Most, if not all AC units, wall, window, or centralized, take the air from inside the house, not the outside. The idea is to re-circulate the air in the house. No units that I know of, take air from the outside. This would defeat the Air Conditioning process. This doesn't answer your question, but it may shead light on what else to look for. Check for the way your windows are sealing. They may be wore out. The rubber seals on sliding glass windows may need to be redone. Also, the wiper on the bottom of the main doors into the house my not be sealing. Some of these are adjustable. If you do have a window ac, consider caulking the sliding pannels on either side of it to prevent outside air form coming in.
The only way to keep cigarette smoke outside a house is to smoke outside away from any open doors or windows.
What about them?
yes you can
No, an air conditioner does not bring in outside air. It cools and circulates the air already inside a building.
Yes, it is possible that your neighbors can hear you inside if you can hear them outside, especially if there is little sound insulation in the walls between your homes.
I would have a talk with your neighbors and try to work out a plan for your dog to play outside without it bothering the neighbors.
A split air conditioner is a unit where the condensing unit is outside and the evaporator is inside.
on the ac condenser
An air conditioner uses refrigerant to transfer heat from one place to another, such as from inside the home to the outside.
In the outside unit
You don't step outside to have a cigarette, that's for sure.
Yes, an air conditioner pulls in air from outside, cools it through a refrigeration process, and then circulates the cooled air into the room to lower the temperature.