“That dog,” my co-worker Laurie announced one day about 6 months ago, “is not a real dog.” He was of course referring to Jade, my Cavalier who frequently accompanies me to the office. I looked at Laurie puzzled. “He doesn’t bark,” Laurie went on to explain. Now to my mind, there are some distinct advantages to a dog that doesn’t bark. I don’t have to worry about bothering the neighbors or scaring passers-by (although even when performing his version of a bark Jade is hardly what I would call scary); unlike previous dogs my parents owned when I was a teenager I don’t have to worry about Jade deciding to go out at 2am into the yard and bark at various night creatures; and because Jade doesn’t bark I never have to worry about him scaring scare the mailman, UPS driver, or repairman.

Now Jade CAN bark, he just sees no reason for it. So Laurie taught Jade to bark by holding out a treat, waiting until Jade made some sort of vocalization (usually a cross between a rrrr and yip) and then giving him the treat. And while he can no longer claim that Jade is not a real dog, he also has to deal daily with a very persistent Cavalier - who by the way will ONLY bark at Laurie, and ONLY when he wants treats.

Barking is a normal part of dog behavior (unless of course your Jade who has to be taught to bark and then will only bark for treats). Dogs bark for a variety of reasons: to warn of an intruder in their territory, because they’re excited and want to play, as a form of greeting, and a whole host of other reasons. When barking becomes a problem for the dog’s owner however, some of them turn to a radical means of silencing the dog’s voice.

A surgery exists called “debarking.” According to the ASPCA, debarking is a surgical procedure in which a dog’s vocal cords are severed under anesthesia (puppy mill dogs sometimes have their vocal cords smashed by a pipe). An article published yesterday in the New York Times, entitled Heel. Sit. Whisper. Good Dog., said that veterinarians who perform the surgery claim that dogs recover immediately and, except for the fact that their bark now sounds like a muffled rasp, the dog suffers no ill effects. Debarking seems to be most popular among the show dog people, in homes where people prefer their dogs to be seen and not heard, and drug dealers - who like their attack dogs silent and deadly.

Fewer and fewer veterinarians are performing the procedure. Banfield (a pet hospital chain with over 750 practices nation-wide) has officially prohibited its veterinarians from performing the procedure. Debarking is illegal in many European countries; in the United States New Jersey has banned the procedure and similar legislation is pending in Massachusetts. Dr. Gary W. Ellison, of the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Florida, applauds this decision. He has operated on numerous dogs who had scar tissue build up as a result of a debarking operation; the scar tissue was making it difficult for the dogs to breathe

It is critical for owners to know that there are humane behavioral interventions for dogs who bark excessively. If you are have a dog who barks excessively, your first step needs to be contacting a professional dog trainer. Go to the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, contact your local humane society, or ask your veterinarian for a referral for a good dog trainer in your area.