A dog owner in Enfield has been ordered to pay £1,850 in fines, costs and a surcharge after breaching a noise abatement notice over their dog’s persistent barking.
The 'welcome home' greeting from a dog may be more costly than owners imagine. For neighbours, constant barking is a disturbance, and for owners it is a warning — often starting with a habit most people think is harmless.
Why dogs bark persistently
Annie-Mae Levy, CFBA, professional dog trainer at Woofz, says persistent barking is almost always a sign a dog is being left longer than it can cope with. She shares three things owners can do before complaints escalate.
1. Rethink the big hello. “If your dog is barking due to separation anxiety, it can feel like a good idea to give them lots of praise and attention when you come through the door, as you know they’ve ‘missed you’!
“This will often make dogs more anxious or frustrated when you’re not home; however, we have inadvertently created more anticipation for the owner return.
“Whilst this tip alone won't create separation anxiety, its definitely one to bare in mind if raising a puppy as it can be a big contributing factor!”
Rethink time alone and understand the cause
2. Rethink how long your dog spends alone. “For boredom or frustration barking, there is usually a big disconnect between the dog's needs and the owners capability to provide for them.
“Most dogs do not do well left alone for more than 5 hours at a time and so if a (especially young or higher energy breed) dog is regularly being left for durations longer than this, a big lifestyle change is needed as opposed to simply more exercise or toys.”
3. Understand what’s behind the barking. “Persistent barking that goes on in a nearly continuous way for hours is nearly always separation anxiety or a result of boredom/frustration. These two barks can be rather hard to tell apart but often separation anxiety-related barking will include more howls and tone changes than a dog that is bored or frustrated.”
“For separation anxiety, a detailed desensitisation plan will be needed, and usually these cases require involvement from a qualified behaviourist.”
