I know it's not preferable to pen your pets....do you have a work schedule and/or a place that permits you to run your dog on a regular basis? This will somewhat negate the fact that your dog has been in the pen all day. If your neighbor actually intends on shooting your dog, then you need to come up with a solution other than your current one......a shock collar might work temporarily, but when your dog realizes you're not around, he'll run off again. Also, your dog will quickly realize when that collar is not on his neck (i.e. when the batteries are being charged).