Anonymous letters as an alternative
Not long ago I posted here about anonymous letters as a way of stopping barking dogs. Well, I tried it and the result so far is very encouraging. I don't want to tempt Fate, so I'm not going to get all jubilant and say my problem is solved, hurrah - if I do that I'm sure that the dog'll start up again as soon as I press Submit. All I will say is that for the 10 days since the owner would have got my letter, I have been spared the constant barking that started around 8pm and sometimes went on until after midnight. I've heard the dog a couple of times but only for a couple of minutes before someone shuts it up.
If you've come to this site because you're being driven nuts by barking I strongly suggest you consider writing an anonymous note before taking the risky step of trying to kill the dog. As long as the note really can't be traced back to you, you have nothing to lose and you can still get rid of the dog if it doesn't work.
If not interested, fair enough - skip this post. Otherwise, the following may be of use.
It would be wonderful if all it took to get quiet was a polite word with the neighbour. That can work in a small number of cases, but more likely you'll be met with indifference, denial, hostility or even violence. Having identified yourself as a complainant you have no option but to put your trust in the police/council/Animal Control and hope that they'll have the spine to do something about it. If you fail you have run out of options unless you don't mind wearing earplugs all the time (which can damage your ears) or being driven to move out of a place you like. That's why anonymous is better. It's nothing to do with needing to "man up" or any of that nonsense. It's simply a practical way if informing your antisocial neighbour that there is a problem and giving them a chance to put it right, and still keeping all your options open.
The owner will most likely rip the letter up in disgust even if he acts on it, but he may file it away. That's why the letter must be totally untraceable to you if there's even the remotest chance you might need to dispose of the dog yourself as a last resort. So the obvious things are:
Don't use your favourite writing paper. Print the letter on standard A4 paper, use a common type of envelope, and write in Notepad or some other program that comes with most computers, using the standard Courier font. Send the letter through the post, so that you won't be seen delivering it. Best to avoid leaving fingerprints too and if the stamps in your region are the old sort, moisten the stamp with tap water rather than licking it. This may all seem a bit paranoid and perhaps it is, but it hardly requires much extra effort and better safe than sorry.
Unlike this post, the letter should be brief. That was especially important for me as I am an expat and had to write the letter in the local language. I am pretty proficient with the language but I do make idiomatic mistakes which will identify me as a foreigner. Most people won't have this problem but even so, the more you write the more you give away. For example "I can hear your dog 500 metres away with the window shut and the kids can't sleep" pretty much gives away where/who you are. All you need to say is that the barking is annoying you, that it is inconsiderate behaviour, and that if it doesn't stop you will be taking appropriate action (police etc).
Don't swear, don't insult the owner directly (there's a big difference between "you are inconsiderate" and "your behaviour is inconsiderate" and above all don't threaten to harm them or the dog. That last could well get you into trouble, especially if someone else has a pop at the dog!
Address the letter to the owner by name so that he knows he's the intended recipient. Use the plural pronoun "we" rather than the singular "I" - it probably won't fool anyone but at least there will be some doubt in the owner's mind as to who sent it - is it the old lady at number 5 or the family of kick-boxing champions at number 9? Finally, make sure that whatever action you threaten is not only legal but likely to have some effect. I chose police because most people where I live avoid the police if they can and apparently the police will respond to calls about nuisance noise.
I've gone on far too long already but a final word - obviously this isn't a magic solution and there are some cases where it's inadvisable or pointless to try this. A family of drugged-up losers who flout the law at every opportunity are unlikely to respond positively. There's more chance of success if the barking is loud and continuous for long periods of time, as the owner will know the authorities are more likely to take any complaint seriously.
I'm not claiming to be any sort of expert - it's just that it worked for me and I thought I'd share it in the hope that it may be useful to someone. Barking dogs are a nightmare and I don't blame anyone for killing/wanting to kill one if it's really bad, but it's risky and there's no harm in trying a legal, safer alternative first.
Apologies for length and good luck!