Pleasanton, CA Noise Ordinances: Barking Dogs (2026)

Pleasanton does not maintain a standalone barking-dog ordinance with its own minute-by-minute thresholds. Instead, animal noise is regulated under the citywide noise regulations in Chapter 9.04 of the Municipal Code. The residential noise limit is written broadly to reach noise produced by 'any machine, animal, device, or any combination of the same' on residential property, prohibiting a noise level in excess of 60 dBA at any point outside the property. A dog that barks loudly or continuously enough to push noise above that residential limit can therefore be the basis of a noise complaint. The same time-of-day framework applies: the more lenient 70 dBA daytime exemption runs 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays and holidays, so animal noise during nighttime and early-morning hours is judged against the stricter standard limits. Complaints are typically pursued through the city's code enforcement and police channels, which document the disturbance and may notify the animal's owner. Because dogs and cats living near a property line routinely make noise, enforcement focuses on noise that is excessive, unnecessary and unreasonable, consistent with the chapter's stated policy of protecting residents from disturbance under any condition of use.