[lisaly]

Originally Posted by Brooklynn

I'm in agreement it should NEVER be for the convenience of a pet owner but in this case I would be for it because rehoming in this case wouldn't be an option for me. I feel you've done everything possible to control the barking and if you have to debark I see nothing wrong with it as long as it's not for convenience.
Donna

I had 4 Yorkies, all from the same breeder. I got my first one 30 years ago, and when she passed away, I got Ashley and then Kiwi four months later. At that time, I didn't know that she had her dogs debarked. After spending more time at her home, I discovered. I was horrified by it, and I was surprised that the veterinarian did it. She said that they still barked but no sound came out and didn't really know the difference. What I heard when they barked sounded like a slight raspy sound. It really bothered me, and it still does. She said she needed to have them debarked, because neighbors complained. My breeder kept one of her puppies that was very tiny because she thought everything about her was perfect. She caller her Amazin' Gracie and she was very beautiful. When Gracie was 6.5 months old, she was still very tiny, and it was apparent that she would never get large enough to breed. Knowing how Ashley and Gracie were taken care of and how much I loved them, she asked me if I would take Gracie. She didn't charge me for her.

Gracie was a little dynamo in a tiny body. She was the happiest little girl. When Gracie came to me at six and a half months, she had already been debarked. I, too, see all the red flags--a tiny baby having anesthesia, and I still hated the idea of debarking. What I can tell you is that the breeder adored Gracie, and I don't believe she thought that Gracie was being harmed. The vet who did it specialized in small dogs. Although I am very against this surgery, I know he was an excellent vet in every other way. He was also compassionate. I went to him myself because the breeder recommended that I go there. He was a half an hour drive for me. When Kiwi was having her dental done, Gracie got very upset and started to bark incessantly (yes, she did learn to bark anyway. They ended up holding her so that she could watch Kiwi having her dental, and Gracie calmed down. He has since sold the practice, and the veterinarian who bought the practice two years later is absolutely amazing! Ashley just passed away last month (my last one), and she saw him for almost fifteen years.

Fortunately for us, Gracie was able to develop her vocal chords. When we first got her, her bark sounded like a slight cough. It got loud enough where she could wake me up from her barking. It definitely wasn't as loud as Ashley's bark, and they were between 4.5-5.5 pounds. Dogs that size don't have deep barks, and Gracie's was definitely much quieter. Gracie continued to bark a lot, much more than my other two. Although debarking still bothers me a lot if it is done for convenience, I can tell you from experience that my precious little Gracie was still the happiest little girl. If I had to chose between debarking one of my dogs and giving them up, there would be no question that I would have it done. Our lives revolved around our little girls, and we did everything we could to make them happy and keep them healthy. I adored them, and I would never do anything to hurt them. It sounds like you have done everything possible to resolve the problem, and this is a last resort for you. If moving is not an option, this may be your only choice. I'm sure you will do the proper research to find someone skilled in this to make sure that she is not harmed by this, and I definitely would do a dental at the same time. I'm sorry this is so long; I don't support debarking, and it sounds like you don't either. I just wanted to assure you that I don't think Gracie could have been a happier little girl, even though she had the surgery. She was the sweetest, most loving, little girl with tremendous personality and a wonderful disposition. She absolutely had everything you could ever want in a dog.