Barking Dogs

The majority of nuisance dog complaints received at Council are due to barking dogs. Here are some handy tips and boredom busters.

Why dogs bark?

  • Loneliness. Dogs are social animals
  • Stress due to separation from an owner
  • Conditioned behavior, where an owner rewards the dog for barking
  • Dominance. Barking until they get what they want
  • Attention seeking
  • Boredom
  • Fear. Dogs bark at people, other dogs or objects when scared
  • Threat or territory: Something unfamiliar may be a threat
  • Play
  • Breed. Some breeds have a reputation for barking

Fact Sheets:

  1. Methods of Control
  2. Boredom Busters
  3. Excessive Barking Tips