I'd like to give a tip o' the hat to Redhawk's neighbor for coming over to kindly say, "Dude, your dog's driving everybody nuts.", and another to Redhawk for for accepting the information and dealing with the situation. That's how it works, folks.
(Now, a little story and recommendation for DJJ)
Would that a neighbor I had a few years ago had been more like Redhawk. She had a yappin'-ass Pomeranian that barked at every-damn-thing whenever it was let out of the house - squirrels, cars going by (and I live on a five-lane road so there's a lot of traffic), tree branches waving in the breeze, everything. I found out over time that the dog was one of those that hates everybody except its owner and barks and bites accordingly. Because of that, when the owner wasn't home one of her children (she had several who lived with her at different times) would shove the dog outside so it'd be peaceful inside for them and they wouldn't have to worry about it biting one of the little grandchildren.
Unfortunately for me and mine that meant we had to hear it bark. Let me say that I'm not one to live in a bubble, the house closed up with the AC on from Spring through Fall and the heat cranked up in Winter. When the weather is good I like to have the windows open and the attic fan on to enjoy the fresh air. This neighbor's fence is only thirty feet from my bedroom window and that part of both yards is nearest the road, so that's where the dog would take up station.
We dealt with it for a little while, and then early one morning the dog woke me from a sound sleep. I got into shorts and a t-shirt, stumbled blearily next door, and asked the woman to please either quiet the dog or take it back inside. She apologized and said she would. OK there, everybody got along.
A week or so later, again early in the morning, the dog woke my pregnant wife out of a sound sleep. I went over again and asked her the same as before. She again said she would, and did. OK again.
Now, between these incidents it ain't like the dog wasn't heard at all. They would let it out to relieve itself, and we would hear it barking, in the mornings before the owner went to work, in the afternoons when her youngest got home from school, in the evening when she got back home, and a bit late before she went to bed. It was tolerable, though, so we didn't make anything of it. Until she started working more, and had more kids move in, and those kids had kids, and that's when they started putting the dog outside all the time.
The last straw for me was when we had a cookout and get-together one Saturday a few weeks after the second encounter. I was outside setting up picnic tables and straightening up the yard and the dog started yapping because he could hear but not see me. I'd been trying for a while to get him used to the sound of my voice, like I've done countless times with other dogs over the years, but this little furball wouldn't play along. He just kept yapping. So, I went next door and asked neighbor to either quiet the dog or take him in, because I didn't want to spend the evening listening to him yap at me, my family, and our guests while we were trying to enjoy ourselves. Again, she said she'd take care of it, but this time she gave me a dirty look and spoke in a tone dripping with venom. It was over an hour before she took the dog inside.
I'd had enough, so called Animal Control. AC said to keep a ten-day log of dates and times when the dog barked, take it to them, and they'd handle it from there. I did so, neighbor got a warning, and things were quiet for a month or so. Then it started up again, so I kept another log and turned it in, and this time the owner got a citation. I was subpoenad but didn't have to testify, my log was entered into evidence and the judge gave her a hefty fine but also gave her a break by suspending part of it as long as she kept the dog quiet.
Coolness, right? For a few months, yeah, and then she and her kids slipped back into bad habits. So, I kept another log and turned it in. Neighbor got another citation, and this time I was called to the stand and asked to verify that the log presented was indeed mine, and to flesh out a tale I'd included in it: My wife and I were outside one evening when we heard the neighbor's daughter cussing a blue streak as she hunted around in their backyard for a brick to brain the dog with because it'd bit one of the grandchildren (we deciphered that part in between the profanities). The judge was most interested in the tale.
Neighbor was in high dudgeon about me "...pickin' on [her] little dog that nobody else complains about!" but come to find out, the judge owned a Pomeranian, too, and knew their temperament and behavior well. She (the judge) told neighbor that as much as she understood that the dog was just doing its thing, it was being a nuisance to me and mine and she (the neighbor) should deal with it instead of acting like I was the one causing the problem.
It cost neighbor $350 (IIRC) for the second offense and a warning that a third would result in the dog being taken away. Her method of dealing with a dog that was a nuisance to all but her, and bit at least one of her own grandchildren, was to move away a few weeks later.
So if you're inclined, DJJ, that's one way to deal with a dog that won't shut up and an owner who refuses to deal with it. From what you said, you and your other neighbors have tried to deal with the situation like...well, neighbors...and the guy doesn't want to reciprocate. So, let him deal with the law and come out of his pocket. Maybe that'll get his attention.
