To think I have no choice but to report the neighbours?

My niece had a dog that as it got older barked constantly, vet said probably dementia.

It was awful visiting her as the dog would just lie there at her feet and randomly bark every couple of minutes, then if someone knocked on door it would go mad.

It was always a difficult dog, rescue from horrible circumstances where it was attacked by other dogs in the home, reactive. She actively trained him and he was good at most things, did agility with him etc. but couldn’t get a handle on the random barking. She had a behaviourist in but they couldn’t help either.

She was fortunate the house she stayed in was well built and her neighbours who she checked in with regularly said they never heard him (they must have been deaf!) as the alternative was the dog went back to stay with her mum who had more space away from neighbours.

Anyway, no, you absolutely shouldn’t have to put up with it if it is disturbing you. I’d have one last go at speaking to them and being honest, it is causing you distress and if they can’t resolve it you unfortunately, they leave you with not option but to report. Give your landlord the heads up, before reporting, to give him the opportunity to try too.

Do they bark for a prolonged period or just a small burst ?

You have my sympathy. We had the same for 7 years with the neighbours dogs. Barking from 6.30am until 11pm non stop. We did the whole recording thing and had the support of the environmental health dept but ultimately it forced us to move house

OP just get it reported, get the recording equipment in and get it all going.

Keep the log you've started going in the meantime.

They've been told already and nothing has changed.

If the owners are like my mum they've just got used to it. How I do not know but my mum's dog is VERY barky and loud and it doesn't seem to bother her anywhere near how it bothers everyone else. Id cry if I were her neighbour!

Do you have a ring doorbell? If you don't, get one. That way you can see who is at the door before you answer if you are concerned about their relatives coming knocking and not answer.

I am in no way a dog hater, my insta reels would say so.

But, they are animals and cannot take president over human rights and comfort.

There are simply too many of them around, and often in the hands of assholes.

It is out of control. No doubt about it. People are either fearing dogs, or suffering them in some way. It can in no way, be right for any society.

yes I'm starting to agree with you since lockdown. I genuinely like dogs (was a vet nurse pre kids) but I was at Kew Gardens yesterday and it was so lovely that there were no dogs (only service dogs of which I saw none). It was so lovely and peaceful and made a change. They are just everywhere now and many are off-lead and badly trained.

I do wonder if a slightly more assertive approach is needed to problem dogs and owners by 'The Authorities'

In particular ir means putting problem animals down I am afraid and not allowing owners to have another.

I suggest that when dog owners realise that if their little fur baby Satan is allowed to cause a nuisance or attack someone its a one way ticket to the vet that might make them take a boy more responsibility

I am sick to death about how much of a stranglehold dogs and their shit owners have on society.

From the barking torment OP is suffering to people being afraid to use their own gardens due to XL bullies next door, to the bloody things being allowed in cafes, to their shit left everywhere.

Something has gone very wrong where people's lives are being so negatively affected by someone else's choice to often incompetently and badly own a fucking dog.

It makes me rage. A dog continuously barking is mental torture. Anyone who dismisses this is an absolute dick.

YANBU op. You have my absolute sympathy. I would be reporting to LL first.

I'm still hesitant but feel it's the only way to some sort of resolution.

Again, what 'resolution' do you expect? Are the council prepared to seize the barking dogs?

I feel your pain. It becomes all consuming, it affects your sleep, work, peace of mind. The council are often ineffective. Put a complaint in with the council, write them a note. Speak to their landlord. Try not to let it take over your life, but it is hard.

Do they rent or own?
Noise complaints could affect their tenancy and end in eviction if they are tenants, but if they own then the council probably won't have any result as they can't make them sell/move out of an owned home.
Not sure if they can force people in an owned home to rehome a pet.

This is exactly the sort of thing your landlord should be dealing with otherwise they'll have a never ending stream of tenants leaving due to noise nuisance. I once left a rental because of party people next door and the landlord said he'd wished I'd told him so he could deal with it.
Anyway good luck. Barking dogs next door are bloody awful and antisocial, I have one too.

I think you should go to the council if you've complained and they weren't apologetic or since discussed how they maybe working to reduce noise in the hope you'll be patient with them. Are they actually home while their dogs are barking away and ignoring it as more commonly it's separation anxiety while the owners are out?

They could easily put that opaque window film up so let's in light but reduces the visual trigger of street passerby's or keep the dogs in back room.

Old or disabled people can use mobility scooters to exercise dogs, hire a dog walker or charity like cinnamon trust volunteer walkers. Some dogs due to lack of early socialisation or a negative event do find the outside world too scary to do regularly but still an owner could be engaging their brains and bodies within the home but sadly a lot of people are minimum effort with the pets they chose to get.

I don't agree with PP It's not fair for owners to whack on a aversive bark collar to avoid effort of solving why the dogs are barking so much ( a form of communication) in first place and retraining. A puff of citronella may sound minor to us our smell capacity compared to a dogs is miniscule so we can't know what that actually feels like and if it's triggered by sound do they also get punished for one of the other dogs barking.

If the neighbours dont realise that their dogs are causing a nuisance then they have a screw loose.

If they or their family try to play silly bs after you complain the Police and The Council should take a very dim view of it.

As far as the landlord is concerned its not his complaint so if and when he comes to sell the house he would not have to mention it as he doesnt know anything.

That's awful. I hope you come to a decision soon.
How long have you lived there? I'm surprised you didn't move when you realised this problem?

Report them. Don't feel bad about it. They're selfish people.

It’s not victim blaming, I’ve said she’s entitled to complain. All I am saying is that after seeing one of my neighbours raise a complaint about another, just think it through first.

The council will have a department that deals with noise abatement. Environmental Health or Department. They deal with dogs barking, loud music, public nuisance.
My neice works in such a department (she get to go to festivals just to check decibels).
These are your people and they are usually very good at sorting things out.

Tough shit for the LL - if they don't want the issues that come with renting property, they shouldn't rent property.

The OP has the right to live peacefully in the house.

You have my solidarity, OP! My NDN has two very barky dogs, which upsets mine. Although they bark constantly, it gets frantic whenever they see another person/dog indoors or out... to the point that my dogs and I couldn't go near the windows at the back of the house, until I put privacy film up, so that they can't see us anymore!

I see that your neighbours are aware of how the barking affects you, and I completely understand that you don't want to rock the boat too much- I'm the same. It does ruin your time away from work, as you can't enjoy time at home... and it's frustrating when the NDN's dogs wake you up or disrupt you to the point that you can't concentrate on what you're doing, which ruins your mood- and enjoyment of your home. When the barking is at its worst, I have shouted, "SHUT UP!" and slammed the windows shut in frustration, or sent my neighbour a message to say that I have a migraine, and could they take the dogs in? It is wonderful on the rare occasion that NDN sends them to doggy-daycare, or they go in kennels when NDN is away.

Would the neighbours be open to trying anti-bark methods? I have one that I used to leave up high in the same room with my youngest dog (who used to bark indoors when there were deliveries and things), and it's been much more effective than an anti-bark collar. It's a Queen Mew device, and I have strapped it to the fence to try with the NDN's dogs. You're unlikely to be the only neighbour that the excessive barking is bothering. It's just worse when you're right next door to it!

Why does the op have to do this they are not causing the issue

It's absolutely not on the OP to offer solutions and brainstorm. She has already spoken to them. What she needs is for it to stop. That's on the owner, not the person who's life is being made a misery by noise nuisance.