What is Debarking a Dog?
Debarking is a veterinary surgery that involves removing tissue from the dog’s vocal chords. This results in a dog’s voice being quieter, when done properly. It does not stop barking as the word debarking implies, but the bark now sounds like a whisper, and is thus not irritating to neighbors of dog owners that frequently bark. Debarking dogs is a controversial topic. Some feel it is simply wrong to subject an animal to unnecessary surgery. Further they feel the dog may be emotionally damaged by loss of its voice. Most argue that with training, most dogs, even the “barky” breeds can be trained to bark less frequently. They see debarking as a lazy and cruel method for getting a dog to be quieter. Supporters of debarking argue that the procedure saves the lives of many dogs that might be sent to pounds because of incessant barking. Some people acquire a dog that barks frequently and are soon immersed in struggles with neighbors who must listen to the dog barking at all hours of the day a
