A "whisper" Hornett air rifle (sub-sonic) could act as a 'persuader'.
Another option is hubby with a sling-shot to 'reach out and touch somedog'
Down on the farm, when hubby was a youngun, his daddy trie to make him shoot a dog, that had to be put down - he couldn’t do it.
He might go with the sling shot though - something that would hurt bad enough to scare the bjs out of the critter.