Ranger Services Information Sheet 23
Barking dogs
Barking dog problem
Dogs often bark as a form of communication or to signify danger or alert us to an intruder. If a dog barks without a reason, the cause may be lack of training, insufficient exercise, loneliness, inadequate shelter, ill health, and deliberate or unintentional provocation by people or roaming dogs.
Should you have a problem with a dog barking, you should first try to establish the reason why it is barking and try to make contact with the owner. Often the owner is not home and not aware of the problem. If you feel comfortable, the rangers have found in their experience that dog owners are usually more obliging if you have contacted the owner to discuss the issue.
If the problem continues, you may contact the rangers who will pay the owner an informal visit and offer a solution to the problem. If the problem continues, the complainant will be required to forward a complaint in writing to the council and be required to keep diaries of the times the dog(s) barking is a nuisance. The diary will be kept for a week and then returned to the rangers to determine if there is a barking problem. If there is, the dog owner will be notified and advised of the times of barking and be required to correct the problem within 7 days.
If the problem continues after the 7 days the complainant is required to have 3 people keep diaries. They must complete the diaries and return to the ranger. Two people can come from one house and the 3rd diary is to be kept by a person from another residence. This is a statutory requirement under the Dog Act 1976.
How do I stop my dog from barking?
A council ranger can be contacted to make an informal visit with information they carry with them or information can be obtain by post or by visiting the Customer Service Centre, 35 Old Perth Road, Bassendean.
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