The dog who couldn't bark

In my community lives an old grumpy lady who screams her guts out every time a neighbor's dog barks.

I always thought she just hated dogs but sometime ago while I was walking in front of her house with my dogs I noticed there was a big dog tied-up in her front yard. 

The dog seemed to be barking but only a low scratchy sound was audible; he was a dog who couldn't bark!

I almost cried. I had read before about a surgical procedure for debarking a dog (cordectomy) but I have never seen a debarked dog before.

On the way back home I couldn't help feeling sorry for the dog. After all, debarking does not eliminate the animal's ability to bark after the procedure is completed. It just "lowers the volume" of the bark.

In my opinion debarking a dog is just a way to mask symptoms.  You might not hear it but if uncorrected the dog might still engage in barking excessively and this type of behavior will affect him both physically and mentally.


So...what options does a dog owner have to get a dog to stop barking without resorting to debark him?

The answer is simple: training but first he will need to identify what is causing the dog to bark.


Ask yourself: What is causing my dog to bark?

Is my dog’s bark a territorial or protective barking? Is he alarming me of something? Is there something frightening him? Is he bored? Is he feeling lonely?Is barking part of his greeting or play? Does he bark to get my attention?  

After you have pinpointed the source of the barking will you be able to start working on modifying the unwanted behavior (barking).


If what is causing him to bark excessively is an external stimuli try not to expose the dog to that particular stimulus. If that is not possible -there are things you can not control, work with positive reinforcement to help him feel comfortable with what is causing him to bark. 

Barking is the way dogs communicate. It is part of their nature and for the love we have for them we should all pledge to try to understand them even if that means coping with their chit-chat!