Massachusetts Bans Debarking

[DogIsMyMantra]

Well, I don't support debarking, but don't think banning things is the solution. (don't want the government telling me when/if to spay/neuter, what breed of dog I can have, what to feed my dogs, etc....)

I can see some situations where debarking may benefit the dog, but for the most part I just see it as a way of trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. I mean, why get a sheltie if you are looking for a dog that doesn't bark? It seems like something that has just gotten way out of hand in the sheltie community.

A well-bred sheltie should absolutely NOT be a neurotic barker. Alarm/play barking? Sure, but if a breeder has to routinely debark their animals to keep them from barking their fool heads off all day, there is a temperament problem in my opinion. I've seen a lot of this in routinely debarking show breeders whose dogs are beautiful and move great, but are really lacking balance of mind.

 

[elaine2004]

Well put !!

Unfortunately, time and again, the people who are writing these articles condemning the practice don't seem to have ever actually met a debarked dog, much less seen that they are, on the whole, as well-adjusted and capable of expressing themselves as any other. "Debarking" sounds awful on paper (and it's easy to vote to ban, if you're a legislator, but if they'd take a moment to actually learn about the procedure and the life of a debarked (more accurately, bark-softened) dog, they might see that it's not all that bad. Our dogs still bark - they bark at us, the UPS truck, and other dogs. They can hear themselves and each other, but the whole neighborhood can't.

Besides, I am quite sure that the folks who voted for this bill went home afterward and sat down to nice dinners of animals that had actually been killed to suit human whims and desires, and didn't feel much guilt about it. We kill thousands and thousands of animals every day in this country because it's convenient and pleasurable to us, but a minimally-invasive procedure that allows a dog to continue living a fulfilled and happy life is now banned? Seems hypocritical to me.

Keep the government out of as much as possible. They are taking more of our rights away daily !!

 

[Smudge]

Keep the government out of as much as possible. They are taking more of our rights away daily !!

Ain't it the truth!

 

[Goggle]

A well-bred sheltie should absolutely NOT be a neurotic barker. Alarm/play barking? Sure, but if a breeder has to routinely debark their animals to keep them from barking their fool heads off all day, there is a temperament problem in my opinion. I've seen a lot of this in routinely debarking show breeders whose dogs are beautiful and move great, but are really lacking balance of mind.

Domino was be-barked by his breeder but I would completely disagree that he has a temperament problem. In fact he is one of the most well behaved, happy and well adjusted dogs that I have come across. She did not de-bark him to hide some manic barking problem in the show ring but rather when there are several dogs living in a home one can set the rest off. I would imagine most people would find it pretty difficult to live amongst that kind of noise. This does not mean that she shouldn't be breeding shelties - in fact in my opinion she is an incredibly responsible breeder and it would be a shame for her to stop breeding such fabulous shelties because of the barking.

I am sure that there are some who have beautiful show dogs with temperament problems and de-bark to solve the problem but as with any issue there are always the "bad apples" that sour the reputation of the rest. I think it is unfair to judge every situation based on one or two examples that you may have seen.

I am not shy about telling people that Domino has been de-barked but am getting a little fed up of all the negative and judgemental responses that I recieive.

Sorry if this is a little forceful - I guess the topic hit a nerve!!

 

[Ann]

Domino was be-barked by his breeder but I would completely disagree that he has a temperament problem. In fact he is one of the most well behaved, happy and well adjusted dogs that I have come across. She did not de-bark him to hide some manic barking problem in the show ring but rather when there are several dogs living in a home one can set the rest off. I would imagine most people would find it pretty difficult to live amongst that kind of noise. This does not mean that she shouldn't be breeding shelties - in fact in my opinion she is an incredibly responsible breeder and it would be a shame for her to stop breeding such fabulous shelties because of the barking.

I am sure that there are some who have beautiful show dogs with temperament problems and de-bark to solve the problem but as with any issue there are always the "bad apples" that sour the reputation of the rest. I think it is unfair to judge every situation based on one or two examples that you may have seen.

I am not shy about telling people that Domino has been de-barked but am getting a little fed up of all the negative and judgemental responses that I recieive.

Sorry if this is a little forceful - I guess the topic hit a nerve!!

I could not agree with you more! Well said!!

 

[ClantyreSheltie]

Well, I don't support debarking, but don't think banning things is the solution. (don't want the government telling me when/if to spay/neuter, what breed of dog I can have, what to feed my dogs, etc....)

I can see some situations where debarking may benefit the dog, but for the most part I just see it as a way of trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. I mean, why get a sheltie if you are looking for a dog that doesn't bark? It seems like something that has just gotten way out of hand in the sheltie community.

A well-bred sheltie should absolutely NOT be a neurotic barker. Alarm/play barking? Sure, but if a breeder has to routinely debark their animals to keep them from barking their fool heads off all day, there is a temperament problem in my opinion. I've seen a lot of this in routinely debarking show breeders whose dogs are beautiful and move great, but are really lacking balance of mind.

If you were my neighbor, you would be thankful of my debarked dogs. We get up between six and seven every day, and the dogs play and run and bark for half an hour. Better you don't hear the debarked dogs, than hear the barking and me yelling "shut up!"

 

[DogIsMyMantra]

Domino was be-barked by his breeder but I would completely disagree that he has a temperament problem. In fact he is one of the most well behaved, happy and well adjusted dogs that I have come across. She did not de-bark him to hide some manic barking problem in the show ring but rather when there are several dogs living in a home one can set the rest off. I would imagine most people would find it pretty difficult to live amongst that kind of noise. This does not mean that she shouldn't be breeding shelties - in fact in my opinion she is an incredibly responsible breeder and it would be a shame for her to stop breeding such fabulous shelties because of the barking.

I am sure that there are some who have beautiful show dogs with temperament problems and de-bark to solve the problem but as with any issue there are always the "bad apples" that sour the reputation of the rest. I think it is unfair to judge every situation based on one or two examples that you may have seen.

I am not shy about telling people that Domino has been de-barked but am getting a little fed up of all the negative and judgemental responses that I recieive.

Sorry if this is a little forceful - I guess the topic hit a nerve!!

I don't know your dog and wasn't commenting on his temperament. Just trying to share my point of view here on a public forum. No one is out to offend you personally...at least not that I know of. No need to take general discussion to the personal level.

The assumption that I am talking about 1 or 2 dogs is incorrect. I travel, train and compete in a variety of venues, worked with sheltie rescue and have met literally hundreds of debarked shelties. In my opinion the majority of them are bordering on neurotic when it comes to reactivity. Shelties are supposed to be sensitive creatures, but I think many end up hypersensitive and overly reactive. (there's a Clan Duncan article on sensitivity that is coming to mind)

I stand by my opinion of debarking, but certainly don't hold it against the debarked dogs. I'm just not a fan of physically altering dogs in general for human conveniences if possible and think that debarking has become too mainstream.

I also don't believe in 'booster shots', year-round HW preventative regardless of climate, neutering all non-breeding dogs, feeding kibble and more. My mother chooses to feed her dog kibble though and my good friend had her dog neutered at 8 weeks. I don't hold it against them though and don't think lash out at them for their choices. I just disagree and assert my viewpoint when the topic comes up.

 

[DogIsMyMantra]

If you were my neighbor, you would be thankful of my debarked dogs. We get up between six and seven every day, and the dogs play and run and bark for half an hour. Better you don't hear the debarked dogs, than hear the barking and me yelling "shut up!"

Nahhhh.....I'm long gone by 6:00 am.

 

[Goggle]

I don't know your dog and wasn't commenting on his temperament. Just trying to share my point of view here on a public forum. No one is out to offend you personally...at least not that I know of. No need to take general discussion to the personal level.

The assumption that I am talking about 1 or 2 dogs is incorrect. I travel, train and compete in a variety of venues, worked with sheltie rescue and have met literally hundreds of debarked shelties. In my opinion the majority of them are bordering on neurotic when it comes to reactivity. Shelties are supposed to be sensitive creatures, but I think many end up hypersensitive and overly reactive. (there's a Clan Duncan article on sensitivity that is coming to mind)

I stand by my opinion of debarking, but certainly don't hold it against the debarked dogs. I'm just not a fan of physically altering dogs in general for human conveniences if possible and think that debarking has become too mainstream.

I also don't believe in 'booster shots', year-round HW preventative regardless of climate, neutering all non-breeding dogs, feeding kibble and more. My mother chooses to feed her dog kibble though and my good friend had her dog neutered at 8 weeks. I don't hold it against them though and don't think lash out at them for their choices. I just disagree and assert my viewpoint when the topic comes up.

Oh I wasn't taking it personally - just using my case as an example. Obviously I disagree but thats the fun of a debate - it's very rare that you're going to be successful in changing the others opinion but it is challenging to try!

I am sure that there are many debarked shelties that have temperament problems just as I am sure there are many shelties with temperament problems that are not de-barked. I just think it is unfair to assume that most shelties were de-barked because they are neurotic.

 

[RonandJan]

If you were my neighbor, you would be thankful of my debarked dogs. We get up between six and seven every day, and the dogs play and run and bark for half an hour. Better you don't hear the debarked dogs, than hear the barking and me yelling "shut up!"

Or................my neighbor is out there at 6AM with a GSD and two chi's.

The GSD is barking his head off at the feral cats and squirrels, and my macho Italian neighbor is yelling, "BELLA, GO PEE PEE! BELLLLLLLA.............GOOOOO PEEEEEE PEEEE and MAX, GET BACK OVER HERE................MAXWELLLLLLL...............BELLA.........SAVEY................"


I want to debark the human!