When I first read the article this morning, there weren't any comments -- 4:30 am is too early I guess. Right before I posted here on the forum, I refreshed the Times page and WHOA!!!!
The comments interest me because I'm not sure how many non-dog people even know about debarking (or even dog people, for that matter). I figured it would raise pretty vehement camps, and it did.
Right now I don't have an issue with Dee or Gus, but I'll tell you one of my past Dobies, Harley, about drove me over the edge. For the first 6 years of his life he was a fairly average barker. Suddenly, over a few months time, he became uncontrollable when outside. It started the minute he stepped out the door. There was no instigation (people, squirrels, other dogs) and no apparent reason for this. Nothing had changed environmentally either. Vet checked out fine (she never mentioned debarking and I was unaware of it). Tried a shock collar, positive and negative reinforcement---nothing worked. After a few months I started hearing from my neighbors (good people who really don't complain) about the incessant noise. I felt terrible, was stressed out to the max, and absolutely dreaded letting Har out for even a minute.
In total desperation, I bought a muzzle as a last-ditch effort. It killed me, but I was at wit's end. Har, of course, hated it and every time he saw the thing he woulld run in the opposite direction. This muzzling" at the door went on for months until he died very suddenly of bloat at 7 years old. My guilt that he spent his last year constrained when outside was immense.
I can say now that I definitely would have had him debarked if I had known about this procedure at the time. Re-homing him wasn't an option I even considered.
For me, the hindsight is that dogs change (agreeing that some breeds are more vocal), people change, and circumstances change, too. What we wouldn't necessarily do today, we may be faced with tomorrow.
Just one more point and I'll pipe down. When I was in my Dobie phase back in the 90's, there was no question that tails would be docked and ears cropped. I bought good quality dogs from reputable breeders, too. Today, the thinking is that ear cropping is inhumane and it's difficult now to even find a vet who will do it. I write this horrified that I bought into this 20 years ago and subjected my pups to that pain and months of uncomfortable ear training. I would never do that again, but won't judge those who choose to do so. It is, of course, still the standard you see in the ring here in the US, although I understand cropping has been outlawed in Europe. It's considered "cosmetic" canine surgery.
I'll end on this note: there is certainly no doubt that all of us here are devoted dog lovers. We all want and do the best we can for our "kids." And if (when) we need to make a decision on this issue, let's engage our hearts with our minds, and we'll make the right choice.
hahahhaaa Neutering kids...I know some adults who need to be done...but thats another thread
