Dogs out barking all night

No you most certainly are not being unreasonable. Barking dogs are a menace.

I feel for the dogs, as I am a doggy type, but it is so annoying. There is someone over the road from me whose dog barks through the day when on its own, and I want to shoot it sometimes. The owners don't necessarily know it happens though. If they are out when it barks, and the noise stops when they get back it will be a 'light on in the fridge' situation.

You could try environmental health, but I don't hold out much hope, to be honest. Everything these days seems to be cut to the bone and unless there is danger of imminent death you are lucky to get a response from anyone.

You are not at all unreasonable. Have you spoken to other neighbours about this? I would try to find out where these dogs live and either put a polite note through the door or knock on the door and mention the problem to the owner. If it continued then I would contact the local Council's Environmental Health department. Noise is one of the major stressors and you shouldn't have to put up with it night after night.

Dogs left out all night? I’m not surprised the poor things are barking.

I’d ring the RSPCA.

Are you sure that it really is dogs? Does the noise come from exactly the same direction all the time? This is the season when foxes are doing their courting, and they tend to do a lot of shouting about it. Their bark is all hoarse"'ark!!!" and no "woof", which may help you identify it.

I can never understand this, letting dogs bark all night. I mean, either your neighbours possibly work shifts and aren't always home, or they're out every night. Otherwise, how can the dog owners put up with it themselves?!

We had new neighbours who left their dog outside in a little kennel during the day when they went to work. He yapped constantly from the minute they left, until they returned. Several of our neighbours moaned about it amongst themselves, but I was the one who decided to put a very polite note through their letterbox. I simply said that they were probably unaware, but I thought they should know that their little dog was constantly barking, and he possibly had separation anxiety when he was left alone. I kindly asked if it was possible for them to keep him inside, so as not to disturb the neighbours. Straight away, they kept him in the house, and arranged for a dog walker to take him out daily.

I know that your case is slightly different, Beswitched, with it being a night, but perhaps a polite note may help, if they are reasonable people ...

I would contact the RSPCA too.

Do you have a local facebook? start a thread asking whose dogs they are...

You don’t live in Derby do you op?

My dog is currently being a blooming pest due to the fact that Nextdoor’s cats have battered down our cat flap and entering out house at all hours…

We had the same problem in our village, the Parish Council got involved and helped to sort it, with the Environmental Health people as the owners didn’t bother and many many people complained.
In fact their dog was so bad at being left on its own all day they bought a puppy to keep it company, this resulted in 2 dogs barking all day! In the end one of the owners of the dogs gave up working which sorted out the problem.
Try the note through the door though, but I doubt it will work, we just got a lot of bad language back.

Fanny, can your Dad fix it this weekend?

Besides the poor dog being distressed it makes me feel distressed also if I hear a dog barking at night, particularly all night. Fortunately it's a rarity round here to ever hear an animal apart from the yapping of a fox now and again.

I'm afraid if it carried on I'd have to approach the owner of the dog first, then if you get no joy, the RSPCA. The people obviously don't care about the dog and therefore shouldn't have one. It's cruel and I hate to see it. Those kind of people are usually cruel to humans too !

Of course you're not being unreasonable!

If you have to shut a dog out of the house for extended periods - day or night - then I don't think you should be allowed to own one.

I'm sure it distresses the animal - otherwise, why is it barking? - and it's certainly distressing people, especially those who are trying to sleep at night and have to get up and go to work the next morning. There's a difference between an occasional 'woof' and the constant yapping of an animal that clearly doesn't want to remain outside.

I have to say I really don't understand the mentality of people who do this, especially if they've been told about it and refuse to do anything. What yardstick do they use to think it's acceptable to annoy and distress both their dog and their neighbours... are they the same individuals who let their dogs foul the pavement and then leave it for others to tread in or clean up?

I live in an area where dogs are almost a 'must have' yet never experience this problem, and it's very unusual to find any dog excrement on the pavements - so it really is a minority of anti-social individuals who possibly go through life not giving a hoot about anyone other than themselves.

I would find out which house it was and discuss it with the owner of the dog. They may be unaware if they work over night. When this happened in our street it was a care worker who was out all night and was unaware that the dog was doing this. Another neighbour had the dog when she worked and took it for a long walk (which both he and dog enjoyed) and returned it happy and calm for her return. Not everyone is anti social.

I've just checked on the website for my local council and there is a section on what they can do to help with noise pollution from neighbours that covers barking dogs. Their first advice is to approach the neighbour directly, but if that doesn't work they can intervene.
Years ago, I had a problem with a very arrogant next door neighbour who fancied himself as a DJ and thought that practicing his "trade" at full volume day and night was his god given right. We got nowhere when we politely asked him to turn it down or use headphones like most DJ's do, but a letter from the council threatening to remove all his equipment if the persisted soon stopped him

FannyCornforth

You don’t live in Derby do you op?

No I'm in Ireland.

I have héard foxes mating but I'm pretty sure these are dogs.

Oh good, it’s not Gracie annoying you then.
We have the fox issue too.
And cats (not ours) fighting all night.
And then throw into the mix The Lunatics next door and their nocturnal activities.
It’s a right racket…

I think The Hound of the Baskervilles lives at the back of our house somewhere.

Really feel for you - similar happening to us - several neighbours letting their dogs out around 5am - one starts barking and they all join in until their owners decide to let them back in - so inconsiderate! Found an interesting article which may be of use:-

www.countryliving.com/uk/wildlife/pets/a37863537/dogs-barking-owners-fine/

I agree Dickens. Perhaps OP can get some action from the council and/or RSPCA. Why some people have dogs escapes me.

my dog has doggy dementia & is deaf. He's always enjoyed a good woof but .we always made sure he didn't bark after 10 at might or early mornings, but now it's impossible. He has spells where he's awake all night, asks to go out & then starts barking, meaning we have to run down the garden in our PJs t in the dark & wet to stop him because he can't hear.Honestly I think he's more trouble than a new pup these last few months. He's well into his fifteenth year but trots around, has a glossy coat, eats with relish & is very loved. Our neighbours dont complain but admit to hearing him more than they used to if I ask them, but don't want to make the trip to the vets when he's still so happy.Did get some melatonin to help him sleep butI'm wary of using it.

So long as he seems fit and happy, valdali, and long may that be the case. Perhaps have a word with the vet about the melatonin. My old lady is on a couple of different pills, anything to prolong quality of life. And older doggies like their sleep.

We thought we heard a dog barking close by on several nights last January (which was unusual) and then I opened the front door one evening to see it was a Fox on the drive barking.
It was mating season, and it passed. ?

Some working dogs sleep out at night in an exterior kennels with a heat lamp in winter. My friend’s gun dogs do so maybe something similar for the OP’s area? I’d scout around for the owners to have a word & if it persists, ask RSPCA for advice. If they don’t have heated kennel it could be an education issue?