Massachusetts Bans Debarking

[tofu pup]

and furthermore how big of a problem is de-barking in New England?!?!?! seriously I've only heard a few de-barked dogs (who all happen to be shelties), none ever in my city...as there is a dog park down by our beach...I know more de-clawed cats than de-barked dogs....Its a absurb law passed by un-informed individuals!!!

Debarking is just low-hanging legislative fruit.

Very few people do it (or even know about the procedure). And it sounds ugly on paper. So it's easy to get people stirred up about it - and simple to get it banned. It's like how PETA protests fur coats, but not leather - fur is expensive, it's a luxury item, and it's associated with the rich, whereas leather (which is also, hello, the skin you've peeled off of a dead animal) is commonly-used by people from all walks of life. It's easy to make people anti-fur, but hard to make them anti-leather - even though the two substances are essentially the same thing, animal cruelty-wise.

 

[Smudge]

I really could understand where having a constant barker in an apartment or in a large town could get you in trouble fast. I'm lucky. I live in the sticks, and my dogs aren't very big on barking. So while this is not a problem for me, I feel sorry for the people who do have this problem and are going to face having their pets taken away because of this (either from neighbors complaining about the barking or getting the procedure done).

 

[Silaria]

I've made no secret of the fact that Edan (and CJ also) is debarked (or bark-softened if you prefer). I know why their breeder debarks her dogs and, honestly, if she didn't she probably couldn't breed her Shelties because the houses are so close together.

Should debarking be an option on the table - YES! If you, as a dog owner (not breeder) have tried everything possible to control your dog's barking and it hasn't work you may only be left with two options, debark or surrender. Of those two options, I'll take debark please. By making debarking illegal you are just dumping more dogs into shelters where most of them will be PTS. Which option is more cruel!?

My two dogs are happy, healthy and have no idea their bark has been softened.

 

[Megansmom]

I've made no secret of the fact that Edan (and CJ also) is debarked (or bark-softened if you prefer). I know why their breeder debarks her dogs and, honestly, if she didn't she probably couldn't breed her Shelties because the houses are so close together.

Should debarking be an option on the table - YES! If you, as a dog owner (not breeder) have tried everything possible to control your dog's barking and it hasn't work you may only be left with two options, debark or surrender. Of those two options, I'll take debark please. By making debarking illegal you are just dumping more dogs into shelters where most of them will be PTS. Which option is more cruel!?

My two dogs are happy, healthy and have no idea their bark has been softened.

I could not agree with you more!!

 

[Goggle]

Domino is also de-barked (by his breeder) and as far as I'm concerned he is also healthy and happy. He can still communicate in many ways...barking is not the only way for him to tell me something...AND he loves to spin in circles, jump up and down and snap his mouth. If he wasn't debarked I would have to stop this behaviour to avoid disturbing the neighbours. As it is he is allowed to work himself up and play and "bark" and spin as much as he wants. How can anyone tell me that this is not a happy dog?

How is it any crueler than neutering/spaying??

 

[Silaria]

How is it any crueler than neutering/spaying??

Spaying and neutering is a different topic entirely. I'm actually in favor of spaying/neutering if you aren't going to breed the dog. From simply a health perspective, you reduce the chances of illnesses such as Cancer in that region of the dog's body.

The fact that there is no chance of accidental pregnancy is another benefit. I believe someone on this forum had their bitch accidentally bred to a dog through a fence even though they were being very careful. Accidents can happen no matter how careful you are. If you don't plan on breeding, why risk it?

However, this isn't about spay and neuter. There are plenty of other threads on that topic.

 

[Goggle]

Spaying and neutering is a different topic entirely. I'm actually in favor of spaying/neutering if you aren't going to breed the dog. From simply a health perspective, you reduce the chances of illnesses such as Cancer in that region of the dog's body.

The fact that there is no chance of accidental pregnancy is another benefit. I believe someone on this forum had their bitch accidentally bred to a dog through a fence even though they were being very careful. Accidents can happen no matter how careful you are. If you don't plan on breeding, why risk it?

However, this isn't about spay and neuter. There are plenty of other threads on that topic.

Oh I completely agree! I was just pointing out that both are surgeries to remove an organ from the dog yet the majority of people (I think!) would not view spaying/neutering as wrong. Obviously there are very different reasons for doing each but I don't think either is cruel (I guess I wasn't very clear in my wording).

 

[Katherine]

I think one of the dogs at the southern sheltie party was debarked (or had a cold ) All the dogs got along, all the dogs got petted, all the dogs had a blast. I have ZERO intention of debarking Sca but there is cases that I could see it (his mom is debarked)

Yes, Snap's bark is softened. Sounds as though he has laryngitis, but his bark still has plenty of volume. AND if you all remember, Snap by far was the barkiest sheltie at the party !!!

I chose to have him debarked at 9 mos, when a littermate of his was being debarked. I admit that it was a decision made out of convenience. The houses in my neighborhood are only required to have 6 ft easements, so they are extremely close to one another; and I have 11 ft ceilings, which result in sound reverberating.

While I've since taught him to bark on command and to be quiet, he is a big talker and just has a lot to say.

 

[Smudge]

That's why I feel sorry for people who live in cities, towns, and other places where houses are so close by. I live in the country, and while the houses are next to each other, all the people here own several acres of land a piece, and the houses are spaced out very nicely.

I'm glad my shelties aren't big on barking. My first sheltie, Gizmo, was a HUGE barker. Smudge spins, but believe it or not, he does not bark when he spins. I don't know why, but I am not complaining.

Of course, the few times Smuff does get on a barking splurge I have to sit back and smirk a little. The neighbor's have some very loud annoying kids, and while I worked graveyard they did not care that I was trying to sleep. So the few times that Smudge does bark at about 5 am, I just smile and let him outside to bark for a few minutes and go to the bathroom before letting him back in.

 

[Fergusmom]

My last female sheltie was debarked. I did not do it her previous owner did. She could still bark up a storm and sometimes still be darned annoying with it. She sounded like she had a very bad case of laryngitis. I have no issue with debarking as long as it's done humanely and properly by a vet. I can see advantages for people living in apartments or neighborhoods where the houses are very close together. I have heard some horror stories though about how it's done in puppy mills. That's another situation altogether.