ArtsAutosBooksBusinessEducationEntertainmentFamilyFashionFoodGamesGenderHealthHolidaysHomeHubPagesPersonal FinancePetsPoliticsReligionSportsTechnologyTravel

To Bark or Debark: Vocal Cordectomy Surgery

Updated on November 15, 2009

To Bark or Not To Bark

Dogs bark because they are lonely, in pain, feel threatened, are bored, or happy. Dogs, like Shelties, are one of the more boisterous breeds. They love to chat, and can irritate neighbors and owners, alike. Their barks tend to be sharp and high-pitched, and the sound travels great distances.

Many dogs end up in shelters, or on the street because of their barking habits. Most cities have ordinances to provide avenues for people seeking relief from the noise of barking dogs. A visit from an animal control officer or a court appearance should not be needed to address a barking problem.

Debarking is a surgical procedure, also called vocal cordectomy, to decrease excessive barking. The procedure involves cutting away tissue from the dog's vocal cords. The goal of this surgery is to turn down the volume of the bark and stop the sound from traveling so far.

Debarking does not eliminate the animal's ability to bark, and your dog will continue to bark after the procedure. But, the bark will be more muted, softer and lower in pitch. The bark will be muffled and more tolerable. However, some owners still complain about the new bark. Perhaps they wanted the dog to stop barking entirely, but dogs bark, that's just the way it is. If people do not want to be subjected to barking, they should not get a dog!

Before placing your best friend in the hands of a surgeon, be sure the veterinarian is competent and has experience in this type of surgery. Be advised, some veterinarians will not perform the procedure, and cordectomy is not permitted in everywhere in the United States. To learn the laws of debarking in your area contact your State Veterinary Association.

Misinformation about this procedure abounds, and has sparked movements by animal rights interest groups to outlaw debarking procedures. Breeders, such as Charlotte McGowan, dog show judge with the American Kennel Club, and author of “The Shetland Sheep Dog in America,” profess dogs suffer no ill effects through the cordectomy procedure.

Ms. McGowan suggests debarking (making a small hole in each vocal chord) is a simple procedure when done by a skilled surgeon. The procedure is virtually bloodless, the dog is not stressed by the surgery, and recovers quickly. The procedure will not render a silent dog, but reduction in the barking pitch and volume will be achieved.

The debarking procedure has been a valuable tool against euthanasia, for many pets. Dogs can be subjected to abusive treatment, by their owners, because they bark. Shelties, in particular, can be irritating and vocal. They bark at squirrels, birds, passing people, lawn care equipment, and the sound of a started engine. They are inquisitive and extremely alert to their surroundings.

The debarking procedure is relatively simple. Actually, the surgery is less traumatic than the removal of the uterus in spaying, or testicles in neutering surgeries. Many dogs bark a lot, such as herding dogs, small dogs, and mixed breed dogs. In heavily populated neighborhoods, barking can cause problems between neighbors. Quarrels have become intense between neighbors, and dogs have been subjected to needless suffering or death. Some pets were fed poison or other life-threatening substances by a disgruntled neighbor.

Some suggest that debarking is emotionally damaging to dogs. Debarked dogs can bark, and even though the sound is reduced, they don't seem to notice any difference in their barks. In fact, debarked dogs are not constantly yelled at or disciplined for their barking habits; instead they appear to be happier and more relaxed.

The key lies within the veterinary skill.


working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)