It’s natural for dogs to bark, but when it happens a lot, or goes on for a long time, it can cause annoyance and disturbance. Often the dog owner may not know how serious the problem is if their dog barks whilst they are out.

If you are a dog owner, and have been approached by a neighbour about your dog barking too much, the first step is to calmly talk things over with them and try to work out a solution. You can get further advice on reducing the amount of noise your dog is making in this DEFRA booklet.

If you are being troubled by noise from your neighbour’s dog, you can approach your neighbour to explain politely that you are being disturbed. However you should approach the matter carefully if you feel that your neighbour might react angrily.

If the problem continues, you can take your own action under section 82 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. You can find more information on the Environmental Protection UK website.

Alternatively, you can report dog barking to the council.

Noise complaints relating to Trafford Housing Trust properties are dealt with by the Customer Hub of the Trust.

Dog barking can be a statutory nuisance which is defined in Part III of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. This law empowers Local Authorities to deal with noise from fixed premises. Before action can be taken we have to prove that the noise is prejudicial to health and/or is causing an unreasonable and persistent disturbance to your lifestyle.

There are some occasions where we are unable to take action. If we decide that formal action cannot be taken, you will be informed and be given advice about taking action yourself if you wish to do so. You can find more information on the Environmental Protection UK website.