Your neighbors dog is barking: what to do and where to go

By barking, a dog most often tries to attract attention or expresses dissatisfaction. This sound can last for several minutes, for example, if someone rings the doorbell or a guest comes to the apartment. She may bark while playing. This is normal for animals.

But it happens that the barking lasts for hours on end. Then the noise disturbs both the animal owners and neighbors, especially if they have a small child.

Moreover, constant barking, howling, and whining may cause neighbors to file a complaint with the authorities.

Silence law

If your neighbors dog is howling, what to do in this case will be helped by regulations that stipulate the rules of behavior and residence of citizens in apartment buildings. The main document in Russia regulating the possible noise level is the law on silence. In the daytime, no one can legally prohibit an animal from barking. But there is a clause in the law; the noise produced should not exceed 40 dB.

Regulations on silence

Regional authorities have the right to independently issue local regulations that will determine whether a dog should be considered a noise source. For example, in Buryatia, for a long time, neighbors of noisy animals defended their rights. The region had a regulatory act according to which the owners of such dogs were not punished in any way. For a long time, citizens fought for its abolition.

If a dog's barking exceeds 30 dB in noise, the owner may be held accountable. Measurements must be carried out with a special device. Only on the basis of its indicators can it be officially proven that the sound exceeds the permitted standards.

Why you shouldn’t eliminate your neighbor’s animal yourself

Very often, the neighbor’s dog spoils the quality of life of the neighbors so much, and her screams are so annoying that the idea arises of poisoning, shutting up, calming or calming her down by calling the “ dog hunter ” service. This is not recommended, since in this case you risk becoming a defendant in a lawsuit! The punishment for such an offense may be a fine or even imprisonment.

A dog barking in an apartment building, interfering with a peaceful existence, is an extremely unpleasant phenomenon. We need to fight this. There are many ways to solve this problem, the first of which is a peaceful conversation with the pet owner. If it does not bring any results, and it was not possible to silence the pet, you should contact law enforcement agencies. You should not try to eliminate the animal yourself. It is important to remember that harming a dog will also result in punishment, including imprisonment.

Possible causes of incidents

Bitten by a dog, where to go, which doctor

Before you think about what to do and where to go if your neighbors dog howls, you need to find out the reasons. They can be different:

1. A disturbance in the animal's psyche. If the dog is choleric, it is very difficult for the owners to shut him up. Such a pet can bark around the clock for no reason.
2. The dog is kept in poor conditions, is rarely walked with, and is poorly fed. In such a situation, the intervention of neighbors is often necessary to stop the abuse of the animal.
3. The dog is sick - it will complain about its health by barking and whining.

Important ! Often, if a neighbor's dog constantly barks, even its owner cannot figure out what to do. In such a situation, you can seek advice from a professional dog handler.

How to retrain a barking dog

You know what to do if your neighbor's dog howls and barks. But what should you do if your pet is a source of concern for your neighbors? Even a well-mannered dog can howl, whine and bark in the absence of its owner.

Puppy in an apartment in a multi-storey residential building

There are 3 strategies to deal with loud barking.

1. Teaching a dog to be alone. First, the owner goes out the door for 5–10 minutes. If the animal remains calm at this time, the owner should give it a treat. Gradually, the time the owner is absent increases. The classes end with the owner leaving for work in the morning, and the dog patiently waiting for his return all day.
2. The reason for barking may be an inability to tolerate loneliness. Dogs with a weak psyche are prone to this behavior. In order for the pet to wait patiently for its owner, it is necessary to create a shelter where the dog can rest and sleep, feeling calm. Having a companion can help you cope with loneliness. It doesn't have to be another dog: some dogs calm down when a cat appears at home.
3. Loud barking is often caused by boredom. Try spending more time with your dog. Increase the duration of your walk and diversify your route. Add physical activity to your daily routine. Breeds created for active exercise, such as hounds and huskies, can howl and bark out of boredom.

The most radical way to combat dog barking is corrective surgery on the ligaments. After the operation, the dog will physiologically not be able to make loud sounds. But in some countries such operations are recognized as mutilation. They negatively affect the animal's psyche.

If you love your pet, try to solve the problem in a humane way.

Ways to peacefully resolve the problem

Stray dogs: where to go, who catches them

If loud barking is constantly heard in the neighboring apartment, you should not immediately begin to fight it using drastic measures. First of all, you need to try to reach an agreement peacefully. If a neighbor's dog barks, what to do in such a situation is decided not with the dog itself, but with its owner.

A dog may bark because it is not feeling well.

If the pet owner is an adequate person, after listening to complaints, he will try to solve the problem on his own. Don't immediately threaten the police. Perhaps the owner himself is suffering from the current situation, but for him the dog is a member of the family, and there is no way to take it to a private house on the property.

Important! If the dog owner does not respond to the comments, and the situation continues to develop, in these cases you can look for other ways to resolve the conflict.

Complaint to the local inspector

If your neighbor's dog bothers you in an apartment building, you can complain to the district police officer. He is obliged to register a complaint and conduct a conversation with the pet's owners. If the local police officer is inactive for 2-3 days, file a complaint against him.

Penalty when a dog barks

First, the district police officer must talk to the dog’s owners and explain to them the consequences of breaking the law. If the loud barking does not stop after the first warning, file complaints against your neighbors again. In case of repeated violation, the district police officer is obliged to issue a fine for disturbing the silence in an apartment building.

The amount of the fine in 2021 is from 500 to 5000 rubles.

The more repeated violations, the higher the fine.

Contacting law enforcement agencies

The first place to go if your neighbor's dogs are disturbing your sleep is law enforcement. There is no need to ignore this now. Everyone has the right to live comfortably in an apartment that is their property.

A dog that doesn't bark: a breed of silent dogs

To rectify the situation, you should write a statement to the police or contact your local police officer. When submitting an appeal, it is important to ensure that it is registered.

Important ! Often, apartment owners are faced with the refusal of local police officers to accept applications. They argue that making noise during the daytime is allowed. But you need to insist on your own. If the application is not accepted, it can be sent by registered mail with notification.

The response must be provided in writing. A preventive conversation is held with the dog’s owner. If it did not help, then upon the return visit of the precinct owner, the owner will face penalties. All official responses received in writing must be retained. They may come in handy if you need to file an application in court.

Neighbors have the right to file a police report against the dog's owner.

Rules for keeping dogs in apartment buildings

A dog is the owner's property. He bears full responsibility for it. If a pet has bitten a person or another animal, barks and interferes with the neighbors’ sleep and work, these are the problems of its owner.

Basic rules for keeping dogs in MKD:

• the pet should not dirty common areas in the house;
• The dog should not interfere with the neighbors' rest.

The dog must be healthy, not pose a danger to others, that is, be socially adapted.

Complaint to Rospotrebnadzor

Neighbors who are concerned about constant dog barking can submit an appeal to Rospotrebnadzor. Employees will conduct an inspection at the specified address: they will come and carry out work to measure the noise level. A special device is used for this.

Data is always recorded in writing, in an official document. After conducting an inspection and studying the situation, representatives of Rospotrebnadzor will draw up an appropriate report. If a violation is discovered, this document will be required to go to court.

Permissible noise level in residential premises

Each region of Russia has its own schedule for when you can and cannot make noise. But the noise level standards in residential premises are the same in Moscow and St. Petersburg, in Tyumen and Buryatia. SNiP and SanPiN standards operate at the federal level and are presented in the table below.

In St. Petersburg, night time is considered to be the period from 10 pm to 8 am. In Moscow, daytime lasts from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. If the examination shows that the noise level exceeds the established standards, you will have the right to demand silence.

Filing a complaint with the court

If no complaints help, fines cannot force the owner to solve the problem with an uncontrolled dog, neighbors can file an appeal to the court. To do this, it is necessary to collect all the documents that will serve as evidence of the current situation.

Important ! The statement of claim must be accompanied by all complaints, responses to them and completed reports on measurements.

The plaintiff can provide not only written evidence, but audio and video, as well as invite witnesses he knows, for example, other neighbors. If it is difficult to write an application on your own using the accepted form, you can seek help from a lawyer.

Going to court to resolve problems with a noisy dog

Fine for howling a dog

Any conflict must be resolved peacefully - by simple conversation with neighbors. The owners may not even know that in their absence the pet makes a lot of noise. Or they don't know what measures to take.

If the conversation does not work, then you should file a complaint with the local inspector, Rospotrebnadzor, or the court (this is a last resort).

You can submit a sample application to these authorities. ⇐

Video and audio recordings and evidence from other neighbors can be attached to the application.

If the facts specified in the application are confirmed, then the owners of those who like to make noise will face a fine of 500-3000 rubles on average in Russia, and more for a repeated violation.

What can be stated in a claim?

Anyone who has filed a lawsuit against neighbors for excessive noise has the right to attach an additional demand for compensation for moral damage. Compensation for attorney's fees incurred is also acceptable.

If the case is very complex, then the current situation may threaten the eviction of the dog owner. If the court is provided with a competent legislative framework, including certificates from doctors, supporting documents on expenses, it can make a decision on compensation for harm to health.

For your information! A violator may lose his home if he lives in a municipal apartment, and the claim was filed by representatives of self-government bodies.

If the complaint does not help

If complaints to the authorities did not help and the neighbors’ dog continues to disturb the neighbors, then the only option is to go to court.

Due to the fact that according to the law it is necessary to carry out a pre-trial settlement of the conflict that has arisen, and it is required to talk with the neighbor, write a complaint to the district police officer and to Rospotrebnadzor.

It is these actions that will become evidence of the preliminary measures taken. The complaint to the administrative court must contain only correct data, and the document should be completed with a line about awareness of the potential liability for false denunciation (Article 306 of the Criminal Code).

You can attach evidence to the application - records, evidence, copies of conclusions and responses of officials to complaints.

If a neighbor’s dog makes noise at any time of the day, violates the cleanliness of the entrance and local area, and its owner does not follow the rules of walking and does not train the dog, you should try to solve the problem peacefully. But, if you are wondering where to complain about neighbors with a dog and the neighbor is not going to change anything, you will have to contact the police, Rospotrebnadzor, the management company and, last but not least, the court.

+7 (St. Petersburg)

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A neighbor got a boxer dog, and the dog howls and barks all day at work. I made comments to the neighbor about this, and instead of taking any measures, she put on heels and trampled on us for a whole hour to spite us. She lives on the floor above, and my mother is 93 years old, her blood pressure has risen. I CALLED the district police officer. He came and spent 40 minutes convincing me that the neighbor was right and had the right to do what she wanted until 21:00. So what should we do?

Marina answered you incorrectly - there is no such law allowing the barking or howling of an animal. But first, you still need to clarify the region of your residence. because you may have established local rules for keeping animals in an apartment building or wait for the adoption of a law that is being considered in the State Duma.

Unfortunately, we have such a law that you can make noise until 21:00. And in our legislation there is no law banning dogs in apartments. Although this is very relevant, since many people treat animals as things. And not only the neighbors (you) suffer, but also the animal itself. Try to negotiate, try to explain, call the police in the evenings if necessary.

Hello, I live in the private sector, the plot is privatized. One side of the house has 3 windows overlooking the neighbor's property. The neighbors have a large dog, it is not on a leash, it constantly howls (even at night). There is no fence. I'm afraid that small children will open the window and she will just jump into the house. Question: how can I force my neighbor to put a fence on my side? And how far from my house should he retreat? Thank you in advance.

Hello Lika. In your case, it seems that you cannot do without a trial. If your neighbor is sane and will always keep his dog on a leash (which is unlikely), then negotiations can be held. Better collect video evidence.

No law obliges your neighbors to put up a fence, but they do oblige you to keep your dog on a leash and prevent it from howling at night. But we still need to clarify local legislation on the rules for keeping pets.

This is according to the law, but what is according to conscience?

No matter what problems a noisy animal causes, you should not resort to cruel methods. Poisoning a dog, shooting it, or using brutal physical force against the owner will be prosecuted by law.

You can use advice, for example. purchase a device that produces ultrasound. It will scare away the animal.

The experience of the Republic of Belarus can be a good example. Here every owner pays tax for his dog. This approach will force owners to more carefully monitor their pet, which is not cheap.

Ways to resolve the issue

First of all, you just need to talk with the owner, do not start the conversation with aggression or threats. The owner will not be in the mood for a productive dialogue if someone threatens his pet. You should explain what is bothering you, for example, you have a small child, and the dog constantly howls and barks, so the baby cannot sleep.

If the owner does not want to resolve the issue peacefully, then there are certain organizations where you can complain.

To the district police officer

You should write a statement and submit it to the police for consideration. The designated employee is required to respond to the received signal within 24 hours. He will visit the problem apartment, talk with the owner of the animal, and during the initial visit he will issue a verbal warning. And if the local police officer does not react in any way to your application, then you should write a complaint against him too.

When visiting again, the unlucky owner may be brought to administrative responsibility. The amount of the fine for citizens is 100-500 rubles, if the issue concerns violation of sanitary and hygienic measures (Article 6.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation).

To an animal protection organization

It often happens that animals are presented to themselves, for example, in a private home

The dog barks because they forgot to feed it, or it got sick, and the owners don’t pay attention to it.

Animal defenders are also obliged to respond to the signal; they will not allow the animal to be kept in poor conditions. In especially severe cases, the dog may even be confiscated from the owner in order to provide more decent conditions.

If a case of cruelty to animals is revealed, the owner of the animal, in addition to an administrative fine, faces criminal liability under Art. 167 or art. 213 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

To Rospotrebnadzor

The supervisory authority has a wide range of powers; the institution’s employees will help solve problems even with noisy neighbors.

The application is drawn up in any form, but must contain the following points:

1. name of the institution where the complaint is filed;
2. information about the applicant and the violator;
3. sequential description of events only on the merits;
4. make references to violated norms of law;
5. indicate your requirements;
6. list the attached evidence, if any;
7. put the date and personal signature of the applicant.

A citizen can report a violation of silence in several ways:

• personally visit the institution and submit documents to the general department;
• send by registered mail, be sure to include a receipt of the envelope;
• on the official website of the institution in electronic form.

The responsible person is obliged to go to the problem address and take noise measurements. After this, an act is drawn up in which the results of the inspection are recorded.

To court

If a dog regularly howls in your neighbor’s apartment, but none of the above institutions have been able to solve the problem, all that remains is to turn to the courts.

The statement of claim is drawn up in free form, but in compliance with generally accepted standards. If some points are missing, the judge will refuse to accept the application; you should carefully draft the document, and it is best to use the services of a lawyer.

Attention! Before going to court, you need to make an attempt to resolve the issue pre-trial and have a written response from each institution confirming the appeal to the authorized body.

The statement of claim must be accompanied by evidence confirming the facts stated in the document.

It can be:

• an audio recording of a conversation with the dog’s owner that there was a conflict about noise;
• video recording of a dog barking or howling, recording the time of the event and the duration of the noise;
• testimony of witnesses from other apartments;
• copies of all requests and responses from other institutions.

After the application is accepted, a court hearing will be scheduled within a few months and a decision will be made on the case.

Nervous stress due to a barking dog can affect a person’s physical and mental state. Insomnia may develop, people's blood pressure rises, children are capricious, have trouble sleeping and eating.

In accordance with Federal Law No. 52-FZ, citizens can demand peace from trespassers if their health has been affected:

• compensation for the cost of treatment, tests performed and medications purchased;
• reimbursement of costs for various examinations;
• payment for the services of a human rights defender.

The law is always on the side of law-abiding citizens. Don't be put off by the noise of your neighbor's dog. However, you should not eliminate the dog yourself, since the person who poisoned the animal may himself become accused under the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. You need to act only in legal ways.

What to do with your dog if your neighbors complain

Citizens who plan to have a pet in an apartment building should be prepared for possible aggression from neighbors. Complaints will not always be justified. Often neighbors say things out of spite. If there is a situation where the dog behaves calmly, but one of the neighbors shows aggression, you can act using his own methods. Collect the signatures of other residents living in the neighborhood and submit a response to the district police officer regarding threats and accusations that have no basis.

Affection and competent care will help with the problem.

If your pet really barks constantly, causing discomfort to everyone around him, it is necessary to find the cause of this behavior and take measures to eliminate it. You can use several ways to correct the situation:

• ensure good sound insulation in the apartment;
• devote more time to your pet, walk more often, give exercise;
• leave the radio on when leaving home;
• get another pet so that the pet does not feel lonely;
• Have your dog examined by a veterinarian to rule out diseases.

If the situation is completely hopeless and nothing helps to cope with the animal, you can try to give it to another owner. Perhaps a more experienced dog breeder will be able to handle the puppy's personality.

If the owners have purchased a dog, and it turns out to have a very complex psyche, often attempts to correct the behavior do not lead to results. You absolutely cannot be such a dog. He will start chewing furniture and shoes to take revenge.

Important! The best solution is to seek help from a professional dog handler.

If everything is fine with the puppy’s psyche, you need to spend as much time as possible with your pet. Perhaps he lacks physical activity, walking and communication. It is recommended to spend as much time as possible with him in the fresh air and let him run around to burn off his energy. When leaving your dog alone at home, it is recommended to give him his favorite toys. He will be busy and will not be very sad.

The right approach to raising a dog, love and patience for your pet will help you avoid problems with your neighbors.

Legislative regulation of the issue

The issue of keeping animals and possible problems with them for others is regulated by the following regulations and federal laws:

• Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 25 on the rules for the use of residential premises dated January 21, 2006 (R. I. Part 6, R. II, Part 10, paragraphs “b” and “d”);
• for Moscow : Temporary rules for keeping dogs and cats in Moscow (Resolution No. 900-PP) dated October 7, 2008.
• Law of the Russian Federation No. 4979 on veterinary medicine dated May 14, 1996

The basic law that is worth relying on was signed by the President in December 2021. This is Federal Law No. 498-FZ dated December 27, 2018 “On the responsible treatment of animals and on amendments to certain legislative acts of the Russian Federation.”

It also makes sense to rely on No. 52-FZ of March 30, 1999 “On the sanitary and epidemiological welfare of the population,” better known as the “Law on Silence.”

Almost every city or town in Russia has its own by-laws or special rules governing the time of noisy work, parties or playing musical instruments. The law does not directly apply to keeping pets, but can become a reference point for claims. A dog barking is classified as household noise and is subject to this law.

These laws will be relied upon by the district police officer or the court if the conflict cannot be resolved peacefully.

Bark Duration

The actions of people living in the neighborhood should depend on the duration of the animal's barking. If a dog barks for a few minutes during the day, when almost all the neighbors are at work, then there is nothing wrong with that. An animal cannot remain silent all the time.

But if barking from an apartment or house is constantly heard - both day and night - then it is quite difficult to put up with it. If in the first case you are powerless against the nature of the animal, then in the second you need to act using all legal methods.

Collective complaint about dogs

1. How to write a collective complaint about dog walking on school grounds.
2. Help write a collective complaint about dog walking on school grounds.

If you find it difficult to formulate a question, call, a lawyer will help you: Free from mobile and landline Free multi-channel telephone If you find it difficult to formulate a question, call a free multi-channel telephone, a lawyer will help you 1.

Help write a collective complaint about dog walking on school grounds. Lawyer Selivanenko V.O., 6957 answers, 2847 reviews, on the site from 05/22/2013 1.1. Hello! Write in free form, write that this is dangerous for children and creates unsanitary conditions. Lawyer Safonova Yu.R., 3020 answers, 1006 reviews, on the site since 02/18/2009 1.2.

The preparation of such papers is carried out on a paid basis. In any form, with a detailed statement of your grievances.

2. How to write a collective complaint about dog walking on school grounds. Lawyer Sats A. Yu., 2578 answers, 778 reviews, on the site from 03/23/2016 2.1. In free form 3. We have a pressing issue; for two years now we have been fighting with the neighbors’ hunting dogs, who walk on their own and tear all our living creatures and jump over the fence.

They complained collectively to the administration, and the Head demands proof, although there have already been complaints about them many times before us. We want to know whether she should demand proof from us, we are not going to court, we are asking, we are simply asking to tie up the dogs as human beings. Thank you. Lawyer Parfenov V.N., 140,789 replies, 61,161 reviews, on the site from May 23, 2013 3.1.

In this situation, if there were complaints about these dogs not only from you but also from other people, evidence is not needed. Your local administration must take action on the complaint. And the requirement to provide evidence is simply the unwillingness of your authorities to solve the problem. 4. My little dogs stink like scum to my upstairs neighbor. I incited my neighbors and wrote a collective complaint.

Animal rights organizations

In addition to contacting the Police, you can call or write to an animal rights organization. Explain that your neighbor’s dog constantly barks and whines; perhaps it is not looked after and is kept in poor conditions.

The organization’s reaction should follow immediately, because it is their responsibility to monitor how animals are kept.

If neighbors' suspicions are confirmed, the pet may be seized and placed in a shelter or other owners may be found.