Barking dog....

The neighbor's dog barks angrily at me and my children whenever we walk into our back yard. It has on occasion sent my children into the house crying. I was hoping he'd get used to us, but after a year and a half, he hasn't.

I know the neighbors well enough to not want to alienate them, but not well enough that asking them to control their dog will do anything other than alienate them. Besides, I honestly don't think they can.

My mother suggested trying to befriend him, but I don't think it would work, plus I hate dogs and don't feel that I should have to go to that kind of inconvenience.

I inquired discretely about the dog's age: "What a cute dog! How long have you had him?" And he's pretty young and not likely to die anytime soon.

Is there anything I can do, any type of machine I can buy, for instance, that will deter the dog from barking at me?

I've tried to be patient and courteous, but I'm really starting to get angry about this situation. I don't feel that I should have to live with this or subject my children to it.