A while ago I purchased a bark collar off ebay. Not one that gives the dog an electric shock, I hasten to add, no, every time he barks it makes him, and as a result, the room, smell lemony fresh. Anyway, it is fairly successful, he's certainly barking less. However, I'm not sure if what he does now is any less annoying, I guess to the neighbours it is, but he does this strange little coughing bark which don't set the collar off, or he grumbles, or cries. When he cries I feel terribly mean, like I'm stifling his freedom of speech or something. You're also supposed to be able to take the collar off, but that doesn't seem to work with him. He does one bark, to see if it's working, then when he realises it's not, he knows he can bark away to his heart's content. He's not stupid, sadly.
My Mum is visiting at the moment. My Dad is also in the country, but he visited for about an hour before having to depart for Cambridge, whereas my Mum is staying for a few days.