Noisy dogs often quietly debarked
Procedure involves cutting dog's vocal cords to silence excessive barking.
Photo: bjornmeansbear/Flickr Comments
Not sure, some cities and most apartments and condo's have rules and or laws about barking dogs. We have a rat terrier that nothing stops her. Shock collars, you name it..it has no effect. She STILL barks. Given that not everyone has the ability to live out in the middle of no-where, or is willing to give up on the dog, there has to be some solution.
I am so happy to find these posts by some people who have a clue about animal behavior. I posted one other place and just got a bunch of emotional rants from uninformed, judgmental, extremists offering useless, "training tips". I have a 5 year old, aussie with major anxiety issues that have been causing me neighbor issues for the past couple of years. She is one of three dogs so is rarely alone. She works livestock on the weekends and is walked several miles each day when I get home from.... More
I understand completely why you would have your dog debarked. I have a shih tzu that barks the second we leave in the morning till when I come home to check on him at lunch. And again until three when my son comes home. Stupidly I thought the dog never barked. I mean, after all he never did it when we were home. Then I started getting complaints from the apartment manager. And unless we get something done about his barking, they say we either have to move or get rid of him. I love my dog. In.... More
Debarking (Bark Softening) - Myths and Facts
Animal rights groups attack life-saving debarking procedure
By Charlotte McGowan
There is a move around the country by animal rights interests to outlaw the practice of debarking dogs. So much misinformation about this procedure abounds that it is truly time to set the record straight. As a dog breeder since the late 50’s, I can tell you that debarking in the hands of a well trained veterinarian is a very useful tool for breeders.... More
I live in B'ham Al and haven't been able to find a vet that will do the bark softening procedure. How can I find a vet that will do this?
For Debark Yourself: So you consider tossing a noisy dog into a shelter to not be cruel. You do not find taping or wiring shut jaws to be cruel. You think dumping a dog along the highway is not cruel. You don't find electric shock collars cruel. You don't find it cruel for a dog to lose the only home it ever had. You don't find hitting, kicking and punching to be cruel. And obviously pouring lye down a barky dog's throat is not cruel--all according to you. But you do think alter barking,.... More
Your venom is showing.. .. many people are fully tolerant of their OWN barking dogs.. but may have neighbors who are not so tolerant.. so what to do?/ Take the dog to the shelter.. where in the USA it will probably be KILLED .. or have a simple surgery to keep the peace and your dog? You are a mean spirited cruel person. Many people HAVE had to have theri voices changed.. and you ridicule them for that? and please Susan.. no more with the "throat slashing".. even the youngest child knows.... More
Debark Yourself, Have you ever seen or heard a dog that has been "debarked"? If you saw a video tape, with the sound turned off, of a dozen dogs running around, and you had to pick out the debarked dogs, you could not. There is no difference in their attitudes, their communication, their being dogs. As for having throat surgery, I'm sure all those people who have had tonsils removed have recovered. . . Hum, and I bet they can still talk. The fact that a fairly simple procedure can be done to.... More
It always cracks me up to see these animal rights extremists complain about bark-softening surgery, but see nothing wrong with depriving a dog of its testicles! The bark-softening surgery can save an animal from losing its home because of neighbor complaints. It is more humane than citronella collars, as the dog still gets to "talk" as much as it wants, just more softly. Neutering, meanwhile, makes dogs at least twice as likely to get bone cancer, bladder cancer, prostate cancer, and.... More
I read these comments and for the most part, I'm seeing people who are brainwashed by the animal rights movements (not animal welfare - that's a whole 'nuther thing and what we true animal lovers should be supporting). Do some research before you start screaming abuse, please. Not all dogs will stop barking with training. Certain breeds were bred to be noisy- it is in their genes and you'll never get that vocal nature to change. Would you rather have them toned down to a tolerable level so that.... More
I feel I must object to the supposed 'facts' of this article. Alter barking is neither a dangerous nor a painful surgery when done by a competent veterinarian. Debarking is not a correct term for the procedure as the dogs are not made mute. They can still bark, whine, howl, yelp or vocalize in any other way a dog communicates. The only difference is the volume is much softer and the sound does not carry. But in no way are the dogs silenced. Note, I said competent vet. There are some who will.... More
How sad that a person in rescue, that supposedly is there to HELP animals, is in favor of performing an unnecessary & cruel surgery on an animal. You don't belong around animals, you simply don't get them. Shame on you.
To Debark yourself -How sad that you don't know Dorothy C and her devotion to rescue and if you would actually read the information she provided on the simple bark softening procedure you might understand she is trying to save the animals. Until you have walked in her shoes or shoes of others that conditions warrant this simple humane NON SURGICAL procedure please do not be so quick to condemn that does not harm the dogs.
For some, the incessant barking of a dog can grate on the nerves, especially when the barking is a frequent occurrence and affects your quality of life, the enjoyment of your home, your property and your peace of mind.
You've probably talked to your neighbor several times. The neighbor feels bad and promises to take the dog to training classes but the barking doesn't stop. As much as you hate to, you call the police and file a complaint. The police also notify Animal Control and the legal.... More
Here's an idea...if barking gets "on your nerves", DON'T GET A DOG! I'm embarrased to be an American when I read responses such as these - from people that believe animals are property that can be carved up & surgically modified for their suiting & convenience. Animals are living, breathing beings that feel pain, emotions & have needs like we do - one of which is to communicate. Don't like how dogs communicate? Then don't get a dog, cause dog's bark just like birds sing.
De-barking is more correctly called bark softening. The dog never looses the ability to bark, the volume is lowered. Keep in mind that there are dogs that bark, and there are dogs that BARK!
The former is usually acceptable to you and the neighbors since it only happens under certain conditions--such as a knock at the door or strangers coming onto the property or into the home.Generally it is easily controllable, and easy to live with.
Then, there are dogs that BARK. They bark at.... More
Bark softening is a MUCH less invasive surgery than spaying or neutering. The dog goes in to the vet, is put under light anesthesia, a clip is made in the vocal cords. The dog wakes up, goes home and is barking (only softer), playing and eating that day. It is a bloodless procedure.
Contrast this with spaying where the female is put under heavy sedation. the skin, muscles and ligaments of the stomach are cut open. There is much blood... The uterus is pulled out of the stomach.... More
Spaying has BENEFITS to an animals health, it prevents several cancers. Contrast with de-barking that has NO benefit to the animal!
Actually, bark softening has several benefits, the first and foremost being it can make it possible for a dog to stay in it's home. It's easy for you to say, MOVE - not always possible. Bark softening does NOT involve CUTTING the dog's vocal chords, it's s simple procedure where a biopsy punch is used to put a small hole in the vocal chords. The dog can still bark, growl, howl whatever. This is just one more AR bunch of nonsense to make it impossible to maintain dog ownership. Spay neuter can.... More
While spaying does decrease the incidence of some cancers, it increases others. It decreases the incidence of mammary tumors (a cancer very survivable if caught early enough - I've had two dogs with mammary cancer in their younger years both survive to a happy age of 17) but it increases fivefold the chance of hemangiosarcoma which always kills. (Since I have a breed prone to hemangiosarcoma, there is no way I will ever neuter my dogs.) If you go deep into the research literature and ignore.... More
Convenience surgeries such as debarking & declawing are acts of cruelty against animals. Only the selfish, lazy, & heartless inflict unnecessary pain on their pets for natural behaviors that can be resolved with training.
The author negligently failed to mention that 8 cities is California have legally deemed declawing as animal cruelty - it is a misdeamor to declaw an animal in W. Hollywood, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, San Francisco, Beverly Hills, Berkeley, Culver City, &.... More
Enter your comments here Bark softening is a simple 5 minute procedure that is less invasive than a root canal! Dogs wake up, eat dinner and do not know that anything has happened. The neighbors do howebver- they are not subjected to the noise of loud barking dogs. The bark is still there - just down a few octaves.A beter alternative than putting them to slepp at the pound!
Janet, If you really believe that an animal is too dumb to know their throat, larynx, and voice has been severed after waking up from sedation after a medically unnecessary surgery, you are too disconnected & ignorant to even own an animal. Have your own larynx severed, your own voice "softened", & let us know how it feels.
