De-Barking your dog..

[SummerRiot]

What are your thoughts on this?

Our Sheltie breeder, HAS to de-bark her dogs.. #1) because they are yippy shelties, and #2) the neighbours have called the police on them before because of the "loud noises" and she could have gotten the breeders lisence revoked or somethig like this..

We are thinking about de-barking Jada, our female SHeltie, she wont Shut the F*$& up.. whenever we take her somewhere, ehwnever shes in the backyard, whenever shes in the house.. OMG it NEVER stops..
i'm SOOOO glad Riot isn't a barker or I'd be P.O.ed..

We have done just about everything we can think of to shut her up, but its not working.. so de-barking may be the answer..

 

[RD]

If it were a debark or rehome situation, I would debark -- but ONLY after exercising all other possible options to train the dog to be quiet.

I know a lot of people will say it is cruel, and I'd be curious as to why they think that, seeing as dogs are not losing any major form of communication in being debarked. (If the procedure is done correctly, they still can bark, it's just a 'muffled' bark.)I'd think it's certainly far more humane than keeping one of those awful shock or citronella collars on the dog to deter barking.

 

[joce]

If you have no other options then its just what you have to do. The only thing I have heard is that they soemtimes grow back together and some make an even more annoying noise after the debark. It just sounds like they have been smoking. Somone on the next street over has one I want them to debark! Drives me nutts!

 

[bogolove]

Have you tried the Intellipet Bark Solvers? It is supposed to help stop nuisance barking. There is the bark solver x25 which is to be used indoors, and then there is the bark solver x40 which is for outdoor use. It uses an ultrasonic correction tone that sounds each time the dog barks. You can make it inaudible to humans or make it so that you can hear it just barely also. You can also adjust it on how loud the bark must be to trigger the tone. I saw it in the Petedge catalog for vets. You can look for it online at www.petedge.com/training

I think for only $34.99 it is worth a shot before debarking your dog.

 

[joce]

Our frineds live in an apartment and just got a bark shock collar for their lab. It was that or debark her or rehome her. It worked. She apparently only had to wear it one day but now she makes a whine low enough that she doesn't get a correction but the neighbors don't complina so its ok. Maybe try one of those,I hate suggesting one because they didn't try anything else but if you feel bad about debarking then that may help.

 

[SummerRiot]

Well. de-barking also might help Jada because its VERY annoying for one.. and two, my mom will be doing agility with her and if she is doing that, Jada(already when she is training for it) will bark her head off which makes it hard for her to hear commands as well.

(I cant STAND barking dogs lol)

But.. We might go a head and try the barking collar, I'd hate to zap her when she barks though lol

 

[Richie12345]

I don't think the collar hurts much, I tried it, lol So it aint that cruel in my opinion

 

[Old Dog]

Debarking only keeps them to a low raspy bark in many cases. Make sure you get a vet that has done this on a regular basis because if not done properly their cords can grow back and they can end up barking again.(waste of money and trauma on the dog)I would try a bark collar at home. I have used one on my aussie set on the highest positions because that was the only one she paid attention to and it did work cut her nuisance barking by 80%.My 90# male dobe on the other hand was set on 2 almost the lowest setting and it worked he learned quickly to stop the nonsense barking. It did not take long for either dog and have not had to use the collar once they figured it out.
They CAN be taught not to bark when training. Alot of the breeds proficient in agility seem to do this because of the excitement of getting caught up in the moment. Most trainers discourage it but do not try to break the habit all together.

 

[bubbatd]

I've never had a barker, but feel it's a issue that has to be handled from day 1 as a puppy. I hate to think of a dog having to go through this surgery when it's an owner's lack of input when it starts. All dogs should know " No Bark! " when not necessar

 

[Ash47]

I know nothing of the surgery, so I can't put an input on it. It doesn't 'sound' like something I would do to one of my dogs. It takes something serious for Precious to bark, yet Spud and Roxy are in love with barking. I guess it just doesn't bother me though. Humans talk, sometimes too much, and dogs bark... sometimes too much. But mine know when I say NO!! or Shhhh, that means to shut their mouth.

 

[Manchesters]

With naked breeds like Manchesters and Whippets, the garden hose can be used like a big giant spray bottle, lol. Works wonders. However there are some dogs that just cannot be shut up.

Debarking is no big deal to the dog as far as the surgery. Mine came home and ate their food and drank etc, with absolutely no outward signs that anything had been done to them. I sure as heck would highly recommend it to anyone with a barking problem.

 

[dani12]

Daisy used to bark in the morning so we would get up to let her out but she wouldn't have to go to the bathroom.; she just wanted everyone up with her b/c the sun was out. We let this go on thinking if we ignored her, she would stop but no luck. We did get a collar and it has worked. We only use it at night so she doesn't wake everyone too early in the morning. We get up pretty early anyway but having that extra 30 minutes of sleep is really helps. It has helped her barking and it must not bother her too much b/c she doesn't protest when we put it on her.

 

[mrose_s]

I am a very loud person by nature. I would never get my dock debarked, it is cruel, it is their way of signifying fear, anger, warning, cheerfulness, lonliness, unhappiness and generaly communicating, I just couldnt take that away from soemthing I love.

This is a surgical procedure whereby the dog's vocal chords are cut. The dog can no longer bark, thereby rendering it a more convenient life form for the humans with which it shares its life.

- off a site I found, but sry, I lost it


please don't debark your dog.

 

[sharpeilover]

i am afraid i am against it and think its cruel, would u want to b de-talked, no its one of their way of comminucation, so no i think if they want to bark they can, u just train tthem.

 

[femke]

I dont know a lot about debarking so find it hard to give my oppinion, I do know it's not something I would ever do to my dog...

When I got my sheltie I KNEW i might be getting a barker. After all that is what they are known for. To me if that's not something you are willing to deal with then why get one? Penny barked a lot in the beginning when we first got her. The squirt bottle didn't do anything to stop her but our supersoaker (big watergun) sure did the trick. She has stopped barking just to " get her way" if she does it all we have to do is point at the watergun and she stops.

I wouldn't use it unless it's the absolute last option...

 

[SummerRiot]

To me if that's not something you are willing to deal with then why get one?

They aren't mine, they are my mom and sisters. but we already knew what they were getting into, we used to breed and show many years ago with Shelties in the CKC events all over. Its easier to train a dog to be quiet when there is just one at a time.. then they dont get each other hyper about whatever they are barking about.
RIot knows enough, that when I tell him to be quiet, he actually listens. unlike jada, crosby on the other hand will 60% of the time listen, hes more obedient then jada

 

[Twilight]

I think de barking is disgusting

A behaviourist and a bit of good training is all a dog needs to stop barking, my dad had the 2 loudest fox terriers ever
and got a good behaviourist, no need to go so drastic and de bark, i find that shocking and im glad its banned in the UK

 

[bogolove]

Yes, I too think it is cruel. I would definitely exhaust all my options, such as the Intellipet bark solver, bark shock collar, behaviorist, and even the super soaker. I am one who believes that if a person cannot handle a specific breed of dog the way it is supposed to be by nature, then that person needs to find a different breed because there are all types of breeds suited for all different types of people. I think it is cruel to try to change a dog, especially trying to alter one of the ways it communicates, for one's own selfish purposes.

 

[Manchesters]

I always get a kick out of people who are so judgemental about something they know NOTHING about!!!! So it is better to shock a dog than debark??? PAHLEEZE!!!!!! I have a dog who has been debarked, and believe me it was cheaper than having to buy batteries for a shock collar!!!! And better for the dog.

For those of you totally unknowledgeable of the procedure---they pull the dogs tongue out of the way, go down with a special set of snippers, and put a tiny "V" shaped notch in each cord and that is it. Vocal cords do not have any pain receptors as far as I was told. Only discomfort might be a slightly sore throat from the tool being inside the throat. But it did not bother any of the 3 dogs I had done.

Go check in your dog pounds, and see how many dogs are there for barking problems. And I hope to heaven none of you ever have kids that need their tonsils out. Oh, and DEBARKING IS A COMPLETELY BLOODLESS PROCEDURE.

And Great Britain has banned lots of stuff.....they are a nation of hysterics when it comes to dogs. I won't go into the DDA, but that was the biggest foolishness any country has ever engaged in!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Manchesters]

Oh Brother......

Yes, I too think it is cruel. I would definitely exhaust all my options, such as the Intellipet bark solver, bark shock collar, behaviorist, and even the super soaker. I am one who believes that if a person cannot handle a specific breed of dog the way it is supposed to be by nature, then that person needs to find a different breed because there are all types of breeds suited for all different types of people. I think it is cruel to try to change a dog, especially trying to alter one of the ways it communicates, for one's own selfish purposes.

Give me strength!!!!!! Yep, it sure is cruel to try to change a dog!!!! So let them sh!t all over the house, chew up all the electrical wires (or as many as it takes to electrocute themselves!) eat the sofa, chew thru the door frames, eat the kitchen wooden cabinets, dig holes all over the yard, and for doG sake DON'T PUT UP A FENCE!!!! Dogs are meant to run free, not be confined.

And if it communicates its anger by sh!ting in the middle of your bed, DO NOT reprimand it---you will be stifling its communication skills, roflmfbo.

Now of course, every one is entitled to their opinion/opinions.....but do not try to judge the decisions and actions of others by your BASELESS opinions! Which is sounds like you are doing. You know next to nothing about dogs, breeds, breed characteristics, etc. Wait until you do to be so dogmatic about things!!

And it is hysterically funny to see how many of the nondog people have been conned into the "behaviorist" game, lol. Anyone who raises and trains a puppy IS a behaviorist......because they modify doggy behavior. Of course there are those who believe that unless you have sat in a classroom, and taken WRITTEN tests, you cannot be a behaviorist. Hands on actual experience does not count. Yeah, right! As I have said before, I am a BEHAVIOR CREATOR!! Far beyond what any mere so callled behaviorist could ever accomplish.

I do not appreciate being accused of being cruel to my dogs by someone ignorant of what was done with and to my dogs. It would be nice if there were a few more facts, and a bit less anthromorphosizing (sp?) around here!!!!!! And if you are young (which is an excuse for everything around here) please overlook my attitude, lol.