We just had a bloke from environmental(sp) health come round, saying there has been a complaint about noise smell and being over-run, we also had a letter from the council dog warden asking that we dont let our dog stray. Our dogs are never out alone and when they go out with me they have tags collar and lead. The bloke said that he couldnt find any problem with smell and yes dogs do bark and as long as its not late at night or continuasly its not a issue. He also said its not the norm to have so many dogs but its basically up to us. But how annoying to have someone come and go round smelling each room in the house making sure our dogs have messed in the house. Rant over!

I know just how you feel, we had the same complaint and even got sent a letter for illegal dog breeding business, I don't know how two litters in 3 years is a business but there we go. When the chap from the council came round he was surprised that he could hear every dog in the neighbourhood barking other than ours, he actually asked if we wanted to make a complaint about the dogs next door, who bark for 3-4 hour before thier owners come home, but we said no. He did ask about why we had so many dogs living outside if we weren't using them solely for breeding, I explained they were working dogs and told him I needed more than just one, he was very interested. The complaint about the smell was the funniest, it was not the smell of poo and wee that the person had complained about but the smell of jeyes fluid I used was the problem so I had to find something else to use!!!! we know who the complaintent is and they complain about every one, but we are more of a target because of the dogs

i've got used to the smell of jeyes fluid now, we know where the complaints come from thing is they have to check every complaint they get

we have got exactly the same problem our neighbours dont like dogs at all,and they are always moaning about the smell of poo and wee.,i clean the yard twice a day with strong disinfectant,plus everytime one of them poos im straight out there to pick it up.i just carnt win !!!

sorry do you mind if i ask how many dogs you have ?lab and bclover

I have 7 2 lurchers 3 border collies a rott x collie and a gsd.

At a quick glance I read that as 72 lurchers.  I dont regard 7 as to many.  Neighbours who'd have them!!

if i won the lottry i would buy a house in the middle of nowhere.my neighbours are always saying something if it isnt the dogs then its the kids or somebody elses kids .

While it's not nice for legitimate dog-lovers to be examined in this way, at least the council is actually taking such complaints seriously.  Maybe every once in a while they come across a situation where the dogs in question are being neglected, and they're able to remove them from that situation :)

Hi scarymary, I have got five labs and soon to be six as we will keep a pup out of our next litter, that will give them somrthing else to complain about, as I sit here and type this the two dally's next door are going crazy been doing it since 3:30 this afternoon and will continue till their owner comes home at about 5:30. Problem is she goes out again and doesn.t get back till 10:00 pm and they bark till then as well, and again at about 5:30 in the morning to get her up, it drives me mad but I don't complain cos we have dogs and don't like to cause trouble, although she will soon tell you if your dogs have been barking!!!!! I have always lived in the country but I now live in a built up village with the OH, Ihate it, i wish i had the money to live in the country and not be bothered by anyone.

that is exactly how i feel labs, we live in the country now we are surrounded my fields its beautiful and i would hate to move to far ,but the thought of moving away from my next door neighbours does sound good ive never known anyone find so many things to moan about ,then the womans dad will come to visit and hes even worse he walks around the garden and hes got his head over the fence moaning about the dogs jumping up it, well if he didnt keep sticking his head over it, they wouldnt jump up,and i paid for the fence anyway !!!..all this has got worse since they have had a conservitory built dont know who they think they are ...

My neighbopur complained about my dogs barking to the council when I had my dogs in a kennel and run while I was at work and she had workmen in her garden. Because I dont like conflict my dogs now stay in the house when I am at work :(
Now she has 2 dogs and they stay in the kennel and run from before 7am through until after 8pm most days.
My other neighbours who told me there was nothing wrong with my dogs and if any of them shouted at them they would shut up, and they didnt have a problem with them, are getting rather fed up with my neighbours dog barking sometimes nearly non stop all day at NOTHING. unlike my dog that barked at somone that was not meant to be there!!!!!
I am not going to complain about her dogs. All my neighbours will do that :)
They cannot believe that she came round shouting abuse at me and complained about me, and then has her 2 dogs in a run at the bottom of her garden being alot noisier than my dogs ever were!!!!!!!! Guess who would be the one they would save if their was a fire. DEFFINATLY NOT her!!!!!!!!!!! LOL
Lea :)