An Overview of the Debarking Debate

One of the most controversial subjects in the field of dog
training is the question of debarking surgery. Debarking surgery
is a procedure designed to minimize the volume of a dog’s bark.
It is generally used by those with dogs who have both a loud
bark and a tendency to bark incessantly. The procedure is most
commonly used on very loud larger dog breeds. Shetlands and
collies, for instance, make up a large percentage of those dogs
subjected to the surgery.The procedure generally requires the
use of a general anesthesia and involves punching, cutting or
otherwise manipulating the tissue around a dog’s vocal chords to
soften or significantly reduce his ability to bark. Access the
areas targeted during the surgery can come either through the
dog’s mouth or via an incision on the dog’s neck.

Debarking does not, usually, complete eliminate dog’s bark. The
volume of the bark is decreased substantially by the surgery,
but most dogs will still have some bit of a bark left subsequent
to surgery. It is sometimes referred to a bark softening for
this reason.

Not surprisingly, debarking is a very contentious issue, with
experts having lined up on each side of the argument. Some
advocate debarking as a helpful last-resort for incessant
barkers while others maintain the process is cruel and
unnecessary.

The Debarking Advocates

Those who support the continued use of debarking procedures
argue that it is generally pursued only in egregious
circumstances. Only dogs who have been resistant to alternative
methods of reducing their excessive barking tend to be subject
to the procedure. The surgery is reserved, the say, for
problematic pets when no workable alternative exists and when
the nature of the dog’s bark makes them a legitimate nuisance,
not merely an inconvenience.

They argue that the debarking surgery, if conducted by a
properly trained veterinarian creates a more pleasant life for
the dog. No longer subject to constant criticism and correction
for his barking, the dog’s quality of life is enhanced.

Some have even maintained that the debarking process saves dogs’
lives. They state that dogs with constant barking issues are
often abandoned by owners or given to shelters and eventually
euthanised as result of a barking problem that can be surgically
corrected. Proponents of debarking see the surgery as a form of
behavior modification can be a great benefit to frustrated
humans as well as the dogs themselves.

The Debarking Detractors

Those who oppose debarking operations often do so on the grounds
of inhumanity. They object to the surgery on principle, noting
the dog has no ability to consent to the action and that since
it is not a health-related matter, the elimination of a dog’s
bark via surgery is simply moral wrong. There is no
justification to expose the dog to the risk of surgery for the
mere sake of convenience, they will argue.

Additionally, they note that the surgery does nothing to
eliminate the underlying reasons for the dog’s constant barking.
The dog is likely to continue to bark albeit silently or at a
lower volume because root causes of the unappreciated behavior
are not addressed. This cuts against the potential benefits of
the surgery as the real nature of the dog’s life is not changed,
they still suffer from the same issues as before. Post-surgery,
however, they suffer in relative silence, which decreases the
owner’s impetus to explore what problems led to the errant
behavior in the first place.

Those who reject the procedure also note the medical risk
inherent in any major surgery and any procedure requiring use of
a general anesthetic. This line of thought purports that the
risks associated with the procedure outweigh the minor benefits
that may it may possibly produce.

The question of whether or not a dog should be considered a
prospect for a debarking procedure remains a highly personal
one. There are many who would argue that, under the right
circumstances, a dog and owner can both benefit from the
procedure. There are just as many who reject the procedure out
of hand as a wasteful act of inhumanity.

Debarking surgery remains a controversial and divisive issue
within the dog community and it is not likely that a consensus
will soon emerge either for or against the procedure. There are
reasons to support the practice often seemingly solvent act
debarking, yet many reasons to be distrustful of the procedure,
its true efficacy and moral justifications.