How can I explain to the neighbours there's a better way to teach the dog?

[InTheAir]

The house next door to us seems to have an endless supply of bogans moving in and out. The main common factor between them is that one of them always seems to have a bored chihuahua that they physically abuse when it barks.
For some reason the noise from their house goes straight into our living room, so I get to hear the sound of them swearing at
the dog and then the dog squealing... You know the sound of a kicked dog...

My boyfriend and I ended up in a confrontation with the last bogan lady over the way the way she treated her dog. She didn't take any of our suggestions of consulting a professional, exercising, providing enrichment and being nice to it. She did scream at us for half an hour though. All the surrounding neighbours also complained about her dog and she moved out eventually.
Now we have a new bogan next door, who is even more abusive to her dog and we would like to help her see the light, so to speak.

The other guy who lives there came over yesterday and Nila decided to start barking like a chihuahua. We pointed out that he had learnt it from their dogs and that we will be very upset if he learns to add "you fing moungrel shuddup! Yelpyelpyelp!". I also pointed out how much it upsets me to hear animals being handled incorrectly.
I don't know if that message got passed on, as I've heard the lady going mental at the poor dog again this afternoon and evening.

Suggestions please?
Best way to encourage them to explore positive reinforcement? Or at the least, not kicking their dog and not swearing at it.
Easy websites? Websites of an awesome chihuahua doing cool tricks, with a blog on how to train it without physical violence? They seem to think the dog is stupid, it probably is a bright little thing, if it gets treated right!

 

[Vegemite]

REPORT IT! Try and keep a written diary over the next few days, noting the time and words etc. Would it be possible to audio tape the abuse?
Abuse of cats and dogs is taken seriously - pity parrot abuse didn't rate as high

 

[Anne & Gang]

Please report them to your local humane society!!

 

[Stormcloud]

Given the term "Bogan" you're obviously a fellow Aussie. You need to report it to your local council and/or the RSPCA. I would advise you keep a diary as Lynne has suggested for a period of a 14 days.

 

[InTheAir]

When I called the rspca a few months ago about the last bogans pets, who were genuinely being mistreated and I got fobbed off.
I can talk to the surrounding neighbours, these bogans have upset a lot of people lately, and the neighbours will probably back me up.

But, I do think it is a case of the owner not understanding how to communicate with the dog, rather than abusing the dog on purpose. It is pure ignorance and lack of inspiration to learn.

 

[InTheAir]

Hahaha Gerard, we get bogans in kiwiland too... But there are way more in qld, where I'm living!

 

[Stormcloud]

You'll do better with the Local Council.

 

[InTheAir]

Thanks for the heads up.