Lakeville, MN Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)

Barking dogs in Lakeville are handled under the animal-keeping provisions of City Code 11-35-3 (Keeping Animals), which treats animals that create a nuisance or endanger public health and safety as a City Code violation. The City's Common Code Requirements page explains the enforcement process directly: a barking dog is considered a nuisance and a violation, and anyone wishing to report one should call 911 while the dog is barking so that a police officer can be dispatched to witness the violation. That observation requirement matters because a citation typically depends on an officer documenting the ongoing barking firsthand rather than acting on a secondhand report. There is no published count of minutes of barking or a decibel threshold in the City's summary; the standard is whether the barking rises to a nuisance that disturbs neighbors. Repeat or chronic offenders may face escalating enforcement under the animal-control and nuisance provisions of the code. Because the conduct is also captured by the general nuisance and noise sections (4-1-2 and 4-1-4), persistent barking that is audible within 50 feet and disturbs the peace can be addressed there as well. Residents with ongoing problems can also contact the Lakeville Police Department at 952-985-2800 for guidance.