Thankyou guys, good ideas
I will see if I can get a hold of a camcorder, and I will deff make a note of any times of barking - interestingly that since the police came last time they dont seem to have been practasing the trumpett like they were doing before!!

Of course my dogs do bark sometimes - but when I am there its never more than 2 or 3 barks - and I have been told by family and friends that when I am not there the dogs just sleep
So in reality there was only today when there was a posibility of the barking when I had one out (ironicaly to train them) - and as they were quiet when I came back then I doubt that was even for 20 min

Thankyou, I feel so much better now - I was so worried even about a dog barking on the TV today!! and I deff cant expect my dogs to be silent all the time but no way would I let them bark for that amount of time!

whew, my head was working overtime thinking I would have my dogs taken off me and everything!

i'm going through the EH route with my neighbour atm but her dog barks for 2-4 hours at a time.
since she had the letter it has been quiet except for last sunday when it was logged for a 2 1/2hr period of barking.

this is excessive and i have 4 weeks in which to send the form in to the council.

has anyone said that all this relates to your dogs or to other dogs in the area?

I agree that is excessive, but if my dogs were doing that I would want to know as it wouldnt be healthy for them and the obviously wouldnt be happy

The police didnt specificly say it was only me, never thought of that but I guess it could be the other dogs barking as well. TBH the only dog in the area I know of that barks lots for long periods of time is the guy mother who lives round the corner - but I doubt they have called the police on her.

Its really bugging when we call the local police for car break ins, gangs of teenage kids drinking and a woman who was so badly knifed she nearly died, it takes them hours if at all to turn up - but for a dog barking they can come over in less than 30 min!
- and the really cool thing is the whole time the police were there, even when they knocked on the door neither of my 2 uttered one single peep

I had the same happen to me and I recieved a letter from EH stating that the neighbour had to log a diary for 4 weeks. I did exactly the same, days when we were out with all of the dogs at shows, training and racing. Interestingly the week he complained about the noise I was at home with a broken ankle and a plaster cast up to my knee. I was also at home for the 4 weeks the diary was kept so I know that my dogs made no noise what so ever but next doors lab barked constantly! Obviously as I have 5 it must have been mine!!

The neighbour didnt even bother keeping a diary and EH were lovely on the phone when I contacted them and explained that I was sat at home all day. I actually approached the neighbour and asked him out right what his issue was. It turned out it was a one off incident when our van had broken down and we couldnt get home.

Some people are just born complainers! Dont stress about it, speak to EH and discuss the complaint with them.

Gemma
x

Have to say I have had the same thing as Gemma....

It's horrible and I totally sympathise. I felt terrible. Guilty in case by some strange freak it was my dogs and horribly exposed and spied upon by my neighbours. The idea they had called the Environmental health, the RSPCA and the police on me in the same day just made me physically sick.

The Police, Environmental Health, Dogwarden and RSPCA turned up on the same day (three at the same time). I showed them where I kept the dogs, (Just Jackjack and Selkie at the time) they met and petted them.. The dog warden and RSPCA were soon on my side. During the day at the time my dogs had full run of the garage, set up as a living room for them, dog flap in the door and the garden. They had water and toys and were clearly very happy. The dogwarden and RSPCA agreed that none of the dogs had the hoarse bark of a constant barker.

Then came keeping journals for 4 weeks... I kept a journal of all the times we were there, times we were walking, visiting, training, times I was there and I knew they barked, times we knew they were quiet. I even asked friends and family to sneak round during the day while I was at work, park round the corner and walk round and monitor for up to an hour at a time and this I also added to the diary....

Then came a tense nervous time.. I felt like a sword of Damocles was hanging poised to take my dogs or order some extraordinary measure at any moment..

A few weeks (forever) later. I was informed that it had all been thrown out. The diaries did not match and mine was the more believable.

My dogs lost the run of the garden after that though... I became scared the evil neighbours might take things into their own hands.. I came home once to find my fence had "blown down" on a not very windy day.

I sympathise. I truly do and if you need someone to vent to please feel free to PM. It's a horrible situation to be in. But you have done nothing wrong. The law is there to catch the people who leave their dogs barking non stop for hour, not those of us who have a dog that barks for a couple of minutes.

What a horrid situation to be in.
I would agree with keeping the diary but logging everything you do, not just when the dogs bark - as it gives a more complete picture.
I'm sorry you're going through it, especially when you tried to be the good neighbour first. *hugs*

I wonder if your neighbours would complain if you had children outside who made a lot of noise whilst playing - I bet they wouldn't, yet it's still noise.

It sounds as if they are very hypersensitive to dog barks - I think dogs should be allowed to bark occasionally but not excessively and am fairly sure this is taken into account, as no dog can be expected to be totally 100% quiet

This may be of some interest, not sure if it's applicable to your situation but....

http://www.defra.gov.uk/ENVIRONMENT/...rk%20collar%22

it's got useful ideas in it

Wys
x

Grrr don't some people make you sick? I have been through that route once, the council came out to see me and said that I had too many dogs but that they didn't think they were a nuisance..one neighbour had complained but all the others said that they would set up a petition if needed. I wasn't going to take any chances and sold up and moved to the most remote property I could find that had no neighbours.

When the woman next door to where we live now complained about Leon barking when we were out (3-4 hours max) and then the other neighbour who had previously said he wasn't a problem put a note through my door I had those same old feelings come flooding back. You wonder if you will have your dogs taken off you by the authorities and all sorts.

Well, since that happened I had my car windows blackened and Leon has to come everywhere with us and has to stay in the car in need..1 hour at the most. But the horrid neighbour had a relatives dog there whilst they went out and it barked and howled from 6pm through to 1.30 am when they returned from their party or whatever it was they went to. The other neighbour has a 2 1/2 year old son that constantly throws stones over the fence at Leon and now they have the cocker spaniel staying with them that barks whenever he is outside.

Clive and I have said nothing...we are hoping to move so don't want any neighbour problems to be brought up..however, it seems to be one rule for dog owners and one rule for everyone else when it comes to dogs being a nuisance.

I sincerely hope this all fizzles out and you can relax and enjoy your dogs. As others suggested I would strongly urge you to keep a record of all the noise they make as they are obviously the type of people that think they are a law unto themselves.

Big hugs xx

It sounds like you are an easy target because they know where you live and that you have a dog. They probably can't work out where the real barkers are.
I agree with everyone else. Make a diary yourself with all times you are out, dogs with you or not so you have proof yourself.
Becky

I had a letter from EH Friday and so fed up as my neighbours have my mobile number which I gave them about 7 months ago.
EH were lovely, My dogs had kitchen and outhouse and run of garden but now I have to lock them away as my new dog Jazz will bark and as we back on to a park always some kids banging so now they have kitchen and outhouse with radio on.
Also I am sure my dogs get the blame for the lady 2 doors up with 2 labs,