Devocalisation?

Question

Has anyone had their dog devocalised (larynx removed to prevent barking) or known a dog that has been devocalised?

What are the reasons for having it done and how has the dog been since having it done? I would literally just like to know more about this from first-hand views - I promise not to add any more comments or even issue any thumbs down for people in favour of devocalisation!
(and would appreciate it if no one else adds thumbs down to answers, this is just a poll not a debate)

Chalice

Answer 1

I did some reading on the net and found a very informative article that isn't one-sided. It's worth reading.

http://www.vin.com/VINDBPub/SearchPB/Proceedings/PR05000/PR00017.htm

Answer 2

I have over the years met several shelties and a few beagles and basset hounds that have been debarked. Mostly for nuisance barking. They make a tiny cut in the larynx and basically scar the voice box. The dog can still bark but it is very muted or horse sounding. The few dog that were subjected to this were because their owners lived in apartments and the dogs barked all day. It was either stop the barking or get rid of the dog. It a shame to have to do something like this but some dogs just can't be made to understand that barking all day could lead to them either being altered or killed.
In the end the dogs didn't seem to care one way or the other.

Answer 3

This is a great site to help train a dog that is a manic barker> http://www.clickersolutions.com/articles/2001c/manicbarking.htm
I have met MANY de-barked dogs, as many of the Shelties and beagles, Pomeranians, etc., are de-barked at dog shows.
You walk by the kennels and the dogs are making a raspy noise, barking at all the dogs passing by..It usually has to be done more than once to get the dogs as quiet as the owner wants.
However, the vocal chords are not removed, but are singed, to create scar tissue that hampers the formation of loud sound.
I am not a proponent..It shows me that the dog isn't trainable (and shouldn't be used for breeding) or the owner is too lazy to learn to train, or too lazy to train..
The thing is, that it is a disqualification in a show dog, but the 'respectable' breeders always get away with it.

Answer 4

I've known two "de-barked" dogs. In both cases they could still make noise, it just sounded weird. Maybe it wasn't as loud as before, bit it was just as constant and probably more annoying than a normal bark except that it could be heard from as far away. One was a teacup poodle, the other a lab.

The reasons people get it done is that they are tired of their dogs barking and they are told that's how to solve the problem. Chronic barking is hard to live with and difficult to treat.

Answer 5

It is cruel and illegal in most states. People do it for selfish reasons.

Edit: I would like to add why I feel it is selfish to de- bark a dog. If you can't have a vocal dog for any reason, than you need to get a dog that is not all that vocal or better yet, get a cat. Dog's bark.I have 2 very vocal dog breeds.A Hound and a Shepherd.I know that they are going to bark. I refuse to use a shock correction collar. It does not bother me that they bark. If I didn't want to hear the dogs bark, I would have not gotten them.And if my neighbors had a problem with them barking, I would keep them inside for the most part and only let them out to pee.

Answer 6

I am not in favor of devocalization. Pets can be trained from an early age to bark and not bark on command. There are reasons why animals need their voices. What if there was an intruder in you home? You would want the dog to bark, right? What if the dog was in trouble? Devocalization seems cruel and inhumane to me. Yes, teaching a dog not to bark takes alot of time and effort but having a pet entails responsibility. If one doesn't like barking, maybe the shouldn't got a dog. Dogs bark. It's natural.

Answer 7

Actually sometimes it's a good idea. If it's a choice between debarking and death. It should be done under anesthesia by a vet. Some puppymillers jam a metal rod down dog's throats to debark them. That. I'm not in favor of.

Answer 8

I have not personally had a dog debarked, however a friend of mine did (she had tried very hard to train him not to but he just couldn't be stopped). He is NOT a neglected dog, he goes to work with her every day, does agility, gets lots of attention, he just likes to bark. Now he can "bark" to his heart's content, he doesn't seem to notice a difference, she doesn't have to worry about being evicted. Worked out well in this case.

Answer 9

I have a Great Dane whose neck is a mass of scars and burns from wearing a shock collar turned as high as it would go, for years. Her vocal cords are permanently affected, she will never bark like a normal dog again.

Don't ask how I feel about "debarking", you don't want to go there!

Answer 10

its not effective anyway. in most dogs the voice returns after a few months.