Dogs are also easier to train than stupid people.

This is how my dogs communicate with me. How they tell me someone is in the yard or at the door. How they tell me they want to go outside. How they tell me they are excited that I am home from work. When they are hungry. I could go on and on. To make them mute is beyond my comprehension. Just train your pet properly.

Barking is kind of a dogs thing is it not ?!! I have a neighbor whos dog runs to the fence every day to see me when I get home, no barking, he just wags his tail as do my own two. My neighbor on the otherhand..she never shuts up !!

Some dogs you can train, some dogs (like people) cannot learn.

Enuff:

You are the winner!

What's wrong with a noise-activated shock collar? Instant feedback

The dog barks--he gets zapped immediately. Try it for a couple days, and if he still barks, bump up the voltage a little until it's at the right level to dissuade him from barking.

As soon as the dog learns that "barking=pain", he'll change his habits.

Then, when he has finally learned, take off the collar.

Nestlé barks when Mike Marder and his wife come home, and he barks when they leave. He barks at delivery boys, he barks at the doorbell, and he barks at the Marders’ new puppy, Truffle.

WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OF COURSE HE'S BARKING ALL THE TIME!!!!!!

Who the hell names their dogs Nestle and Truffle? I'd be pi$$ed to if someone gave me those sissy names.

Next thing you know people will be calling their kids Moon Unit and Kal-El Coppola!

Oh,,,,,wait,,,,,

The poor dog is obviously anti-Obama.

Why else would they try to silence him?

Before the dog was "debarked", he probably went around using barks like "rrrrretarded" or "RRRRahm" or "rrrrrripoff"

I tell ya, this Country is getting worse everyday... Maybe we should debark all the Politicians too...

No, it isn't that easy!! As a professional trainer, I can tell you there are options to teaching a dog not to bark however, there are also too darn many people today who feel that dogs have no right to make any sound whatsoever. Of course, that also includes the dog who barks when someone tries to break in the neighbor's house. Or the big dog barking because the neighbor leaves their little yappers to run around unfenced and off leash barking insanely.

I live in a situation like this and there is absolutely nothing that will satisfy these people. The people behind me have two little kids who scream like they are being murdered. The noise is horrible and it does sound like they are being hurt. My dog will give an alert bark...and they call the police every time because the (*$^#&% is barking! The people next to them hate dogs and have spent years throwing garbage, rocks, sticks and ground beef with crushed glass and poison in it in my yard! My dogs are trained to not touch anything unless I give it to them however, this constant crap from these idiots has pushed the dogs to the edge.. They see them, the dogs bark....the dogs bark, they call the police. A couple other neighbors let their little dogs run loose and they are all barking and yapping constantly and head right here......and have occasionally gotten into the yard........and they call the police! My dogs have a big bark which goes with a big dog. The police and Animal Control have said we may end up with no choice but to debark because the neighbors simply do not want big dogs around! By the way, two of the dogs have their CGC's, one is an Assistance Dog and one is a puppy! The people with their annoying yappers and screaming kids are making a lot more noise than my dogs!

I think all pet owners should boycott vets who perform these debarking procedures so maybe they will stop doing them if it hurts their bottom line! As for the ignorant dog owners who send their beloved pet to these butchers, they should be debarked themselves.

I agree! I think any vet who debarks dogs should lose their license or better yet lets cut their vocal chords see how happy they would be...

Those poor people, no one told them that dogs bark before they got one. If they had only know, then they could have made a more responsible decision to not get a dog.

the morons who don't know how to properly train their dogs should hire Victoria Stillwell. She'll teach you losers how to give "positive reinforcement" training to "encourage" your dog not to bark "inappropriately". I'm sure the idiot who owns the dog in the co-op who started this debate, I doubt he even excercises his dog. regularly. The poor dog probably barked out of frustration by being owned by a complete idiot...

Debarking a dog is cruel as is docking tails and ears and cutting the toes off of cats (declawing) all of which is illegal in Europe but not here in the USA. I am beginning to find the Brits to be much more humane than Americans.

My god, debarking your dog is like taking the voices from our kids. This is awful. I agree with Richard-795963. Train your dog. It is very easy. You just have to take the time to do it. I have 8 dogs and they all listen great. Training is the key.

This is one area I wouldn't mind the government getting involved in. Pass a law prohibiting this time of procedure on a dog. I would like to see anybody who debarks a dog get "detalked" See how they like it. Are we going to demeow cats, decry babies, etc. etc. next? And by the way, that stupid neighbor should moved or get "detalked" for yapping too much. SHHSSSSSSSSSSSSS.

The same arguments for training to avoid barking can be applied for training against mating. Yet, the same people that cry out against trimming the vocal cords stay silent when it comes to surgical removal of canine genitals.

Can we debark all of the pro-lifers who invade every single subject blog?

I personaly wouldnt do it but i dont see the problem. Im sure it has saved many dogs lives. I cant count the number of dogs that end up in the shelter or put down just because of barking. In my town if animal control is called more than 3 times in a 12 month period due to barking the dog is considered a publice issue and is put down. Its no worse than croping a tail or circumsizing a baby.

Dr Vanderlip is a big big proponent of billing for a service, ruff ruff.

wow bad neighbor...that does make it sound like you're not too keen on animals. maybe next time you'd like the get the rest of the neighborhood involved and see if you're the only one with the complaint before you take it to the police or animal control or whoever.

I had a neighbor several years ago who wouldnt listen to me when i tried talking to him about his little yappers barking all the time and im not the kind of person to call the police or any authoritive figure for that matter so i resolved it my way i poisind his dogs and the issue was solved immedietly

If the illiterate nature of your post hadn't shown that you are an idiot, what you actually said did the trick. You really thought that killing innocent animals was better than calling the police or animal control? If I didn't respect human life so much, I would wish that some neighbor who didn't like something YOU did would decide that instead of calling the police, they would aim a 30.06 at you.

One wonders why you are so hesitant to "call the police or any authoritive figure" - I can only assume you've been in trouble with them. If I knew your real identity, I'd be calling them for you.

I agree 100% Richard. It is pitiful the number of absolute driveling fools who own a dog but can't be bothered to train them to be quiet when ordered, not jump on strangers, heel, etc. Dogs are extremely intelligent creatures and easy to train. They are more intelligent than many people in my opinion.

The other aspect of the situation is that a barking dog can save your life! I have read of many, many cases where the barking of the family dog has alerted a family to fire, intruders or other dangers and thus saved the owner's lives! I sure would not want to have a wheezing dog desperately trying to wake me up so that I burn to death!

Lastly, how terribly cruel to take away any creature's ability to express themselves vocally. Again, there are many people I would gladly strike dumb before I would do such a thing to a dog.

Train your pets people! It is so easy!

maybe next time you'd like the get the rest of the neighborhood involved and see if you're the only one with the complaint before you take it to the police or animal control or whoever.

The jerk didn't even take it to the proper authorities - he just took the law into his own hands. Real animal lover, isn't he?

Can we debark all of the pro-lifers who invade every single subject blog?

Reaves, I regret that I have but one vote to give for your comment. Soooooo sick of the pregnancy enforcers bringing up dead fetuses no matter what is being discussed.

bad neighbor

I hope newsvine can track your post and report you to the authorities. You are a sick sick person.

Hey, Tyler, are you there? Can you have this guy tracked down? Please!

exactamundo! well said.

"bad neighbor

I had a neighbor several years ago who wouldnt listen to me when i tried talking to him about his little yappers barking all the time and im not the kind of person to call the police or any authoritive figure for that matter so i resolved it my way i poisind his dogs and the issue was solved immedietly he even had to pay a vet to try and save his dogs but they were unable to in the end he sold his house and moved away. he knew i did it but how can he prove it and i think this is a much better way of dealing with these issues. no sence in wasting my tax dollers to enforce such nonsence. if i have a problem ill take care of it myself. this may not always work as a previouse comentator stated he trained his dog not to take food from anyone but the owner . good idea but if his dog made me upset enough about anything i would shoot it. not saying i like killing animals but if there is a issue it should be resolved by the parties involved not the police or animal control. pets are property and should be treated that way ."

If you killed my dog, I would kill you. There is no reason to keep a POS like you on the planet and I would deal with the law after the fact.

I wouldnt debark unless i had to but I understand it. Bark collars do Ok for where I live. So to all the "train your dog people" My dogs bark at cats, deer, dogs, and people that come in in my yard and when Im home a quick knock on window keeps em quiet. But what would someone like me do when I leave for say 5 hrs and my dogs decide to bark at my neighbor doing yard work from the time I leave to the time I get back while my other neighbor is trying to sleep. Should I give them to a shelter or maybe put them in a box inside the house for the 5 hours. Come on give me some feed back

We had a dog that barked 24-7. I am not joking. We tried the bark collar, training with a professional. Nothing worked. I started calling about surgery to make the noise stop. No one in my neighborhood was getting any sleep because of this. I couldn't find a vet to do the procedure. I got some serious fines because of this dog. One day he simply got out of the yard. I am not sure how he did it. I have a six foot fence with an electric gate. But long story short he got stuck in someone elses yard. He still barks 24-7, but he is 3 blocks away and now someone elses problem. I honestly do not know how they can stand it.

I didn't see any mention of it, but would they by any chance do this procedure on spouses?

If the dog barks, shut it up. If that entails de-barking, so be it. Better to make your dog suffer for a day than make your neighbors suffer endlessly. In many counties/cities, dogs do not have the right to infringe upon enjoyment of the property you own- file compaints with animal control, and if they do nothing, sue the owner for exemplary and punitive damages. That will likely make the owners think twice about allowing their dog to bark. Of course, you could always take the easy route and offer some delicious antifreeze to the offending problem animal. You wont be hearing little fluffy anymore. I hate people who allow their dog to bark- those people should be shot.

A barking dog is not nearly as annoying as a control-freak neighbor who complains about everything. If you want peace and quiet, move to the country, buy lots of land, put your house smack in the middle of it away from everyone else and viola! Peace and quiet. City dwellers who complain about barking dogs, yet don't mind traffic noise, ambulances, people shouting, babies crying, children running up and down stairs just strike me as someone who is fed up with noise in general, knows they can blame it on the dog and so does.

I would love to de-bass my neighbors. I would rather listen to a dog barking all day long than someone's Salsa or Rap music bassline for hours at a time. Dog barking is natural. People who play music too loud and excessively should be taken to the vet for a lobotomy.

Some dogs can be trained not to bark; some dogs just naturally don't feel like barking all the time, and then there are dogs which are untrainable, some dogs which like barking constantly, and unfortunately, there are dogs that bark only when their owners aren't around.

We used to own dogs for years. Never had any significant problems. Our last dog, however, was a closet barker. He'd wait until we'd leave the house to run errands etc., and then he would bark and howl incessantly. We wouldn't have a clue that he did this because as soon as we pulled into the driveway, he went completely silent, and remained pretty much silent at all times when we were with him. Our neighbours, however, were not quite so fortunate, and after putting up with a couple of years of listening to his racket, they complained (rightfully so) to the city.

We found that he kept quiet if we kept the tv on for him to watch. That dog wound up watching a lot of classic Star Trek when we went out. We were lucky that we found what the dog needed in order to stop barking. Otherwise, we would have been subject to increasing fines and probably the undying hatred of our neighbours.

That all said, de-barking - although inherently something at which humans recoil because of our dependance upon language - isn't cruel. It doesn't hurt the dog, apart from the healing of the operation itself. It doesn't completely silence the dog: it merely tones it down. It probably saves the lives of untrainable dogs who otherwise would be put down or abandoned.

"I truly, madly and deeply hate stupid people. TRAIN your dog, it's that easy."

I truly, madly, deeply hate obnoxious, arrogant, immature people who insist on judging people and name calling in situations that they have no experience and knowledge of.

I always thought that debarking a dog was a barbaric practice, until we got an Australian Shepherd. It is her job to guard her territory and her people, but her bark was deafening when in the house. The breeder we got her from had at least one of her show dogs debarked and said he had no complications. We had Chance debarked and she is still happy barking, her quiet bark, and frankly doesn't know the difference. She can still do her "job" and keep the yard free from anything that she might see as an intruder. Bottom line, it didn't change her personality at all and saved all of us a lot of frustration - she is too sensitive of a being to be yelled at all the time for doing what comes natural.

The do-gooders would rather see your dog KILLED than debarked. It's ridiculous. Everyone knows some dogs cannot be trained not to bark. At least this way, they get to live. I know someone who never allowed his dog out in the yard because he was too cheap (NOT too "humane") to pay for the procedure.

The procedure doesn't make the dog totally mute. They can still warn you in the event of a fire, etc., unless you also crate them far away from your bedroom. A dog that is free to do so would get right up on your bed to wake you if necessary. I think the operation should be a last resort, but it is preferable to death and should remain available.

Anyone that truly knows how to train or re-train dogs will admit that certain breeds are bred to bark. Historically one of the main purposes or jobs for Shetland Sheepdogs was to protect the crofters gardens & grounds from trespassers - human, animal & avian. The only way these soft faced small canines was to bark loudly & often. Unlike some of the larger breeds that can hold off a small army with just a look, the Sheltie can't just stand looking a fierce dare to enter the property while whispering 'hey, boss, a stranger is here. No, they bark, loudly & often, to inform the stranger that this property is being guarded. They kept the sheep & other farm animals away from the gardens & the croft - as for birds, that is a never--ending battle for these little fuzzy butts. Oft times it's either finding a Vet that will safely do a bark softening snipping or giving up this integral family member. This last choice most often results in the family pet being humanely put to sleep. I will bark soften before I will give up one of my furry friends. Many times over the last years, they have proven their devotion to me; the least I can do is continue to keep them in their home.

I think it is perfectly fine to chop your pups vocals...as long as you get yours done too!!!!!If a dog isn't convenient for your lifestyle, either change your lifestyle, or don't get a dog. No one has the right to mutilate a dog just because they feel they are entitled to having a pet. Note to condo owners....hamsters=quiet.

Check out the double standard! mypups, I think it's fine to chop your pup's genitals, as long as you get yours done too!

Interesting that there's so much hate for the debarking and the people that have it done, but nobody blinks an eye at an owner cutting a dog's nuts off. Folks, if somebody gives me the choice between my voice and the family jewels, I'll go with silence over celibacy EVERY TIME.

Plus, I'll be honest, I think my marriage would be at least 40% better if I *did* have my vocal cords removed. I'd be an excellent listener, I'd never say she looks fat, and I'd never hit on another woman. Let's be careful not to give the ladies any ideas, gentlemen.

I love to hunt wild animals, camp in the woods, I eat my steaks rare and love seeing animal heads hanging on wall, but most of all I love my dog. I would do just about anything for her. So don't be getting some idea that I am some animal activist that belongs to a group that don't know how a farm/ ranch works. I just hate when people are cruel to animals when its the persons fault.

Cutting of the vocal cords of a dog is just cruel and horrible. If anyone is to be muted, mute the damn people that have nothing better to do than to complain.

TO THE COMPLAINERS: Why don't you do the world a favor and just cut your own damn vocal cords. If your ears are hurting from all the noise, then shut up, because I am tired of hearing YOU!

I am the proud owner of a beautiful blue heeler named Little Girl, she goes wherever I go and nobody says anything about her. You want to know why? Because she has manners, which is something kids are missing a lot of today. I never raise my voice and I sure the hell never hit her. All the owner has to do is spend a little time with the dog and you can teach it anything you want. Just talk and treat the dog like you want to be treated and the dog will react to the training much better, just like YOU would.

Little Girl, minds me better than most kids mind their parents today. When going for a visit in town, I have to laugh because I always come across somebody walking their kid, THAT IS ON A LEASH, and all I have to do is tell Little Girl to mind her manners and she stays right by my side. I don't even keep a collar on her.

Today's society is getting bad when the kids run wild and the dogs go to obedience school, when it should be the other way around.

I have already stated this, but going to say again. Leave the dogs alone and go get YOUR vocal cords cut because I am tired of hearing YOU!

Hey, ...Rogue (at #1.6) is that what you named your kids? You did seem kind of embarrassed.

People have lost their damned minds. Don't keep a dog if you can't provide a home sufficient to make a dog comfortable. This debarking business is the height of cruelty and selfishness. I can hear my vet ( who won't crop ears or dock tails) roaring three towns away.

It's not always a matter of "Stupid People" when it comes to dogs and barking. My parents have done everything they could to get their dog to stop barking and nothing seems to work, including several failed attempts of training!

I think people should be aware that dogs bark when deciding to become an owner! If you don't want to hear it, or if you live in a place where barking might be a problem, then it would be a smart and mature decision not to get a dog as a pet! Also, even though it can be difficult at times, people who are renting should live in dog friendly communities!

As for my parent's dog, she didn't always bark like she does now. Actually, she will bark constantly all day long these days. I don't think they would ever debark her, as it would be a waste of money to them, but I bet they would give it a thought if they knew it was possible. I just think she needs more attention!

So somebody may have made a mistake a gotten a barky breed in their apartment (or just a noisy individual), or their neighbors are insanely intolerant, or any number of things that are difficult or even impossible to predict before you get a dog. If it were me in those circumstances, if it's a choice between a dead dog or debarked, then the dog gets debarked.

All of the finger-shaking-should-should-should-ers are out in force today. Good grief.

We have a schnauzer and although he is very anti social towards other dogs he has never barked incessantly. He used to bark when someone came to the door, or into the yard but once you stamped your foot at him and said his name he quit. Then he learned to quit when you said his name. I belive that is called training...At this point in his life, he is 14, his hearing is so bad he doesn't bark at all, but is an ornery old man, so we proactively protect him because if one of the grand-toddlers startle him he will snap...hence he is in a protected area when they are here...the moral of this post is train your dog and be proactive in controlling their environment, it prevents alot of problems.

There are several people I know that I'd have devoiced before I'd ever debark any of my dogs...

right on daria!

It would be a cold day in he1l before I debarked any of my dogs. I am horrified by the mere thought of anyone debarking their dogs. Everyone knows that dogs bark, just like babies cry. If you cant handle barking or crying don’t get a dog and don’t have kids.

Barking is not, by any means, a dog’s only way to communicate. A dog’s bark is more like the senseless noises that a person makes when they accidentally smack their thumb with a hammer, the scream when they get scared, or the non-sensible ramblings of a frustrated person. Yes these things are a form of communication, but are by no means our only form of communication. Canines have a complex, nonverbal means of communication. For example, the dog that barks because it needs to be let out to go to the bathroom is venting frustration because its prior communications were ignored; it is saying, “What the @%#& is wrong with you!”, not “I need to go.” Just because we communicate verbally does not mean that every other animal out there does the same. And just like some people learn that screaming when they are excited or frustrated is unnecessary, while others continue to squeal like a giddy schoolgirl well into their adult years; a dog can be trained that barking is unnecessary. On the other hand, debarking IS NOT taking away their only means of communication. Try looking up some information on dog communications. By the way, every dog I ever owned was TRAINED not to bark, and could communicate fine without barking for years.

a_hess wrote "Why is this even an argument? do we 'devoice' humans when they are loud, RUDE, obnoxious and unruley? No, so why do it to innocent dogs who have not offended or hurt anyone?"

We don't castrate and neuter humans, but this is standard procedure to dogs. Likewise, we cut the genitals of newborn baby boys in a procedure known as circumcision. Neither the dogs nor the babies have hurt anyone, but they are routinely cut up.

do we 'devoice' humans when they are loud, RUDE, obnoxious and unruley?

No, but I'm sure we've all had people that we would LIKE to do that to!

Basenjis do not bark. Do they communicate? Of course they do. All vertebrate animals can communicate. I even had an aquatic frog that would circle the tank excitedly to let me know he was hungry.

As for the argument that we do not "devoice" humans, we DO sometimes give sex offenders chemical castration. Alcoholics are sometimes sentenced to monitored Antabuse for a time. Offenders are routinely subject to electronic ankle bracelets that limit their mobility. In any case, dogs do not have the same rights as human beings. Debarking can save their lives. I think it's that simple.

People who complain about barking don't like animals

You are complaining about all your neighbors. From your logic, I suppose you don't like people.

Because I reported my neighbors for letting thier dogs bark for hours at all hours of the day or night DOES NOT mean I don't like animals, it means I do not like their dogs and more importantly how they have trained (or not trained) their dogs.

People who complain about barking don't like animals, and if you don't like animals, that's a red flag to me.

Well, it's a HUGE red flag to me when someone complains about unruly children but not unruly dogs! Priorities, anyone?

Sorry guys but I want my dog to bark. It's how he communicates with me. It's how he tells me it's potty time or play time. Dogs can sense things. My Golden would not let me forget play time was 4:pm, nor when he let me sleep past 8:AM.

But more importantly, dogs can sense when someone is up to no good and let you know when someone with foul intent is lurking about, again by barking.

I think GK is ok. I love my animals more that most people. Animals give unconditional love and support, and humans are greedy. I agree that there is defiantly something wrong with a person who hates animals.

And lets be honest, some parents never tell their kids ‘no’ and are raising them to be snotty intolerable little beings for the rest of us to be around. If I did some of the things that these kids do now, my mother would have smacked the heck out of me.

I like dogs, but excessive barking is unacceptable. People should train their dogs. Just like some people never say no to their kids or allow them to be obnoxious, excusing it as "they're just kids", the same can be said about some dog owners.

GK-298121 wrote "I live in a condo. I like animals, so barking doesn't bother me. What I do mind is other residents' unruly grandchildren running unsupervised in halls, and the guy who doesn't confine his stinky cigar smoking to his condo."

People that complain about kids don't like kids. That's a red flag to me.

GK I personally love animals but that doesn't mean I want to be woken up at 3:00 am by my neighbour's dog barking in the yard!

To Ian Blokesworth, Raise the red flag about me also. I hate kids. They are brats that are noisy, dirty and self entitled.

The best part is I am not alone. There are more people who hate kids. Who like animals a lot better.

And it sounds like GK-298121 lives in a senior condo that allows pets. Not kids. The kids should not be there.

And all the pro-lifers. Abortion is meant to get rid of the fetus. It is unwanted.

If you want to keep your fetus' more power to you. Leave the rest of us alone.

People that complain about kids don't like kids. That's a red flag to me.

It shouldn't be. I happen to really like children - what I DON'T like is children whose parents/grandparents let them run wild. Actually, even in that case, it's not the children I mind - it's their idiot parents.

And it sounds like GK-298121 lives in a senior condo that allows pets. Not kids. The kids should not be there.

Excuse me??? While I agree with GK about unruly kids, your statement is pretty idiotic. Are you saying that children don't have a right to visit their grandparents? And don't say, "Well, they should visit at the children's home." Many seniors either don't like, or find it difficult, to travel. Why shouldn't they be allowed to stay in the comfort of their own home, and let their children and grandchildren visit?

What is important is how the management of the building handles problems. My mother lives in a seniors-only apartment building and everyone who moves in is advised by the management that children are NOT allowed to be playing in the hallways. I know of at least one person in the building whose lease was not renewed because she kept violating this rule. Mom says that she knows that people have grandchildren visit, but about the only time she sees or hears the kids is on their way to or from the grandparents' apartment.

People Suck wrote "And it sounds like GK-298121 lives in a senior condo that allows pets. Not kids. The kids should not be there."

I doubt there is a single condo that does not allow visitation from children, but there are plenty that do not allow pets. It is important to be considerate to the elderly in their home, but they, too, have to realize that they share the world with others.

I have experience in my grandmother's senior apartment complex. If I lived there, I would be more annoyed by the deaf seniors blaring their TVs all day than the occasional child frolicking through the hallway.

No one asks the dog, because the people who support debarking dogs don't care about dogs.

how about MOVE! if you live somewhere that doesn't like barking dogs... then MOVE!

how about MOVE! if you live somewhere that doesn't like barking dogs... then MOVE!

Sorry, but this is why we have reasonable statutes around noise pollution,disturbing the peace, etc..

If a dog barks here & there, no big deal. Dogs bark.

But if your dog is keeping your neighbors awake at 3 A.M. with its incessant barking, then that is the dog owner's problem to deal with. People who need to get up and go to work or school in the morning are more important than somebody's yappy animal making incessant noise.

And I don't favor debarking. I favor training the dog, and giving the dog a good environment where they aren't going to feel stressed/neglected/frightened and need to bark all the time. i.e. being a responsible dog owner.

Anyone ask the dog?

Well, okay, Rover do you want surgery to debark you or do you want to be put down? Grrrr, ruff, ruff. That's Rover saying "I choose life!"

screw the neighbors. If you don't like barking dogs, don't move into a neighborhood that allows dogs.

It has gotten insane how a newbie can move into a neighborhood and tell the existing neighbors what to do.

Carl, i think that was DT's point....if you want to ensure that your daily chatter isn't going to be interrupted by background barking, make sure you move into said sanctioned neighborhoods or condos where no dogs are allowed, otherwise, civily have a conversation with the owner of the dog.

I favor training the dog, and giving the dog a good environment where they aren't going to feel stressed/neglected/frightened and need to bark all the time. i.e. being a responsible dog owner.

I agree completely. My next-door neighbor has a very large dog (Lab-Chow mix) who can be very loud when he barks - BUT the only times you hear him bark is: a) when people come too close to his (fenced-in) yard; b) when there are sirens in the neighborhood (which is pretty funny - he manages to howl in exact rhythm with the siren.) AND - his owner brings him INSIDE at night so that if he does bark, he's not bothering the neighbors. Because Hunter has plenty of room to run around in, and is NEVER left outside when the weather is really bad, he doesn't get scared or stressed - and therefore, he's not barking all the time. As CarlW said, it's all about being a responsible owner.

Oh, I get it. The people who support killing dogs rather than performing a simple operation that STILL allows them to bark softly must just love dogs.

This is not taking away their ability to speak. (See my post at #5.3) Regular barking by a dog is unacceptable behavior. It is better handled by training, but debarking is not the end of a dog's communication. What is sad is a dog owner that thinks that a dog's barking is just a cute little part of its normal behavior.

So if there's a fire in your house in the middle of the night you're supposed to wait for your dog to politely paw your face over and over in an attempt to wake you up in time so you don't suffer smoke inhalation? good argument...And I don't happen to think that barking incessantly is "cute" bevahior, bel;eive you me...our roommates chihuahua feels it neccessary to bark every time there's someone walking by our back fence without being provoked, or at the birds chirping in the trees...we got one of the remote control barking deterrents that you can turn up for only dogs to hear because our dog was starting to follow her bevaoir. We have a toy poodle and she barks when she's playing and when she's excited becuase we're coming home, or when she hears something that alarms her...other than that she's not allowed to bark randomly for no reason, and we've trained her what's okay and what's not okay.

Catstic,
You went a little of course on that response.
1. The house burning down in the middle of the night has not been a frequent event I have had to deal with. (Nor do I think it is the reason for the barking of most of the barking dogs that people complain about.)
2. I, like most people, use a smoke detector to warn me of this danger. (If we could only rely on our pets, I would feel sorry for the goldfish owner in the burning house.)
3. Actually, the dog batting me in the face with his paw or tugging on my hand would probably wake me up quicker. (After all, I am apparently sleeping through the noise of the smoke detector; more noise probably won't make a difference.)
4. I have owned dogs that I have not heard bark for all of the years I had them. They still showed excitement when I came home or when we played, but they where trained not to bark.

If you don't care if your dog barks, that is fine, as long as you don't live close enough to others to bother them.

I live on a street full of dogs, all of them are well trained enough to not bark frequently. The only time they bark is when someone comes to the door or passes the house, but they usually bark when we come home because they are happy to see us.

I've come across dogs that bark like that naturally, my dogs all used to make similar noises at times... The dog in that first video can vocalise and communicate, it looks healthy and happy, it's not abused. I'm not seeing problems. And in the second video, I'm not seeing a dog at all!

The dog isn't happy.

...how do you know? It sure looks happy and well-treated to me.

A happy dog does not sound like the dog in the video. If you spend a lot of time around dogs you can tell when they're happy and when they're faking it.

I had dogs around me all the time when I was growing up. I don't see anything in that dog's demeanour that indicates unhappiness, nor observed anything about their appearance that denoted less than good care.

I can only imagine what you would do to your neighbor's kids, or your kids, if they cried too much. Dogs bark for a few reasons - 1) To say "hello", 2) to say "go away", 3) to let you know how they're feeling or if they have to go out, 4) to call for help, 5) to let you know they're there. Also, if you have a dog and you debark it, and someone breaks in your house, how will your dog alert you?

Ok Auteur, Let's bring barkhaters neighbors dog over by you and have it bark constently for 5 1/2 hours, especially during sleeping hours and see how you like it, but I am sure you don't mind.

If someone breaks in, because that happens all the time in my neighborhood, I would think the dog would do other things.

Blame the owner, not the dog! Dogs bark, that's what they do! A responsible dog owner will not allow their dog(s) to bark incessantly. As far as condo/aparment living, personally, I don't think it's a good place to raise a dog, one reason being, complaining neighbors, but that's just me. I'm not trying to imply that "city" dog owners are any less responsible. It works two ways...if you choose to own a dog in an apartment, you have to be considerate of your closeby neighbors. On the other hand, if you don't want to hear dogs barking, don't move into an apartment where you know there are dogs.

Auteur, I think that's a little unfair to barkhater, who used sarcasm to underscore the point that a neighboring dog owner is very irresponsible. A neighbor dog that barks constantly for hours is legitimately annoying and probably violating a local noise ordinance.

-PS-Constant barkers are not making anyone safer. Dogs that bark at every bird, falling leaf, person on the next block and the wind are ignored as best as humanly possible--it would probably only arouse suspicion if the dog STOPPED barking!

Auteur - My kids don't make noise for 5 hours straight!!! I happen to have a special needs child who cried a lot as a baby. I responded with love and attention and he outgrew it. The owners of this dog do not respond to WHY their dog is barking. It must be a very lonely dog indeed if it feels it must bark all the time. They are the ones that have the problem here. They refuse to be responsible pet owners. I have every right to NOT be subjected to constant noise for hours at a time!

Let's bring barkhaters neighbors dog over by you and have it bark constently for 5 1/2 hours, especially during sleeping hours and see how you like it, but I am sure you don't mind.

I don't mind when dogs bark. Barking and other natural sounds, help me sleep. Dog barking means that life is present.

A neighbor dog that barks constantly for hours is legitimately annoying and probably violating a local noise ordinance.

Do you know why the dogs are barking constantly? Maybe their owners are abusing them and they're calling for help. Or maybe the dog barks because it doesn't get enough attention from its owner. Do you ever think that may be the reason why the dog barks a lot?

Dogs that bark at every bird, falling leaf, person on the next block and the wind are ignored as best as humanly possible--it would probably only arouse suspicion if the dog STOPPED barking!

Those dogs of which make up a very small minority.

But Auteur, in barkhater's defense, and being an owner of 4 vocal dogs, it's not (or shouldn't be) her problem as to why the dog barks constantly...the dog is not her responsibility. That being said, I would never debark any of my dogs.

I don't support debarking.

But I do believe it is the owner's responsibility to make sure the dog is not doing an "unreasonable" amount of barking. That's why we have noise ordinances.

Barking ceaselessly for 5-1/2 hours straight is about 5-1/4 hours more than unreasonable.

People who think their dog can make all the noise it wants and say "screw everyone who is annoyed" are probably the same selfish people who think their kids are perfect, you know the type.

...

Barkhater, we had a neighbor like yours. He ignored his dogs, so they barked all night long. I'm not a big dog fan although my husband has always had one or two, but I'm not a dog hater either. However, there were nights, when I think I could have strangled those dogs with my bare hands. (dogs - as in one at a time, but a constant succession of barkers, because of his negligence). Continual lack of sleep makes one a tad cranky!

Rather than debarking dogs, can we just force the owners who won't do anything about their constantly barking dogs to listen to 5 1/2 hours of american idol audition singing?

Hmm... it sounds like a lot of people are mad at the dogs.

Dogs were captured and domesticated by humans. Just saying.

So next time you want to strangle a dog, think about strangling the owner instead.

You couldn't have said it better Carl!

I'm against debarking in general, but there are always some dogs on the extremes of dog behavior. Even animal behaviorists will comment that there are always a small number of dogs that respond much less if at all to training.

I know exactly what you mean by constant, incessant barking. I lived in between two houses where there were two dogs in each back yard for eight years. The owners in both cases were extremely irresponsible, and sometimes neglectful. The dogs in the house next door were in their back yard which ran parallel to my bedroom window. Both of them were shepard mixes, and about three years apart in age. Strangely, the youngest dog did all of the barking. All day and all night. Probably about 8 out of a 24 hr. period was spent barking. I watched him one day just sit and bark at the sky. I worked swing shifts for five out of the eight years I lived there and I can tell you that it was absolutely miserable living next door to these dogs. At the time I would have cheered any means at all to shut them up.

It barks for hours at a time (it's record so far is 5 1/2 hours straight) and the owner does not care and will do nothing to stop it.

Record it. Take it to animal control, and play the recording for them. If your city has by-laws restricting the amount of noise someone's animals are permitted to make, they'll get a fine. Repeat as necessary. Eventually they'll do what's necessary to be both a good dog owner and a good neighbour, unless of course, they like paying fines.

There's a difference between a "poor animal" and a spoiled, untrained animal whose owner never bothered to consider that their furry brat is being a nuissance to other people.

I don't support the debarking surgery, but I do believe it is the owner's job to train their dog if the dog is doing an unreasonable incessant amount of barking.

Or the owner who desn't even bother to see what their dog is barking at it and correct the situation either by removing the problem or training the dog.

There's a difference between a "poor animal" and a spoiled, untrained animal whose owner never bothered to consider that their furry brat is being a nuissance to other people.

Define "spoiled" and "untrained." My definition of "spoiled" and "untrained" are those yappy little pampered pooches who bark and snap at everything and anything, including people and other dogs, and the owners laugh because they think it's "cute."

Auteur, I have to agree with you on that one. It's funny - because I'm a female, people expect that I will love small, yappy dogs - when in reality I can't stand most of them. I've been bitten twice in my life, and both times it was by small dogs. I just find them much more annoying than cute. Give me a BIG dog anytime!

"Their convoluted vision of the natural order is that canines are equal to humans and every freedom and liberty we demand should apply to our four-legged companions."

What I find hilarious is that if some creature from outer space were to pop down to Earth, they'd think the dog is superior to humans...after all, who's walking behind picking up the poop?

Thank God! The voice of reason. I dearly love my dogs, but if it meant selling my house and moving to another neighborhood, which would also not be pleased to hear them, I would consider the operation. I would do anything to keep my dogs. And dogs don't think like we do. A three-legged dog doesn't mourn the loss of his limb, he just adjusts, quickly and completely. It's not something I would do lightly, but if it came down to losing my house, I'd do it.

The strive to return all domesticated animals to their feral state which is totally impossible in our society. There would be dogs roaming shopping malls, airport runways and arenas scavaging for food. These people are dangerous extremists and declared as terrorists by the FBI. They are able to solicit donations from the unwitting by aligning themselves with such universally accepted positive initiatives as spay-neuter programs.

That's what I love about some "animal rights" people. They would prefer that dogs and cats be returned to their "natural state" - where they would breed indiscriminately, leading to thousands of deaths by starvation- or be killed either by larger, stronger animals or by human beings who don't want their neighborhoods overrun - or freeze to death in the winter. To them, that's a better fate for animals than living in a home where they are loved, cared for, and protected from the vagaries of nature. Tell me how that makes ANY sense.

We humans have been and continue to "breed indiscriminately, leading to MILLIONS of deaths by starvation all over the world"!

realitychequer (sp) You are spot on with your knowledge and wisdom! Don't forget to include the HSUS with the extremist Peta and Elf too. Sheep in wolves clothing they are. Debarking is an option if all else fails to solve the problem. It is not done to be cruel. Always be kind to animals and fellow mankind as well and your life will have balance and harmony. It can be a great buffer with all of life's surprises and distractions. Dogs give unconditional LOVE that we need to learn how to do for each other as well. Although there are some silly comments posted, some are quite educationally sound!

Thank you so much for being the voice of reason. It would be ideal if everyone did their research before acquiring a dog because then they would realize some breeds are more prone to bark than others, but there are individual differences too. Once someone is attached to a dog, they don't want to give him up. What if they have tried everything including professional training and it doesn't work? Debarking saves the dog, saves the owner, and keeps the peace in the neighborhood. Perhaps the more extreme form of surgery should be banned, but not the moderate one. As Catdogwoman pointed out, there just aren't ANY places you can move to where a chronic barker is okay, except maybe some huge ranch, and how many of us can afford that?

Thanks for a calm and well-thought reaction to this problem. I have 3 American Cockers in a condo - The pups are about 18 months and my oldest is 14 this year. I am unable to have children - I have dogs. They are well trained, loving animals who bark very rarely. I sometimes watch my Mom's 2 dogs - a MinPin and a Chihuahua - they are barkers. It can be aggravating, but they are pups and still in the process of learning when it is acceptable to bark. We know it is a characteristic of their breeds to be vocal. We are doing our best to train them, but they will always be 'barky'.

Some dogs bark - some dogs develop barking issues. My 14 year-old sometimes barks for no reason - I know it is because of her advancing age. She is not in pain, she is not poorly trained. I refuse to kill her because she sometimes hears knocking when there is no one at the door. Should I shoot my grandma for not hearing her phone ring? Of course not. Death is not the reward my dog gets for living a long and happy life. If she were no longer pain-free or happy, that is another color horse altogether, but I won't kill her for forgetting her manners.

If the choice came down to de-bark or de-live, I think the choice is easy. I have no patience for people who are willing to kill an animal rather than explore other options. I would never abandon my dogs in the event of natural disaster, either.

I have neighbors with an American Cocker who is about a year older than my pups. He was a sweet tempered and playful boy who enjoyed romps in the yard and would bark occasionally. I was friends with his owners. The same was once true of another couple close by - we used to have a rotating dinner/potluck every few weeks. All 3 homes have dogs.

I no longer speak to any of these people - and at times, hearing their voices makes me sick to my stomach. I have seen both families exhibit unforgivable behavior. One family has 2 dogs that now submissively urinate whenever a human nears them. They wear shock collars and no longer bark - or play with enthusiasm. The greater tragedy is the sweet boy next door. He wears a shock collar - but his owners think its funny to watch him freak out and yelp so they shock him for fun. If they are outside with him and he disobeys, he gets shocked AND yanked off his feet by his throat. I have complained and reported them repeatedly for cruelty and abuse, and had my mail stolen, tires slashed, gardening uprooted, and chocolate chips sprinkled in my yard. They once begged for my breeders number because they wanted another pup - thank goodness I never gave it to them. I have offered to buy him, I have begged. Now the neighborhood hates ME.

Anyone who think that shocking and torturing a dog is acceptable is disgusting. Killing your dog because they disobey or are a burden, nuisance or poorly trained is far more barbaric than an owner willing to do to everything in their power to make sure that silence doesn't come at the expense of a life. If you are too lazy to make the effort to train, you shouldn't have a dog. If you have tried everything and need a solution, I think debarking is more humane than death - or repeated electric shock. I wish I could attach that collar to my neighbor's and give the dog the remote.

If you really loved animals you wouldn't take away a dog's voice.

If the owner of this dog really loved animals, they wouldn't let it bark all the time!

If you get a dog, it's your job to teach it to not bark at everything or for no reason. Debarking is a lazy excuse to weasel out of teaching your dog to not bark. You're punishing the dog for your laziness.

Please tell that to my neighbors!!!!!

Why don't you. You have a voice, use it.

Why don't you tell her neighbors, Auteur?

noise-activated shock collar.

I'm sure Barkhater has told her neighbors, didn't she say they don't care?

As we all have experienced, some dog owner neighbors ignore suggestions from neighbors.

that's when you go get a dog whistle and shut the dog up yourself...after enough times it works pretty well...

City people with dogs is just plain stupid?

Ohhh-tay.

If you live in the country, why would it matter if your dog barks? Basic logic dude.

I love living in the city and I love my Basset! Whom barks when necessary and when I tell her to be quiet, she listens. So it's not a luxury left only to the bumpkin mice k?

Your,

Country people don't want to listen to barking dogs either. The point is that the owners need to be courteous towards others. I live in the country and have a dog. I put my dog in the garage every night so not to annoy my neighbors which live 1/4 mile away. Sorry if I upset you about the city comment. As long as pet owners are responsible they should be allowed to have pets.

I have a hound dog and have heard people talking about how loud they are. She isn't by nature at all. And when she lets one out at 1am and I am in a dead sleep, I'm awake and ready to check out the action.

I once opened our window after hours of howling and barking from the dog next door, and I howled and barked back for about 2 minutes. The neighbors took the dog in. I was young and foolish at the time of course.:)

It is wrong

Try using a air horn.

Harry,

I'm with you, barking dogs are very annoying. What you need is a shock collar on the owner rather than the dog. Some of these dumb dog owners can't even hear their own dog bark, and get upset when you say anything.

sounds like fun, Hans...something i would have done. :)

What if the cat meows constantly? Should people de-meow their cats then?

SnoringDogs, you have never heard the ungodly noise one of my felines makes when riding in the car (in a crate, of course)! Indescribable. I'll take my barking dogs anytime! Fortunately, it's only once or twice a year to go to the vet.

Auteur what you wrote above about barking helping you sleep, the cat is how I wake up in the morning; she comes in squalling between 4:30 & 4:45, to make sure my husband's getting up for work.

there's a feral cat problem that starts 2 houses from mine, in all directions. when the cats are in heat, they do make the creepiest yowling ... and my dogs (three of them, at least) barrel-ass outside to bark at them. At which time, I get my butt out of bed, as it's usually the middle of the night, to see what the dogs are bellowing about. My next step is to then bellow at the dogs to shut up, come back inside and go sleep. Each one usually gets a swat on the backside as they come in, for good measure ... see? I'm a responsible dog owner! actions = consequences LOL

(I'm against debarking AND declawing)

I wake up to my dog licking my face.

Loud cats are rarely a problem with the exception of Siamese and related breeds. It would be idiotic to get a Siamese just because it's pretty without first researching the special needs of this breed. They need almost constant attention and should never be kept as an only pet if the owner is gone all day. Once my Siamese got out on the roof when I wasn't home, yowled for hours, and you can bet I heard about it from the neighbors! But in general such cats are kept indoors and don't bother people. Their voices just don't carry up and down the block the way a dog's can.

I also owned a BC and he would only give a few warning barks and stop. My shelties on the other hand are a totally different story. They like to hear their voices I guess. Teaching them not to bark is a lot easier when you only have 1 or 2 dogs. I have had as many as 6 and it is pretty much impossible to train them not to bark when they all hang out together.

But that's punishing the dog for the owner's (non)actions. If the owners are that inconsiderate, even if they do debark the dog, there will most likely be other issues with these neighbors as well. Thing is, you'd think the incessant barking would drive the owner crazy as well! We never let our dogs bark for more than a minute or two, and that's during daylight hours, plus, we can usually figure out what it is they're barking at. At night, they're all in for the evening, they'll let us know if they need to go out, which happens occasionally, but not often.

good luck with that. where i live they said i had to get four other neighbors to sign a complaint form and they were reluctant to do so. several of the problem dog owners looked like several generations of successful inbreeding. luckilly, most of their homes were subsequently foreclosed on and the neighborhood gradually got much quieter.

luckilly, most of their homes were subsequently foreclosed on and the neighborhood gradually got much quieter.

That's the nice thing about the mortgage meltdown. People who are irresponsible with their pets are probably more likelty to be irresponsible with their finances and thus more likely to lose the house after they signed up for a dumb mortgage deal.

good luck with that. where i live they said i had to get four other neighbors to sign a complaint form and they were reluctant to do so.

Jay, it's the same where I live. Fortunately, the ONE time there was a problem with a bad dog owner, I was able to get four other people to complain (possibly because the dog owner - who thankfully didn't stay around for long - was a "newbie" who was renting, and those of us who complained had been in the neighborhood for many years). But I'm sure that for a lot of people, it's hard to get the additional complaints.

And some stupid guy wants to bring up subjects that have nothing to do with the article. Save that for the children starving, homless and jobless and medical-less articlees.

Where's your Obama comment?

Darn Randy, you beat me to it! Amazing how little common sense there is in the world!

So then, why are you two here commenting? You should be out volunteering and making the world a better place. Not sitting on your asses commenting on these worthless articles. Nice try.

Geez, these discussion forum people are sooo touchy! I just happen to be looking at the news and saw that i could comment on the article.....Needless to say, Randy hit my target exactly!

You don't know what you are talking about! In the 5 yrs that we had our dog we went through 3 trainers, citronella and water collars and also electronic bark collars. All them failed. She LEARNED how to bark at a pitch (by trial and error) that would not set the SPRAY collars off, So we went electronic. She would squeal at that till it stopped. It made her bark more. Over $1000 on trainers. They all agreed, she barks out of nerves, it's like a twitch. You can't stop it. What were we to do? MOVE??? Get rid of her? She's our baby girl. We couldn't give her up and we didn't want to move. So we drove to a specialist 3 hrs north, past Albany to a doctor who specializes in debarking. Other than the drive it was easy. She had no ill effect from it. She can still bark but it's not as loud though still pretty loud. She has NO idea anything has been done to her. She's still the same dog. I would do it in a minute again now that I've been through it. I agree with the person in this who said, 'if I had to give up my dog or get the surgery, I would choose the surgery' . People would rather kill a dog or give it to a shelter rather than feel bad about taking away the bark!? It's like right-to-lifers who won't spay/neuter a dog but they will throw the pups in the shelter to be gassed. If it keeps an animal with it's family it's worth doing. End of story.

Maybe if they had more qualified people locally to do it, then it wouldn't be so bad. Problem is not enough doctors ARE qualified to do it!

I guess it's a good thing that :Tres Canine Care: doesn't have any unruly children!!!!!

Have you ever been in the company of a person with turrets??? Maybe cutting their vocal cords would stop them too?

People are rediculous!

how about politicians instead of crying babies. I'd rather listen to a crying baby then one more of the morons.