera toward the sound.
Noise complaints are accepted online only, and your identity is protected only during the first stage of the investigation. An Animal Services Officer will check on the welfare of the reported animals, let the owner know the complaint concerns noise and share suggestions for reducing it. If the problem continues, complete the barking log (PDF) and the affidavit (PDF) and bring both to the Fredville Paws Adoption Center.
Keep these points in mind when you submit an affidavit:
- Wait to sign the affidavit until it is notarized. Fredville Animal Services staff will notarize it for you when you drop it off.
- A citation is most likely when a complete affidavit is turned in together with the 15-minute video.
- Once an affidavit is filed and a citation is issued, the complainant's information becomes public, and you may be called to testify in court.
If you have trouble uploading the 15-minute video, let staff know when you turn in your forms. An officer will text or email you a link for submitting it.
Animal Noise Complaint Form
To report a noise problem, complete the online form below or call Animal Services at (555) 010-5898. Be ready to share:
- The animal's exact address
- Video of the animal making the noise
The name of the person reporting is kept confidential during the initial investigation.
What Happens After You File?
Each complaint creates a service call. An Animal Services Officer looks into the cause of the noise and advises the owner on the best ways to fix it on their own.
If the noise keeps happening, you will be asked to provide the completed barking log, the video and the signed affidavit. Once those arrive, an officer is assigned to write a citation.
After a citation is written, the log and video go to the city prosecutor's office, which decides how the case will proceed. If more information is needed, the investigating officer will reach out to you.
For details, see the animal nuisance section of the Fredville City Code.
Is Your Dog the One Barking?
Start by figuring out when your dog barks, how long it lasts and what sets it off. That can take a bit of detective work, especially if the barking happens while you are away. Ask the neighbors, walk or drive around the block and listen for a while, or leave a camera or audio recorder running when you head to work. With luck, you will be able to match the barking to one of the common causes below.
Social Isolation, Frustration or Attention Seeking
Boredom and loneliness may be behind the barking if your dog:
- Spends long periods alone with no chance to interact with you.
- Lives in a fairly bare space with no toys or companions.
- Is a puppy or young dog (under about 3 years old) without other ways to burn off energy.
- Belongs to a high-energy type, such as a herding or sporting breed, that needs a "job" to stay content.
What you can do: make your dog's world bigger and give it more time with people.
- Go for a walk together every day; you both benefit from the exercise.
- Teach fetch with a ball or flying disc and play as often as you can.
- Spend 5 to 10 minutes a day working on a few commands or tricks.
- Sign up for an obedience class together.
- Leave engaging toys out while you are gone, such as rubber toys stuffed with treats or puzzle boxes. Swapping toys in and out keeps them feeling new (see our handout on choosing and using dog toys).
- If your dog barks to get noticed, set aside enough time each day for petting, grooming, play and exercise so it does not need to act out to get your attention.
- Bring your dog indoors whenever no one can supervise it.
- Take your dog along to work now and then, if your workplace allows it.
- If you work long hours, try doggie day care or ask a friend or neighbor to walk or play with your dog.
- Never reward barking with attention. Ignore your dog until it has been quiet for at least three seconds, then offer praise or a treat.
Territorial or Protective Barking
Your dog may be guarding its territory if:
- It barks at perceived "intruders," such as the mail carrier, children on their way to school, or dogs and people in neighboring yards.
- Its body language looks threatening while it barks, with the tail raised high and the ears up and forward.
- You have encouraged it to react to people and sounds outside.
What you can do:
- Teach a "quiet" cue. When your dog starts barking at someone walking by, let it bark two or three times, then say "quiet" and interrupt with a sudden distraction, such as shaking a can of coins or spritzing water toward its mouth from a spray bottle. The moment it stops, say "good quiet" and give it a tasty treat. The noise or spray is not a punishment; it simply startles your dog into silence so you can reward it right away. Should the sound or the spray scare your dog, use a different interruption instead, such as tossing a toy or ball in its direction.
- Desensitize your dog to whatever sets off the barking. Help it learn that the people it sees as intruders are friends and that good things happen when they appear. Have a helper walk past your yard, starting far enough away that your dog stays quiet, and reward calm behavior while your dog holds a "sit" or "down." Use an extra-special treat, such as small bits of cheese or meat. As the helper moves gradually closer, keep rewarding the quiet. It may take several training rounds before the person can approach without setting off a bark. Once they can come very close, have them give your dog a treat or toss it a toy. For this method to work, your dog should not be able to watch people outside between training rounds.
- If your dog barks indoors while you are home, call it over, ask for a "sit" or "down" and reward it with praise and a treat.
- Avoid accidentally encouraging this behavior by prompting your dog to bark at sights and sounds outside.
- Spaying or neutering can reduce territorial behavior.
- While you are away, block your dog's view of whatever may be triggering the barking.
Fears and Phobias
Fear may be the cause if:
- Your dog barks when it hears loud sounds such as thunder, fireworks or construction machinery.
- Its posture signals fear, with ears pulled back and tail held low.
What you can do:
- Pinpoint what scares your dog and gradually desensitize it to that trigger (see our handouts on helping a dog cope with thunder and other startling noises, and on stress relief for pets).
- Muffle outside noise by keeping your dog in a basement or a bathroom without windows, with a TV, radio or loud fan running. Close the curtains, or shut the doors to rooms with outside views, so it cannot see the things that frighten it.
Separation Anxiety
Separation anxiety could be the reason if:
- Your dog barks only while you are out, starting the moment you leave or soon after.
- It shows other signs of strong attachment, such as shadowing you from room to room, greeting you frantically or getting anxious as you prepare to leave.
- Its life recently changed: the household schedule shifted so it is alone more often, the family moved, a person or another pet died or left, or it spent time in a shelter or boarding kennel.
What you can do: separation anxiety can often be resolved with counter-conditioning and desensitization (see our handouts on separation anxiety and on stress relief for pets).
Bark Collars
Bark collars are built to deliver something unpleasant each time a dog barks. Several types are available:
- Citronella collar: A small reservoir sprays citronella toward the dog's face whenever it barks. This type is considered humane and works for dogs that dislike the scent and the hiss of the spray. Because a microphone triggers the spray, other sounds can set it off, so a dog may get sprayed even when it was quiet. Some dogs also figure out when the reservoir has run dry and start barking again. Handler-activated citronella collars are sold as well.
- Ultrasonic (aversive sound) collar: This collar gives off a high-pitched tone when the dog barks. Some versions respond to the bark itself, while others are set off by a handler. Reported success rates for this type are quite low.
- Electric shock collar: We strongly advise against using a shock collar to stop barking. The shock hurts, and many dogs will put up with the pain and keep barking anyway. These collars are costly and rarely effective, and they can cause a dog to turn its aggression on nearby people or pets.
Bark Collars Don't Solve the Underlying Problem
Every bark collar shares the same weakness: it does nothing about why your dog is barking. Even if the barking stops, a new problem may take its place, such as digging, escaping, destructive chewing or even aggression. Citronella and sound collars should only be used alongside behavior training that targets the cause of the barking, as described above. If separation anxiety, fear or a phobia is behind the barking, do not use a bark collar at all; punishing a frightened or anxious dog always makes things worse.
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