I tried the spray bottle but my dog would stop barking to take catch the spray for a drink and then he'd bark some more!

To the person who asked about citronella collars:

I have a Pomeranian and I love him to pieces. Pomeranians are a very, very vocal breed. I have tried citronella collars to curb his barking. He figured out that if he barked long enough the citronella ran out and then he could bark to his hearts content. He didn't like the citronella - the first few times the collar sprayed it surprised him enough to stop his barking for a moment. Then he learned it wasnt going to hurt him and the collar was useless.

I also tried a shock collar. They don't work on dogs with long, thick hair since the electrodes didn't touch his skin.

He's getting a lot better about not barking in the house. When he's trying to get my attention he uses what I call a 'whisper bark' (he looks like he's barking but no sound comes out)a very quiet bark, or he growls under his breath. If someone walks by he will bark like he weighs 5000 pounds whether he is inside or outside, but usually stops or quiets down when I tell him "No Bark!" This isn't always successful but I keep on him.

It has been a constant process getting him to stop barking as much as he has. I could retire if I got a dollar for everytime I've told him 'No Bark'. I just hope that none of the neighbors complain to the landlord about his barking.

It has taken 6 months to get him partially trained not to bark. If it came to the point of debarking him or being evicted, I would debark him. I'm not in a financial situation to buy my own home out in the country and most apartments in my area do not allow dogs.

I think dogs are more adaptable than people give them credit for. Look at all the dogs who have lost legs, tails, ears, and eye, and they just fine. My mom has a pug with ine eye and she is the same happy dog as she was before.

This is a difficult subject with a lot of emotional weight behind it. But I think most people who have their dogs undergo this, do so because they have neighbors that complain. The comments seem to evidence this. They're not doing it because it bothers them, but because their hands are forced to it.

I also noted a lot of mention of shock collars, but none of citronella collars. These create a bit of a spray that is shocking but not mean. Many don't like the smell. The only thing I have heard is that these only work sometimes and if there are 2 dogs in the home, the barking of one dog can set off the collar on another dog, so they might not be the appropriate reinforcement.

Has anyone had luck with or tried citronella collars? I'd be interested to hear what people thought of them.

The other thing that could be tried in lieu of debarking is a few week's consistent training with a spray bottle. Any time the dog barks, give them a quick spray of water. Most dogs don't care for it, and they begin to quickly associate a squirt of water with barking behavior.

From what I have heard, one of the main arguments for debarking is that it would be even more cruel to send the dog away or have it subjected to euthanasia because of its bark. I ask you, is the person who would be willing to kill off their dog because it was "bothering" them the sort of person suitable for owning a dog in the first place? If you are really preparing to weigh your personal enjoyment against a canine's life, then you are selfish! I have siblings who are annoying. should I dump them in a pound? Perhaps I should degrade myself so that I get rid of everything that conflicts with my personal, selfish enjoyment.

debarking is cruel. you would never remove the vocal chords of a baby that cried all the time. if you want a non barking dog buy a Basenji.

I have Collies and they tend to be barkers. When I had complaints about my dogs barking, I had them debarked. Their behavior did not change. They "barked" as much as they had before the surgery. If anything, they were more relaxed as I didn't have to be constantly correcting them for their barking. A friend of mine had a Collie that had major separation anxiety whenever she left her condo. After he was debarked, he became much more relaxed and less anxious. It seems like his anxiety would escalate when he heard the panic in his voice. The debarking resulted in that not occurring and he became more relaxed. Debarking saved his life as I am sure she would have either had to move or give up the dog. Any new owner would have had the same problem and ultimately he would have been euthanized. Most people resort to debarking only after they have tried everything else to correct the barking problem.

I am an animal lover through and through; I've had my dog Mikki since she was 7 months old, and she'll be 8 this year. I was forced to move into an apartment, and am forced to debark her or give her away. I don't think shock collars are anything more than painful, and training her has not done anything, except lessen the barking, which is still very loud.

I don't believe it's cruel if it is done as a last resort where the only alternative is a new home, or the pound. However, I do not believe it should be done on dogs under a year, no way.

I also am considering debarking my dogs. I have Westies who bark at everything under the sun....heck, they bark at the sun! I have done everything that I can to reduce the amount. I have tried to teach them to only bark when necessary. None of this worked. I then went to bark collars which also has failed to work. These collars are more cruel than debarking my opinion because in order for these to work, they have to be very tight, almost too tight. Then if you have a stubborn dog like we do, they will bark, get zapped, whine, get zapped more...and so on. At least if they are debarked they will ultimately be happier because we will be happier and they will get reprimanded less.

So, I guess you could say that I am cruel. Is it more cruel to lock your dog up in order to keep it from barking at the wind? How about the constant scolding of her/him for their non stop barking? How about that bark collar that constantly shocks them because they just refuse to "get it". Some dogs refuse to minimize the amount they bark no matter how much positive or negative training that we do.

It has been proven that wild dogs do not bark. They manage to survive very nicely in the wild without barking. So barking is not necessary for survival. Only captive dogs, or dog "pets" bark. It is an ugly sound because it is an abnormal, unnatural sound. I love dogs, but i wouldn't put up with a barking dog for two minutes.

my dog is a very yippy and somewhat annoying dog. But I love her to death. the reason why i am debarking her is due to our neighbors complaining constantly. before you jump to any conclusions that i am a cruel, unjust, and just plain lazy person, I would like you to know that I have tried various methods to try and quiet her. Since there is no other option, besides giving her away which to me is not an option, i have decided to go through with this. i do, however, think it is not fair to any puppies that may be debarked before a proper owner is found. if that makes me seem any less "cruel"

crueler would be sending the dog to the pound and possibly its 4th owners at less than 18 months old, possibly being put down because we would be honest enough to say that he is a constant and stupendously loud barker. Cruel were early owners not training the dog to bark only in warning. Cruel were the owners who gave him up when he stopped being cute. Cruel were the owners who took him from a 30 acre farm and tied him up in a suburban yard and let him bark. Cruel would be continually punishing either with voice, hand, rolled newspaper, water spray, citronella collar (he likes it), electric collar (he doesn't care). Our dog has a bark still, it can be heard quite a distance away, however it is not LOUD, it is not piercing, it is not teeth grindingly fingernails on a chalkboard constantly loud. He can still growl loudly. He still 'barks' at the birds, the sun, the wind, life in general, tail wagging, running around as usual - in fact, not a single even slight change in pre and post bark behavior.

Debarking should be banned. It is cruel and it does not change the behavior. People should be told that and any Vet that would do it should be shunned.

i truly think debarking a dog is cruel! not inhumane, just cruel, it's what dogs do, and ppl. need to ask about these habits in different breeds before they get one!

i know of a dog that i think is debarked, she makes NO SOUND what so ever, and when she looks into my eyes, i see pain, it breaks my heart, i could never do something like that, or condone it!

but thats just my opinion!

Can debarking of a dog be reversed?

We just purchased a dog & were not told she was debarked. We love her & want her voice back!