after the owner of a dog in the area was yesterday fined $200 for failing to stop the animal from barking incessantly.

If the dog continues to disturb neighbours, Wayne Stoneham of North Shore Road in Pembroke, will wind up in Magistrates' Court again, when an order to impound his pet could be made.

Stoneham, 35, yesterday admitted that between last June 12 and 15 he failed to stop his mixed-breed German Shepherd from barking and "causing an inconvenience to neighbours''.

Prosecutor Sgt. Peter Giles told the court that Police went to Stoneham's house after a neighbour complained she had been woken up several times by the dog's barking and was unable to get back to sleep.

Complaints were also made by other people in the neighbourhood.

Stoneham admitted to Police that the dog was his, saying he had a problem keeping it quiet.

He said he was given the dog by his employer, who also had had a problem controlling it.

Sgt. Giles suggested Stoneham might want to seek professional help from a dog trainer, though he noted, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks.'' Stoneham told the court the dog had barked so much because it had an ear infection at the time. He said the infection had since cleared up and the dog did not bark as much.

"Your neighbours are entitled to a decent night's sleep,'' magistrate the Wor. John Judge said after fining Stoneham.

And he reminded him that under section 15 of the Dogs Act, if the dog continued to annoy the neighbours he could be brought back to court where an order to impound or even destroy the dog could be made.