Problem Dogs: The Law and Who to Contact

Originally written by Abigail Taylor, updated by the editorial team on 30th March 2026

"My neighbour's dog keeps breaking through the fence and attacking my dog"

"My neighbour's dog regularly poos outside my gate and she refuses to clean it up"

"A neighbour has an aggressive dog that he uses to intimidate all the local residents"

These complaints are common. The first step is always to speak politely to your neighbour, explain the problem, and try to agree a solution. But what if they refuse to cooperate?

Who Can Help with Dog Related Disputes?

Your local authority and police may assist with dog related disputes and anti social behaviour. Measures they can use include:

Acceptable Behaviour Contracts
Community Protection Notices
Public Spaces Protection Orders
Civil injunctions or Criminal Behaviour Orders

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The Anti Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014

This Act gave police powers to tackle dog related problems early. It extends the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, making it an offence for a dog to be dangerously out of control anywhere, including in the owner's home. An attack on an assistance dog is an aggravated offence.

Acceptable Behaviour Contracts: These contracts (ABCs) aim to prevent issues through early engagement and education. They are not legally binding and breach is not an offence, but may be used as evidence in later prosecutions.

Community Protection Notices: Used for lower level incidents such as failure to control an animal where no one has been hurt, or where an animal is causing a nuisance. Only organisations or those over 16 can receive one. The test requires the behaviour to be detrimental to local quality of life, persistent, and unreasonable.

A notice can prohibit or require specific actions: for example, banning dog walking near a school at drop off times, requiring muzzling, neutering, fixing fences, or properly disposing of waste. Breach can result in a £100 fixed penalty or prosecution with fines up to £2,500 for individuals or £20,000 for organisations.

Your situation may be slightly different. ask a question below ↓ and our editorial team will reply with our advice.

Public Spaces Protection Orders

Under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005, local authorities can make Public Spaces Protection Orders. These can require dog owners to keep dogs on leads in certain areas or clean up faeces.

The order applies to any land open to the air where the public have access. This could include shared residential passageways. Breach brings a fine specified in the order, or £75 if no sum is stated. A Community Support Officer can require a dog owner to provide their name and address: refusal or giving false details is itself an offence.

Other Legal Requirements

Collars: Under the Control of Dogs Order 1992, any dog in a public place must wear a collar showing the owner's name and address including postcode. Failure to comply can result in fines up to £5,000. Exceptions apply to police dogs, working sheepdogs, guide dogs, sporting dogs when competing, and emergency rescue dogs.

Microchipping: All dogs in England must be microchipped and registered. Puppies must be chipped by 8 weeks old. The only exemption is dogs that cannot be chipped for health reasons, certified by a vet. If an owner fails to comply after receiving notice, they have 21 days before facing a £500 fine.

If none of these measures resolve the problem, local authorities can pursue civil injunctions or Criminal Behaviour Orders in serious cases, particularly where there is a high risk of physical harm.

The Next Step

Now that you have read through the advice above, you might want to put it into practice. Our Neighbour Rights Checker lets you check your legal rights in any neighbour dispute. Takes 1 minute. Try it now →

Showing 20 of 199 questions

Ask Problem Neighbours a Question

ProblemNeighbours Editor 26/08/2026 at 6:00 pm

@tinkel This sounds stressful, but try not to panic. Cooperate fully with the police, give your version calmly, and mention the delay in reporting as it does raise questions about the account. Get a solicitor involved straight away, especially as your dog is a Staffie cross, since the Dangerous Dogs Act can be applied harshly even without injury. Also start logging the dog mess incidents with photos and dates, and ask your other neighbour if they'd put their witness account in writing.

tinkel 26/08/2026 at 5:55 pm

hello, my neighbour has reported my dog for attacking him. My mother has been visited by the police to investigate this further. We were moving out a problematic tenant and my dog, who is a mixture of breeds including staffordshire bullterrier and pit to name a few, ran past my 78 year old mother and entered this neighbours house. We immediately chased her catching her and took her home. She did not hurt anyone or any other animal. She is very good natured. Unfortunately my neighbour has taken a disliking to me and has now reported this incident to the police but has exaggerated what actually happened. Also this was over 6 weeks ago so why report it now and not when it happened???. There is no CCTV or other evidence but my other neighbour has witnessed this man throwing his soiled doggy bags on my drive, numerous times.
Could you please advise me on what to do. I'm going out of my mind!
Thank you so much

ProblemNeighbours Editor 10/06/2026 at 2:51 pm

@bobby Without proof there's not much you can do officially, but it's worth setting up a cheap motion-activated camera pointed at your garden to catch them in the act. Once you have footage, report it to your local council's environmental health team, as fouling someone else's property deliberately can be treated as anti-social behaviour. Keep a diary of dates and times too, as that helps build a case. Frustrating situation, hope you get it sorted.

bobby 10/06/2026 at 2:47 pm

i think my neighbour is dropping dog poo in my garden ,out of spite i have no proof but i know its them , we have no problem with other dogs as responsible owner pick up the dog poo

ProblemNeighbours Editor 17/05/2026 at 1:26 pm

@Tori b Start by keeping a diary of every incident, with dates, times and what the dog did, as you'll need evidence. Report it to your local council's Environmental Health team, and if you genuinely feel threatened (the dog lunging, growling or being out of control) ring 101, as under the Dangerous Dogs Act a dog only needs to make someone fear injury. It might also be worth a polite word with the owner first, in case they're unaware. Avoid walking your own dog past at the same times if you can.

Tori b 02/12/2024 at 8:53 pm

I have a neighbour who has just moved in with an unfriendly and aggressive dog that causes me and my dog distress and fear, I haven't seen it towards any other people or dogs as only seen it at night a few times but it's unfriendly to me on my own or me and my dog. What can I do about it?

vatersay 12/10/2024 at 8:56 am

My neighbour has 5 dogs and Ive reported it to the local councilor,council,warden,police as they go into a frenzie every single morning and my partner has very high blood pressure and cancer but no one can help,telling me its a civil matter but we can't afford to go to court.I have spoken to the neighbour and she told me there is nothing I can do about it...We moved here 2 years ago and its affecting us badly..Please help...

Agma 08/01/2024 at 2:50 am

Problem dogs are a huge issue, paricularly in suburban and rural fringe areas where there is space to walk them and let them loose. There are clearly far far too many dogs in this country. Of course if you live on an estate like my mother does, there are plenty of dogs outside that start barking as soon as they hear the slightest noise from you or someone else, then the other dogs start barking. Each day, every day.

My local park is full of dog walkers letting their pets run riot, they run in circles around you when you just want to sit on a bench and take in the quiet. Dog sh1t is everywhere, it is time for the government to start issuing licences for these pets, dogs are high maintainance domestic animals and working people with families should not have them. They need to be trained and managed well which most people don't do. Arrogant.

Trevor 03/01/2024 at 12:06 am

My neighbours dog keeps going for people and it has attacked someone already and the police are now involved the dangerous animal should be taken away from him it should be destroyed and the old bill ought to arrest my neighbour for having a unsuitable breed of dog and he should be taken to court.

Ash 13/12/2023 at 8:57 am

There's a dog who constantly barks non stop no exaggeration from 4.30am through the whole day obviously the owners go to work and chuck it outside the monotamas barking is iridescent im goingto take action myself soon because the lazy authorities dont seem bothered,if they lived nx door to it they'd have a breakdown i dont even live nx door god knows how the neighbours feel wow its cruelty to animals in one sense cause the poor noisy horrible thing is left out in all weather they shouldn't be allowed to keep animals the horrible so and so's this is happening in barnsdale crescent Northfield birmingham total lack of respect for the nieghbours and the dog im not exaggerating when i say 4.30am non stop its ridiculous my moms in tears some days i dont know what to do as no one seems interested in helping but authorities soon there when something happens because someone's kicked off its ridiculous

None 08/11/2023 at 1:23 pm

A neighbour’s dog continually barks for hours on end because the owner leaves him outside, the dog is obviously distressed by the tone of his barking. One time this went on for 10 hours, I have tried to contact Police and SSPCA but without success. The owners are obviously not responsible to look after a dog which is quite thin. Please please send an inspector to: 114 Craigentinny Road, Edinburgh EH7. Thank you.

Etta 04/11/2023 at 6:19 am

My neighbours have 2 dogs (jack russells)and the owners occasionally leave them at night, barking to all hours. This had been going on for years and the neighbours, and myself are sick of it. I've logged all the barking noises and its in the hands of the Council as its classed as noise complaint. The owner doesn't even walk her dogs. They just got their dogs to breed and make money out if it.

Clai 30/09/2023 at 5:57 pm

My neighbour has 2 German shepherd's and they are aggressive towards people. We share a garden path but have separate gardens. My little lad went out this morning and the dogs were out in the front garden when my little lad went down the garden path they started to bark and kept jumping up at the fence which is a tiny fence. My little lad is petrified to walk down the garden path when the dogs are out. I have reported issues with the dogs to my local housing and they said to log it down. Can I report what happened to the police

Su 24/09/2023 at 4:15 am

My Neighbore, has a dog boarding business without licence, they have 4- 5 dog at time . They are always bark .

Tez 09/09/2023 at 8:24 pm

We have dog barking every day for hours at night it bark at anywhere between 2100 an 2300 I have several conditions including triple heart by pass an it wakes me most nights spoken to council but they don't care I even posted a letter to dog owners as they work at unknown times they aren't bothered. Help

Tilly 10/06/2023 at 10:52 am

I have a horrible little girl living upstairs from me she has lived in building for 9 weeks she said I threatened her and her dog. I didn't. She got police out they didn't do what she wanted so she sent a lawyer after me. When this didn't work she got another dog and they winde the dogs up about 11pm till back of 1 in morning. I am at breaking point. I have a fear of dogs also they have a bad habit of coming at my because of my health related problems, so I don't know what to do anymore I spoke to council I got in contact with my HO I also contacted the MP for my area. I feel as if she is trying to push me beyond my head space limit so what do I do? As I can't go on loving this way. She had 2 kids took off her she couldn't look after the 1st dog and now she has 2 what the f*#k

Jenny 18/05/2023 at 4:45 pm

My neighbour has 8 adult German shepherd dogs and a birch business. Now few beaches are pregnant and a few have about 20 puppies. The smells are incredible, adult dogs are trained but puppies are barking very early and late at night. Has someone idea what to do?

Ste 30/04/2023 at 1:27 pm

My new neighbour has told his landlady that he's a dog trainer and will have 2 well behaved dogs, now he's moved in it's turned out that he trains dogs to attack and is keeping them nextdoor. Theyve escaped multiple times into my garden and he's denying that it's happened, they bark at unsociable hours and when we've confronted him he was aggressive to my wife. The Police say there's nothing that they can do,so now I can't let my son out alone for fear of the dogs attacking him.
I've no idea what else to do

Cinders 10/01/2023 at 9:22 pm

My neighbour top floor tennant
Has dog that smells bad dog poo

It leads into my bottom floor apartment
Silent but clear and deadly , covering all areas

Tennant upstairs doesent give two hoots
About dirty virouses and fecies plus dirty dog pee ?

If dog is filthy owners must be filthy

Report is being evaluated about the area

None 09/12/2022 at 7:19 pm

We have a shared yard and my neighbour was attacked by another neighbours dog.we cnt open our doors.its been reported but our landlords aren't doing anything. Police said it has to be muzzled but this hadn't happened

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