I realize this thread has been down for awhile, but I wanted to make a few comments.
Today we went to meet the breeder that we're getting a puppy from in a few weeks. While sitting in her living room playing with the sweet babies, we could hear both parents barking (but not loudly) through a full wall and shut door (sun room type) and when we went in that room, we could hear her remaining dogs barking in the yard.
All the dogs had been debarked but you could definitely still hear them from at least a room away, probably more if they were in the house-proper. All of her dogs were very active and have the full run of the backyard all day long. We were quite surprised at the sound. We could hear them barking but like the articles say, they sounded hoarse. They were such delightful dogs, very loving and jumpy, boinging straight up in the air! She recommended this to us as a last solution to a barking problem, but definitely let us know that we needed to try other options and let the dog mature before taking this road.
This procedure would definitely be something I would consider. We are getting a sheltie because we are young and active but we live in an apartment. We can give her all the exercise she needs but if she grows to be an excessive barker, I would probably eventually resort to having this done after working on training. I know that dogs typically bark for a reason, but not always. I hear my neighbors pursedog yapping randomly through out the day. Hopefully we'll have our house and a yard for her before too long.
I can definitely see how people could consider this a harmful procedure. When I was a kid, I remember thinking that declawing cats sounded awful, but I lived in the country where they needed to be able to climb trees or fight small animals that strayed onto our property. But now I see no issue if you plan to protect your cat so that it would never run into a situation that it would truly need the claws. I'm not getting a sheltie to be a guard dog, and being a light sleeper, I know I'd hear that quieter bark regardless.
In addition, I'm very sound sensitive and I absolutely know that I would still respond to quieter barks because I investigate every noise I hear, I will put my ear to walls or roam my apartment building whenever I hear something, even when I'm pretty sure I know what it is. If my one set of neighbors complain, I'll just let them know that I'll be calling the police the next time I hear them fighting ( can hear it over a regular volume TV ).
(Playing Devil's Advocate) I'd consider this surgery to be less invasive and 'bad' than having a dog fixed. Less surgery, less pain, and a shorter recovery time. I have had many pets in my life and I realize the importance of spaying/neutering to keep the pet population down, but if you have a house and a secure yard, why fix a dog/cat that doesn't have access to other dogs/cats? Obviously if you have to, if you signed the spay/neuter contract with the breeder. No errant doggies will be hooking up with mine, girl parts intact or not.
Anyways, to wrap up a long post (I tried to break it up into smaller paragraphs!), I've met my first debarked dogs today and it was interesting. My breeder is an awesome woman and traveled quite far for her lovely shelties. These dogs still bark, but the quieter noise allows for her to continue living in her neighborhood and to let her dogs have as much yard time as possible. They seemed totally happy and energetic. As others have said, if I got complaints about my dog, or if she had a barking problem that I could not train out of her, I would do this. I will not be counting down the days til she is old enough to have this done because I do know that I am taking away (or cutting down) something that she was given by nature.
hahahhaaa Neutering kids...I know some adults who need to be done...but thats another thread
