Reported for dogs barking!

[Luckz66]

I have two terrier dogs who have just turned two and today I received a letter from the council about their nuisance barking.
I leave for work around 8am and I’m back around 4 and they are left inside and do not bark (I have a ring camera as proof!)
When they are outside which is no later than 7pm, the one does sometimes bark but only if next doors dog is out and is scratching at the fence or whimpering by the back door as it is left out for long periods.
I think the letter is malicious and from my next door neighbour as she is in council accommodation and desperately wants to move out. She has been reported herself from residents in the street for smoking illegal substances, prostitution and worries about her young child.
I just wanted more information really about what I can do as I am genuinely shocked!

Oh well that’s ok then. It’s totally ok for you to neglect your dogs because you’ve got a better reason than her 🙄

Poor dogs

Unless you have a ring camera in every room there is no chance they will pick up all barking. Even if there is a camera in every room they still might not pick up barking…they’re designed to work at certain frequencies and when triggered. If there’s only a couple of cameras you can’t say with any confidence that they don’t bark while alone. And leaving dogs for 8 hours, or even 4 hours followed by four more hours is certainly not in the dogs best interests.

8 hours is too long to leave your poor dogs!

I work from home. My dogs spend four hours asleep followed by a walk followed by four hours asleep. That's dogs. They love sleeping! What do you think they would be doing if the op was there all the time? Line dancing?

But isn’t that because dogs are pack animals, and are more inclined to rest if the leader of the pack is present. If the leader of the pack isn’t there they’ll be on higher alert, and more likely than not, barking at every little thing - temperament of dog dependent of course…

I mean, mine mostly sleeps when I'm home as well, but that doesn't mean I'd shut him indoors all day with absolutely no company or stimulation, or chance to go to the toilet and properly stretch his legs.

He likes to sit in the garden, sniff around and use the toilet. He'll come and ask for a cuddle or belly rubs. He likes it when I can rearrange his blankets or cadge a bit of my lunch. He likes to have that company and actively seeks it out (though I appreciate all dogs are different).

I mean, the guidance is in place for a reason. Dogs are sociable animals and benefit from company and regular opportunities to toilet, sniff and stretch their legs. Leaving them cooped up inside and making them use puppy pads (as per OP's posts) isn't very kind.

Unless you are continually watching the camera you can’t be sure they aren’t barking can you?

They can hold their bladders overnight etc .

One of mine refuses to go out in the rain and has held for over 15 hours before ... the door is open for her to go into the garden and she chooses not to

But I think this is too long to leave them alone

They can hold their bladders overnight etc

It's not comparable to daytime though, the same as with humans.

There are lots of different dog breeds though, with different needs and energy levels. Even two dogs of the same breed can have very different temperaments.

Plus, as someone else pointed out, dogs are social animals and they will be much more relaxed when their human is there.

I WFH and my dog (low maintenance breed) sleeps the entire time. However, if I left her for 8 hours and just popped back for lunch, she would be horribly distressed.

These are two young dogs, and terriers are a high maintenance breed. It's also a fairly vocal breed, although obviously there are some exceptions. If they're moving around a lot, they may well be anxious and/or bored. I would be extremely surprised if they are completely (or even largely) silent for 8 hours every day.

I work from home and was nearly driven to a breakdown by the constant yapping of my former neighbour's dog.

Environmental health may install recording equipment in your neighbour's home to gather evidence of the alleged barking (by the way, it's irrelevant whether it happens at what you call 'antisocial' hours or not - it is still potentially a noise nuisance).

This will prove whether or not your dogs are making a noise and whether its level and frequency constitutes a nuisance.

This. You need to get a dog walker or put them in daycare.

Poor dogs, that’s way too long to leave them, and using puppy pads? 😢

You're being hugely unreasonable.

Phon Ethel number on the letter to check if it’s genuine.

• Phone the

It would be a hell of a lot easier to just phone the council and make a complaint than it would be to forge a letter from them. Why would anyone do that?

I had two letters after letting my teenage stepson and mates stay in my house (I lived on the Isle of Wight then) while I was away. It just said the noise was a nuisance and to take measures to mitigate it otherwise 'further steps' may need to be taken. It was basically them being loud teens, playing the radio, shouting from the garden to the house. Not like they had a rave! I just told them next time to be mindful that they weren't in London but a quiet neighbourhood full of elderly people. Heard nothing more.
I imagine your neighbour would have to provide some sort of proof for it to go any further.
My own neighbours have barky dogs and yesterday I was out in my garden chatting with a friend and someone shouted 'get that dog to shut up'. I shouted back 'not my dog'. My fear is I do have two dogs and I'm hoping I don't get the blame!

It upsets me so much knowing people leave dogs alone for such long periods of time, be a decent dog owner and pay for a dog Walker. Imagine being stuck inside a house for 8hours bored day in day out! Popping in half way through the day isn’t enough, terriers especially need good long walks.

8 hours is far too long for dogs to be left alone. Why don't you get a dog walker?