That's how my sister trained her dog not to bark, she got a can with coins in it and everytime the dog barked she would shake it, it took about two months of this steady but the dog finally got the point not to bark, hope this helps you..

GREAT POSITIVE POST!!!! Nice to hear from someone who has a baby that has went through it and has a positive outcome!!:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

LOL I know mine would LOVE to have me debarked. This way I couldnt shush them when they are barking their heads off at nothing.

I am very sorry to hear about your Mom. I have a border collie\lab who used to all the time at everything that moved! I tried the shock collar on her but it didn't seem to work. I have since tried just about everything else and nothing seemed to work. I have noticed that now that she is older (10yr), she doesn't seem to bark as much. Usually only at other dogs. How old is your Mother's poodle? I wish I could give you some suggestions. I hope everything works out for you, your mother and her precious baby. :love:

Ear plugs!! That's kind of a joke, but it might be at least a short time break fom the barking- or haveing a 1hour break time from the dog- and it's barking- quite time-
Or get a trainer to work with the dog- it couldn't cost more than the vet bills.
Also, if someone was breaking in your home, you want them to bark!
I also understand how barking can drive you nuts!

joy, i wish nothing more than for your mom and her furbaby to stay together ... i am so sorry your family is going through this and i hope you know that we are keeping you and her in our thoughts and prayers ... you are a wonderful daughter and YT friend!

i am sending prayers that the two of them get to stay together :)

I wish you the best with your Mom. I understand this is a delicate problem with no easy solutions. I hope your Mom can keep her beloved dog. I think if debarking were the only solution I would do it to keep them together. God bless you for being such a good daughter and helping her

I don't think you read the whole post. None of the above is going to work for this situation other than maybe a professional trainer. But professional trainers aren't always available where everyone lives. We don't have any around here.

I'm so sorry you have to go through this with your mom. It is great that the assisted living home is willing to take her dog. I pray you find a solution and she can keep her beloved companion. We need to make our elderly as happy as possible in their last days on this earth.

Hugs and prayers!!!

This really is such a difficult situation :(

One of my concerns is that many vets refuse to do this procedure so you may have a hard time finding a vet that you are comfortable with doing this procedure. Not only will you have to search for a vet that will do the procedure, but you'll also have to make sure you are comfortable with them and that they do this surgery well. My other concern is for the dog - as others have said, this surgery sometimes results in a more annoying bark...quieter but more annoying. And, again, I worry about the little poodle being older and going through this surgery and having that scar tissue. Older dogs heal more slowly than younger dogs, and being a small dog, that scar tissue will most likely cause problems if she ever needs to be intubated in the future.

And then of course, I'm concerned for your mother. I have a soft spot in my heart for the elderly. I lost my grandmother several years ago to lung cancer and still very much miss her to this day. And my other grandmother has been in and out of the hospital recently and is fortunately doing much better, and my granddaddy is gettin older and the thought of losing him really scares me. You and your family must be going through so much right now. I don't want your mother to be seperated from her pet...we all know how much our babies mean to us. And, no, they should not be seperated.

It really is a hard situation....I've already said I don't like this procedure and won't be doing it as a vet. In MOST situations, debarking can be avoided. In this situation, I'm not so sure...this might be a case where it is necessary. I just really urge you to do your research and find a vet that really knows what they are doing.

So far as the surgery - I think some vets do it differently. My professors told us that if they did the procedure, they believed the best way was to cut a "V" in the vocal folds so that they don't grow back together...I think it has a higher success rate than if the vet just makes a vertical cut through the folds.

I am so sorry your family is in a postition to have to consider this. I don't know anything about the procedure but I am not sick or elderly but if faced with losing Sugar or debarking him I would research debarking like crazy. I hope it turns out to be an option for y'all. Hugs!

Yes, I have done quite a bit of reading on the negative effects from it. Those frighten me. They frighten my Mom as well.

I will be contacting Angell Memorial in Boston and asking if they have any suggestions as to vet's that do this type of surgery. Perhaps those that have removed tumors of the vocal cords or those that specialize in ENT.

I think it's important to realize that knowing a person has an alternative is as therapeutic as actually proceeding. In other words, my Mom knowing that she wouldn't have to leave her Bea is extremely comforting by itself.

I will do all the legwork, and find out whatever information I can. I will cover all the bases.

Thank you,
Joy

I've come back and read this thread several times this evening and I've finally decided to post...

I personally would have Gypsy debarked if it meant keeping her and there was no other option than rehoming her... We would both be lost without each other. I hope that I am fortunate enough to not ever have to be in this situation.

For those than think it is selfish to have the dog debarked and would rather rehome the dog... consider this... how many of you have Yorkie's who have docked tails and think it looks better than undocked!

Joy, I know what you're going through. My Mom lives with me and has since my Father passed away 6 years ago. She is always depressed and the only comfort for her are her 2 dogs...she loves them, they comfort her and give her a "purpose". I'd do anything to make it possible for her to keep them. I really don't know what would happen to her if she didn't have them. Prayers for you and your Mom - do what you need to do, not what someone else might "think" you need to do. You and your Mom are the ones who have to make this decision. Hugs to both of you.

Well good luck sweetie. It sounds like you are on top of things and will make the best decision.

I have to say a big thank you. For even more than your support. For coming forward in the first place.

I am not a long-timer to this board, as you can tell from my posts. But I have seen many, many times issues discussed that could be controversial. Unfortunately, it turns into a way for certain members to malign another.

I'm not saying it's not a good thing to express an opinion, if it's warranted. But sarcasm and nasty comments only drive people away. They don't solve or educate. I needed education in this, I also needed experiences. I appreciate tremendously both.

Thank you for coming forward, even though this procedure is extremely controversial. I realize nobody is in support of unneccessary surgery. Least of all dog lovers like all of us here. But you've shown wonderful support of this (my) situation. Your understanding and empathy are sometimes all that's needed.

Hugs to all of the kindest of YTers,

Joy