Barking comes naturally to dogs, but the constant barking or whining of a dog can be disturbing or annoying for the neighbours. Often the problem occurs when the dog's owner is out of the house and so the owner doesn't know someone complains.

A dog may bark for the following reasons:

• loneliness
• boredom or frustration
• attention seeking
• defending his territory
• medical problems

Training is important so that your dog does not bark at just anything that moves. A well-trained dog should be able to tell between people allowed into the house and people who are intruders. Good training combined with affection and companionship should mean that your dog will not develop bad habits. Start young and start as you mean to go on.

If you have to leave your dog for long periods:

• feed and exercise him before you go out and leave fresh water
• make sure his bed or basket is comfortable and leave him his favourite toys
• check that the room is not too hot or too cold and that there is adequate ventilation, and
• if you aren't coming back until after dark, leave a light on.

If you keep your dog outside, think carefully about where you put his kennel and where he can run. Try not to put it near your neighbour's fence or where your dog will be tempted to bark.

Contact the Council's Dog Wardens, who might be able to provide other information.

Contact your vet. Sometimes a dog will bark because he is ill - anxiety can be a cause of barking. You can ask your vet to refer you to an animal behaviourist who is an expert and can suggest ways to improve your dog's behaviour.

This information is taken from the  Barking Dogs [113kb]produced by the Dept for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)