A South East Queensland council wants to tighten the leash on noisy pets, with a plan to impose a strict regime for animals that are declared a "nuisance".
Under a new proposal, Redland City pet owners could face fines if their dog barks for more than three minutes in a 30-minute window at any time in the day.
If imposed, it is believed the laws will be the strictest in South East Queensland. The proposal has been put out for public consultation before the council votes on the issue later this year.
The city's current laws permit a dog to bark for six minutes an hour between 7am and 10pm. During other hours, dogs are allowed three minutes of barking per 30 minutes.
There were 3335 complaints for noisy dogs during the last three years, a council spokesman said.
Mayor Karen Williams said the proposed changes were suggested after a local councillor received numerous complaints from shift workers who were disturbed while sleeping during the day.
"Having noise nuisance from a dog then can be as unsettling as it is in night time for others," she said.
However Cr Williams stressed that she would prefer neighbours to sort things out between themselves.
"I'm not a big believer in legislating absolutely everything. I'm happy for people to give feedback on this issue. I'm one of those councillors who would prefer the community talk to each other than us create laws."
Brisbane and Ipswich city councils have the same laws for noisy pets as Redlands' current rules.
On the Gold Coast, a dog can be declared a nuisance by council officers it disrupts neighbours from "an activity ordinarily carried out on residential premises". This can include watching television, sleeping, or holding a conversation.
Similar rules exist in Logan, Moreton Bay, Sunshine Coast, Somerset, Bundaberg, Noosa and Toowoomba council areas.
While dogs have traditionally been the source of animal noise complaints around the state, birds have also been culprits.
A notable 2011 case in Townsville pitted senior citizen Jack Hutton against the local council, who said his 16 roosters crowed up to 922 times an hour.
The matter went to court and the complaint against Mr Hutton was dismissed.
