# NYTimes article on "debarking"



## azul99 (May 5, 2009)

Surgery to Quiet Noisy Dogs, or Debarking, Is Losing Favor - NYTimes.com

I am horrified that such a procedure exists. What is wrong with people?


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## 1605 (May 27, 2009)

azul99 said:


> Surgery to Quiet Noisy Dogs, or Debarking, Is Losing Favor - NYTimes.com
> 
> I am horrified that such a procedure exists. What is wrong with people?


As the article suggests, the procedure has been around a long time. In fact, I'm pretty sure at least one of the shelties at our training club has been through this procedure.

Personally, I can't ever see doing this. But then I don't have an incessantly barking dog that no amount of bark-collar training will fix. :frown:


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

My dad had to do this on one of our Samoyeds once. Our neighbors got a court order for him to have this procedure done, or euthanize him. We had the procedure done. Cody was still able to bark, just not as loud. It didn't really seem to phase him at all, but I would never have this done, unless I was put into the position my dad was.


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## CorgiPaws (Mar 31, 2009)

I've actually seen quite a number of dogs come to daycare that have been "debarked" but 99% of them are always smaller dogs, breeds that tend to be viewed as "yappers" by the general public. 

One elderly woman who was a regular customer had two poms, a rat terrier, a min pin, and a yorkie.. all debarked. I have a hard time believing this was a "must" and I'm pretty sure she just does it to any dog she gets. 

While I don't agree with the prodecure, I will say all the dogs I've come across that have had it done can still bark, it's just not loud... and none of them seem to be phased. I'm NOT saying that makes it right, as I would not dream of doing it to my guys, but from what I've seen it doesn't actually have much effect on their quality of life.


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## malluver1005 (Nov 15, 2009)

When I worked at a daycare too, a lot of the smaller dogs were the one's debarked. A lot of shelties and believe it or not cattle dogs too!!

If Aspen did bark (hehe, he never does), I would NEVER do that to him. Unless I was put into a situation like danemama's dad...


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## wags (Jan 31, 2009)

That seems just not right at all. Debark a dog! Gee like us not being able to yell whew that would be bad! Then scar tissue can build up horrible! I think training is the best way to go with a barker! I would opt for a muzzle even I think rather than having that surgery for the dog! Or keep the dog in the house if thats the case! I dont do bark collars either too cruel!
Just too cruel!


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

At one of the vet clinics where I worked, only the one vet would do debarking. The other vets refused to do it. We had a dog come in to have the procedure done and he had an adverse reaction to one of the drugs and died on the table. Now, it might have happened during any other procedure he had in his life sometime in the future but this was a totally unecessary procedure done for the owners convienance and she ended up losing her dog. All the dogs we debarked still made noise, it was just less volume. It doesn't totally silence them. Training them works a lot better. 

Don't get me started on uneccessary surgery on dogs.....


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## spookychick13 (Jan 26, 2010)

My doctor refuses to do this. Ear Cropping too.


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