A woman says she is fuming after her neighbour called the police over a dog complaint just three days after she moved into her new home. She asked for advice on what to do08:50, 08 Jul 2026Updated 08:50, 08 Jul 2026Neighbour disputes are something many of us face from time to time, especially when pets are involved, and that's exactly what one woman has dealt with after her neighbour called the police over her dog. Detailing her experience online, the woman disclosed that problems with her neighbour had started just three days after moving into her new property. Writing on Reddit's r/neighborsfromhell forum, the woman - living in the US - said: "We have lived in this house for a grand total of 3 days.‌"Our kids were playing in the backyard, we had turned the sprinklers on beneath the trampoline and they were having a fun time playing as our dog chased them and the water beneath the trampoline.‌"We came inside to put our kids to bed (it was 7:45pm) and 30 minutes later a cop pulled up saying our neighbour had called in a noise complaint against us, citing our dog had been barking non stop for over an hour.‌"I checked the time stamps from our sprinkler system, and we were outside for 17 minutes total. 17 minutes!"She went on: "Our dog does enjoy barking when he's playing hard with our kids, but he was in no way barking non stop for over an hour. What a welcome to the f*****g neighbourhood.‌"Now I feel like we can't play with our dog in our own yard without the fear of getting the cops called on us. What do we do? ?! Bake cookies and bring them to every neighbour and hope they don't call again?"Set up a ring camera system so we can show receipts for how long he is realistically barking? Let them call the cops and risk getting a citation every time we play outside? Never let our dog play outside again? Get a bark collar?"She admitted she's "torn between being pi**ed and wanting to be considerate neighbours" but is at a loss as to how to move forward.‌Some encouraged the woman to fit a Ring camera, with one commenter advising: "Get the camera, so you have proof for the police when they come. But don't anything else. Live your life, that is your home."Another agreed: "This. Let them call the cops as much as they want. There's nothing sweeter than greeting the police with a smile and handing them the camera footage that proves your neighbour is a pathological liar abusing emergency services to harass you."Others, though, recommended tackling the dog's behaviour instead, writing: "Where I live they will only come out if it's 15 minutes of continuous barking. I have three dogs that I love to pieces but realise not everyone else does.‌"My smallest dog will bark like crazy when I play frisbee with my big dog. So I just stopped letting him out when we do it, as I can see where it would get annoying to neighbours."Another weighed in: "Yeah I think sometimes it is just annoying. It depends on the dog really. And it's probably different what pitch the bark is for different people. If it was me, I would train the dog not to bark so much."Can you call the police for dog barking in the UK?No, you cannot call the police for a dog barking in the UK, as general noise complaints do not fall under police jurisdiction.‌Officers will only step in if the dog is dangerously out of control, poses a threat to public safety, or is suspected to be a prohibited banned breed. For routine noise disturbances, you must get in touch with your local authority.Persistent dog barking is legally defined as a statutory noise nuisance under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The council holds the power to investigate, issue abatement notices, and levy fines of up to £5,000 on owners.What to do if you're being disturbed by a dog barking1. Speak to the owner: Approach your neighbour calmly.‌They may work away from home and be entirely unaware that the dog is barking in their absence.2. Keep a noise diary: If the issue persists, document the dates, times, and duration of the barking for at least two weeks.Note how the noise directly impacts your daily life.Article continues below3. Submit a council report: Use the GOV.UK Council Finder Tool to submit your noise diary directly to your local council's environmental health team.