debarking a dog

Animal devocalization is a procedure in which a dog or cat's vocal cords are surgically removed to prevent the animal from barking or meowing. Massachusetts and New Jersey have banned the procedure, as has Britain and the European Union. Critics of the procedure say that it's cruel to prevent animals from communicating, and that scar tissues in the throat create breathing hazards.

Is it wrong? Should it be illegal?

Don't care about scar tissue or whatnot, it shouldn't be done regardless. Dogs are a social animal.

I can't even think of a reason to do this. Even purpose dogs, those used in war or for hunting, are trained to STFU until they're supposed to bark. Hell, even I at 8 years old taught my not-at-all-impressive dog to be quiet unless needed.

Do you know what the purpose of this is, reno? Probably an "owner preference" type of thing like declawing a cat, right?

Next thing you know we'll routinely be removing their sex organs.

Actually, though, I agree that it's probably unnecessarily cruel to removal vocal cords. While the blind, deaf and mute find ways to adapt, maybe you really should consider training or not getting the animal at all. Get a snake or something.

I see so many inept owners! So many times, they don't want the dog to be barking, they run out and start scolding the dog, but the dog has never been trained to respond or even understand what it is doing wrong. It just sounds to the dog like the owner is also coming outside to bark.

BTW don't use "free speech zone" when you don't really need to. It won't show up in the short list of a user's recent messages.

Quote: rxwine

Next thing you know we'll routinely be removing their sex organs.

That's a good point. Why can't cats and dogs simply get a vasectomy and tubal ligation? I've never sterilized any of my pets and don't ever intend to.

When I owned a cat, I didn't have her declawed, either. Cats need their claws. You just teach her to scratch in only one or two areas. Ideally that would have been the scratching post. Instead she showed a preference for an old stool and a bathroom rug. Over the years she reduced both to shreds, but left the carpets, rugs, curtains and other furniture alone.

Removing the vocal cords is cruel and unecessary. Both dogs and cats are social animals which make use of sound in order to communicate. If barking or mewoing annoys you, don't get a pet. My last dog liked to bark at passing strangers from her sunning areas in the front yard. I let her do that becasue it wasn't a problem. Inside the house she rarely ever barked.

The Basenji is a dog that is barkless. It yodels and whimpers. A very interesting dog with a curly tail. Had one growing up. Used by pharoahs in Ancient English to hunt.

Quote: Nareed

That's a good point. Why can't cats and dogs simply get a vasectomy and tubal ligation?

Because a vasectomy would solve the problem of unwanted pregnancy, but that's only half the reason people get cats/dogs neutered. The other advantage of removing the testicles is that it reduces aggressiveness in dogs, and territorial peeing in cats. Vasectomies have no affect on behavior.

Quote: reno

Because a vasectomy would solve the problem of unwanted pregnancy, but that's only half the reason people get cats/dogs neutered. The other advantage of removing the testicles is that it reduces aggressiveness in dogs, and territorial peeing in cats. Vasectomies have no affect on behavior.

Plus who wants to "diaper" their female pet during "that time of the month" (heat). Neutering dogs also stops them from humping your leg.

Quote: reno

Because a vasectomy would solve the problem of unwanted pregnancy, but that's only half the reason people get cats/dogs neutered. The other advantage of removing the testicles is that it reduces aggressiveness in dogs, and territorial peeing in cats. Vasectomies have no affect on behavior.

Then you might be better off with a fish or a hamster...

Really, dogs and cats can learn to live in a civilized setting (otherwise we wouldn't have kept them around this long, would we?) To be fair, though, I've neve had a male dog. Females are easier to house-break, after all. Just the same, I did have one who was quite agressive. It's funny, considering she was a toy poodle. So her agressiveness was cute, really, rather than intimidating or annoying. And much of it was for show. If she really got mad, she would leave the room. I'd let her chase me off once in a while, just to humor her :)

But I've known people who owned male dogs and I've seen their dogs. Properly trained, they're not agressive to the point that you need to maim them to keep them in line; of course with a few exceptions.

I think Michael Vick used to do something like this.