Reasons Why Debarking is Inhumane and Cruel

What right do you have to rid your dog of a voice?

Debarking, or devocalizing is a surgical procedure that is performed on dogs to permanently prevent them from making any loud barking sounds.

During the procedure, their vocal cords are cut and a surgeon will remove the tissues. There is no way to reverse this though in many cases, scar tissues will build up that allows the dog to make a constricted, hoarse bark.

This procedure does not completely silence the dog, instead, it only lowers the volume of the sounds the dog makes.

Risks of Debarking

Barking is a natural behaviour and method of communication for dogs. However, debarking deprives the dog from performing this natural behaviour and prevents them from communicating as effectively.

This can cause destructive behaviour and increased physical and emotional stress to the dog which increases the risk of the animal harming themselves or others.

Dogs bark in order to tell you something, whether they are greeting you, excited, afraid, lonely, stressful or as a method of defence. Without this ability, the reason for their bark will be channelled into other ways such as biting and aggression, destroying furniture, or even auto-mutilation (self-harm).

After surgery, there is a high chance that the vocal cord tissues will regrow, called “webbing”. This can lead to respiratory problems in the future as webbing reduces the dog’s ability to clear the mucus in their throat which can cause tracheitis. Tracheitis is the inflammation of the trachea and can be life-threatening.

The formation of excessive scar tissue can also cause a dog to have difficulty breathing, chronic coughing, and noisy breathing in the long run.

Any procedure involving surgery also has a high risk of infections that can occur after the surgery.

Alternatives to Debarking

Because this procedure brings no benefit to the dog and is sometimes even ineffective, many veterinarians refuse to perform the surgery on dogs, and it is also a reason why many countries, including Britain, France, Italy, and Denmark, have banned this practice.

There are many alternatives to debarking, such as training and exercising. Tiring your dog out will make it easier for you to manipulate their behaviour and train them. They will also come home exhausted and ready to relax, which means they will less likely bark. You can also curb your dog’s barking by working with a professional trainer or behaviourist.

Soundproofing is another alternative. You can decorate your home with carpet and furniture that will absorb the sound and also try mounting soundproofing foams on your walls.