Have you tried a Doggie Day Care? Maybe even just 3 days a week would help calm her enough to be quiet when left at home.

Or a professional trainer?

Or anyone you know close enough to watch or sit for her during the day?

Or cameras in your house that you can monitor and communicate through on your computer?

Or call home every half hour to an answering machine that one would use to screen calls, and tell her 'be nice'.

Give your number to a complaining neighbor, and ask them to call you to let you know if she's being a nuisance. Let them know that you'll be trying some different methods to limit her barking, and would appreciate their help if they wouldn't mind... (maybe not a good idea)

Can't think of anything else at the moment... I commend your efforts... you have tried alot of methods already. I truly hope a solution can be found.

That's a tough situation to be in and I understand that it must be very upsetting and frustrating for you. That being said though, if everything has been tired and the only options are rehoming, or debarking, I *personally* would choose to rehome the dog. The reasons for not doing it are still just as valid...they are not lessened just because it's a last resort.

Hopefully all will work out for you somehow. :)

Bama I think this is the first time I am going to disagree with you LOL...if I were put in that position and it was either debark or rehome my brooklynn or Radar or Krissy or Tucker or Harvey......ummm I'd debark with no hesitation. They ain't going NO WHERE! :)

Donna

Spaying and neutering are done for medical purposes. Debarking has no medical benefit. They should never be placed in the same category, IMO. PA has outlawed vocal cord surgeries, and more and more vets are refusing to do them in other states because there is no medical benefit.

But debarking really isn't "for their own good." In this case it would be done to appease the neighbors and so one can keep their beloved pet. It doesn't present any health benefits like s/n does, so...not really comparable. :) More like tail docking, I would think...

Hey, there's a first time for everything! :p But if you're going to disagree with me, you must do it properly--you must type in all caps and tell me I'm rude and accuse me of being a clique leader...or something. :p

I really don't know what to say in this situation, on one hand I think "no way, never", on the other, I try to put myself in that situation and consider getting rid of one of mine.

I think debark the neighbor would be the best option! :D

You're right as in there is no health benefits towards debarking........but tell me this.....if you had to rehome your beloved pet because you keep getting citations or going to be evicted because your dog is causing a noise problem you'd rehome vs debarking?
I'll say this if I were in this position and it was either rehome my pet or get placed on the streets I would debark.

I'll tell you what I actually DID in this situation. I moved.

I agree, debark the neighor LOL....just because we disagree you aren't being rude or a clique leader LOL......but in all seriousness....I would never give up Brooklynn, Radar, Krissy, Tucker or Harvey if placed in that situation. My DH knows I'd get rid of him before these guys! They are more loyal than any human I know :)

Donna

:sidesplt:

Some experts would say I'm being sentimental and attributing my thoughts and feelings to my dogs, but I honestly believe that my boys would be devastated if they were re-homed and that it would affect their health.

That's wonderful and I commend you but not everyone can do just that. I know if I were to ever have to be on my own I would really have to becareful where I move and if I had to debark to keep my dogs with me I wouldn't hesitate. They are my constant companions. More loyal than most humans I know and as long as it's not harming them I would consider it.
But I will say once again, I don't condone it but if put it a position where it was no other option I would do it.

Donna

I know someone who used the shock/vibrating collar with lots of success. Although i have not used my self i have seen it working. He has a mixed silky, who is adorable and such a good dog every way. But she used to bark at everything, everyone , all the time and any time. It was pretty bad. He also lived in an apartment and tried all available, i took her here for about a month to try to work with her and to give him a break ... she drove me "nuts" ... no kidding... even my dogs were like ... tired of her barking.
Anyways, it was that bad.
He got her the shock/vibrating collar as the last resource before de-barking her. Because at end it was so bad , even re-homing her would be hard ...
I have seen it in action and at first i felt sooo bad, because she got a "sting" like reaction when she first started barking ... and she was looking around trying to figure out where it was coming from... she was wearing it all the time the first few days. i believe it is on and off every few hours... but she was wearing it consistently...
Today she is a well balanced dog, she does not wear it anymore, every once in a while he puts it on. I have the feeling she does not know the difference between the "collar" and her regular one as i see she barks more often when she has no collar on. She behaves like muy dogs now, she only barks every once in a while, i had her here for 3 days when he went travelling and what a difference.
Now, is there a difference between this shock/vibrating collar and the shock collar?
Is it the same thing?
Because it did work wonders for this dog. She still lives with her owner in his apartment without any more complaints.
I felt bad when i saw the first time , but seen the result i believe it was very worthy. besides he used it with training and other efforts so she is not a traumatized dog at all.
XOXO

I was gonna compare it more to tail docking as well. Breeders and vets dock puppies tails with no question all the time, but that has no medical benefit, either. In that sense, I guess I don't see the difference. Both, to me, are pointless, non-needed surgeries.

I'm not saying I'm for nor against debarking. I personally would never do it. I hate the way a de-barked dog sounds and would rather have a real bark for one thing. I believe in leaving a dog with all of their natural stuff, besides spaying/neutering because I do believe that s/n benefits them more than doesn't.

I, mean, if it came down to lose your dog vs. debark your dog.... I would debark the dog, but that would be a last resort. Dog daycare is what comes first to my mind. I would prefer my dog to be happy and content during the day rather than stressed and barking all day cooped up in an apartment. It can be a lot of money for sure but I knew, when deciding to get a dog, that it would cost alot of money. I think you also have to know when getting a dog that dogs bark, and certain breeds are more prone to it, when deciding on your living situation while owning a dog. I do understand life happens and you just have to deal with what you got.

I don't know. Basically, you sound like an informed person. You're not just a dog owner who has been lazy and not trained and wants to de bark your dog. You've done your research. I think it all just comes down to how you feel about it, if you think it will solve the problem, or just worsen it. But I really would try ALL other options first.

I guess that depends on how you look at it. It's for it's own good if it keeps it from being rehomed. And if it is surgically done is it really cruel? The dog doesn't know.

We're not talking about doing it like the puppy millers do it. ugh that makes me shiver just to think about it.

I think this is an excellent suggestion myself.

I'm reading all suggestions because I'm really worried about my Westie when we move. The houses are super close together (not like what I have here) and I can see some complaints coming my way.

I'm going to go price the citronella collar; though I see it's been used with varying degrees of success.

I love the idea of doggie daycare and we are moving to a larger area so . . maybe. Ringo doesn't get along all that great with strange dogs though so maybe not.

I really feel for this poster living in an apartment.

Massachusetts just passed "Logans Law" which will not allow any debarking surgeries in the state which I am totally all for....however I do see the OP's point that she has tried many different ways to solve this problem. If it was the absolute last resort debark or rehome the dog,then I think I may have to consider surgery.

Absolutely agree :)

Donna

If I lived in an apartment, I would get a lot of complaints about Buster & Maggie. Maggie will bark if she sees something different in the yard (trash can, newspaper, etc.), Buster will bark because she is barking. Even my daughter has asked me if I can do something about their barking. Day Care is not an option for me, most don't open until I have been at work for two hours. Rehoming would not be an option either. That is a tough decision to make. Good Luck.

How about sound proofing your apartment?
 

I agree with the neighbors to be debarked but I also see your point. To tell the truth I thought of it already myself b/c Maggie has a very very annoying bark that hurts my teeth...LOL...
But on the other hand... would you have any possibility to sound proof your apartment so less noise can come in or out? I could imagine that a debark surgery is not quite cheap and maybe with some insulation from your Lowes or Home Depot and a bit of elbow grease you could make a big difference with less money?

I would move out of the apt into a single-family home. I would never consider debarking.

My neighbor had a rescued Sheltie who had had her voice box removed. It was sad. She would try to bark but she couldn't. She almost got hit by a car because she couldn't bark and he didn't know she was running towards the road. It was terrifying.

I'm completely against it.

Very good point !
XOXO

This is an excellent suggestion you could look into, besides daycare. As Britster pointed out, it would be naive of us to get a dog without thinking they would cost us money. They are the cutest money pitts we have. :) It does sound like an awful situation. You either keep getting fines and allow your little one to enjoy barking, and maybe get evicted. Or you move, which is hard when you have a pet. Whatever you decide to do, it seems like you have thought this through, so you can't feel bad with whatever you do. You tried, you really did.

I personally would move before debarking my dog. I know this is not always possible, but you need to find a way. You should be able to find a rental house for cheap to keep your dog.

Here is a video I found on YouTube... very interesting to watch.

Very sad :(

If its just during the day when your not home, I'd try a no bark collar or something along those lines that is not permanent.

It irritates me to no end that there are people who will complain during daylight hours about regular noises that are normally heard in a neighborhood or apartment complex. A dog barking isnt as annoying as a teenager turning up the stereo or law equipment. Maybe the neighbors should watch this debarking video...maybe see if they have any compassion.

My neighbors complain about my kids making too much nose opening the plastic lids when they take out the garbage. They also get annoyed if my house guests smoke outside or if my kids kick around a ball on a saturday afternoon. Some people are impossible to please and if they'd prefer living with 0 noise--maybe they should move since they dont like anything!

After seeing that, I totally change my mind. I did not know that it was unsafe if done by a vet/surgeon.

I wonder how many of those in the video were done surgically and how many were done by the breeder.

I think I would move