Homeowners in the hills of northeast Bellevue are losing sleep over a new business, a privately-owned K-9 training center.

"We moved into this area 'cause it was quiet," says one resident.

Started about five months ago, the facility will contract with law enforcement agencies to train guard dogs and drug sniffers. About two dozen police dogs in training are in outside kennels at the former 30-acre plant site.

“We want everyone around here to be proud of it, not to think of it as a problem," says Alpha K-9 trainer Mike Breton.

Homeowner Bill Radil lives less than a half-mile away. “In the evening or the early morning it can sound like there's 50 dogs fighting down there.”

The dogs aren’t fighting, but alerting animals that roam the woods next to the training facility. A sprinkler is used to cool down the dogs, not from the heat, but from animal noises in the woods.

Still, Bellevue’s mayor, City Council and police chief have all received barking complaints. “The 911 center has been notified and any further complaints will be transferred to law enforcement and we’ll be taking appropriate action," says Bellevue Police Chief John Stacey.

The K-9 training center just graduated its first class of five detector dogs and law enforcement handlers, all from other states. Chief Stacey has moved his department’s K-9 unit out of the facility so residents don’t have to complain to the police about their police dogs.

The owners of Alpha K-9 have put up a temporary fence, not only to muffle the barking, but to keep dogs from seeing varmints that might wander in from the woods.

Indoor kennels are being built. “We’re trying as fast as we can to alleviate the noise," says Breton. "We’re just asking for probably a couple more weeks."

“Do whatever it takes, but stop the barking,” says homeowner Sam Minor.