Barking mad: Wakefield ranks in top 10 for loudest pooches in the UK

Dogs that bark too much could even land their owners with a fine, or worse, if people complain about the noise.

With an average 37,374 dog barking complaints made every year in the UK, comparethemarket has crunched the numbers to see which locations are home to the noisiest dogs by looking at the number of neighbours who’ve complained via their local council.

And Wakefield comes in at number seven for the most complaints received about barking dogs with 589 annual complaints.

With an average number of 1,704 complaints a year, Coventry officially has the noisiest dogs, followed by Birmingham, with the city council having received 1,232 complaints a year.

At the other end of the spectrum, the area that received the least number of complaints was the City of London, with just one complaint a year.

Golden Retrievers are the noisiest dogs in the world

Naturally, some dogs are louder than others, which means that certain breeds might find they have more noise complaints made about them.

Whilst many dogs are capable of barking at a sound intensity level of 100 decibels, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, Golden Retrievers have the loudest bark in the world, reaching 113.1 dBs.

If a person were to shout loudly, that equates to around 80 dBs, so you can see why if a particularly loud pooch were to continuously bark, next door neighbours might get annoyed.

According to Kennel Club accredited trainer, Joe Nutkins, other dog breeds which are particularly noisy include German Shepherds, Beagles, Chihuahuas, and Siberian Huskies, whereas the quietest dog is the Basenji, which is often referred to as the “barkless dog” because it’s so quiet – so if you’re the proud owner of a Basenji, you can be near-certain that no noise complaints will be made about you.

Expert reasons on why your dog might be barking excessively

There are lots of reasons why your dog might be barking excessively. These can vary from breed type and character of a dog, so it’s always worth considering why your dog is making so much noise.

Joe Nutkins, has highlighted some of the more common reasons for barking.

They’re seeking attention

They’re playing

They suffer from separation issues

They feel fear

They have a natural instinct of guarding

They have a natural instinct of being territorial

They’re communicating with other dogs

Why you need to let your home insurance provider know if you have a pet

If you’ve recently adopted a furry friend, you’ve probably already sorted out your pet insurance, but did you know you need to let your home and contents insurance provider know about your new addition to the family?

Ultimately, if you don’t inform your provider, if your bundle of fluff were to cause damage to your home, it could invalidate your claim – take a look at our tips on how you can make sure you’re insured against any damage caused by pets.