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Returning West - I've had many dogs but not a sheltie. Are they truly a barking breed? It seems to me that when a dog excessively barks, it is trying to communicate something, much like a baby would cry?
It's not that they excessively bark (although some do) it's the bark it's self...LOL EAR SPLITTING. This breed is famous for it just call a local breeder and go over there you'll get the idea.
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or the akc could revise their standards.
Great idea, however, it will take YEARS if it's done at all, while searching for a breed I looked at Pem Corgies and Europe is no longer docking tails on this breed and I asked local breeders and sent the National club the question about how this will affect the breed as many now fly back and forth across the pond to show...I didn't like their answer and decided not to get this breed even tho I like them. Nor could I find a reputable breeder who would not dock the tail as it's done when they are only a few days old and most reputable breeders won't evaluate the pups until they are much older. Also, the reason for docking their tails was for a tax that is no longer in effect. Some Corgis are born without a tail, but those who aren't are docked. The Swedish Valhund that was recently admitted to the AKC is an either/or as some are born with an bob tail so you will see them shown both ways I would like to see the Pems go this route but it won't happen in my lifetime according to the Pem breeders and the National Club.
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Yeah, better to put a dog through a painful procedure to save your hearing. How about trying to train the dog not to bark as often? it can be done.
It's not the barking it's the volume. I currently live in the country and my Sheltie doesn't bark excessivly but the shrillness can be ear deafning and that can't be trained out, many Shelties have a shrill bark and some do not and you don't know which catagory yours will fall into until they are older. If I move and have to live in a more populated area and end up with complaints and I have to make a choice between keeping my dog or sending him away to an uncertain future, I will de-bark. De-barking a dog by a competent vet is quite different than what the puppy millers do, they dial down the volume, not do away with the bark.
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If you don't like a barking dog, here's a thought, don't get a dog.
Please don't get any more dogs...
These statements are rude and un-called for, if you have read my posts on this forum you will see that I care for my pets deeply. Just because my opinion isn't your is no reason for your beligerent statments.
As far as shelters not scanning all dogs, it happens, if the dog doesn't appear to look like a purebred dog, at least around here it does and it was the reason the local breeder made that statement to begin with and this is an example why.
There are several other breeds that need grooming to ID them or they could be mistaken for a mutt at a shelter. I do know in the more uban areas that they will scan all dogs, but out here in the country, we just got a leash law and dog catchers 2 years ago, also, we don't have a no-kill shelter in this county so they are likely to be put down and the shelter doesn't have a scanner, if they think they might be a purebreed dog they take to a vet who does have one. Also, many people will dump unwanted puppies and dogs around here as we are in a rural environment.
We all hope our beloved dogs (pure bred or mutt) don't escape, but it happens all too often.
I have a friend who did sheltie rescue for years and said the barking is the No. 1 reason they were given up to her or dumped at the pound, where she'd go rescue them.
She is one of those people that believes people who abuse animals should get the chair, who likes dogs more than people, etc., and even she is an advocate of debarking if it means keeping the dog vs. giving it up.
I don't like the idea of it, I admit it. But she says unless you have dealt with a sheltie (or similar) who barks incessantly, it's hard to get people to understand.
My brother in-law had the same problem with his dobie. She barked all the time. So it was either have her debarked or get rid of her because the neighbors were really complaining, not that I blame them, but he did not want to get rid of her. So he asked me what I thought and I told him that if you have to pick between the two then I would do the debark. It was done by their vet. She could still bark but just not loud enough so that it bothered the neighbors. So he got to keep his dog and the neighbors were happy.
As far as shelters not scanning all dogs, it happens, if the dog doesn't appear to look like a purebred dog, at least around here it does and it was the reason the local breeder made that statement to begin with and this is an example why.
that story doesn't say anything about her not being scanned for a microchip. it does say that they held on to her for 10 days to find her owners. in fact it says she came in "without a collar or any other type of identification", which implies that she WAS scanned and didn't have a chip.
if your local shelter doesn't scan mutts, well, that is really messed up.
that story doesn't say anything about her not being scanned for a microchip. it does say that they held on to her for 10 days to find her owners. in fact it says she came in "without a collar or any other type of identification", which implies that she WAS scanned and didn't have a chip.
if your local shelter doesn't scan mutts, well, that is really messed up.
I used that story as an example that some purbreds if not groomed and have tails docked or ears cropped can be mistaken for a mixed breed as the breeder had relayed to me.
Our local shelter dosen't own a scanner so they only take the ones that they feel might have a chip because they have to pay for each scan. Yes we might seem like we are in the dark ages here and we are, but this is a poor rural area and just having a shelter is a new thing along with a dog catcher and leash laws.
I think it is a great thing. I am glad that proffessionals are setting a moral standard.
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Originally Posted by bibit612
Who in their right minds devocalize a dog????!!!!!
I had a friend who's dog was "debarked", I thought she was making a joke! But they previously lived in an apt in San Fran, when the mom went back to working full time, the dog barked all day. In order to keep her, they had the surgery.
Yeah, better to put a dog through a painful procedure to save your hearing. How about trying to train the dog not to bark as often? it can be done.
If you don't like a barking dog, here's a thought, don't get a dog.
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Here here !!..We adopted an old 11 year old Huskey who had been de-barked. He still mouthed his bark but nothing ever came out. Any vet in UK who did this would have their license taken away. Until moving to the states I had never heard of this procedure. Maybe we should start cutting the vocal chords of those who speak too much...??
I think it's great they're doing this. I just wish the mindsets of dog show judges could be changed. I remember hearing somewhere that judges tend to go more for cropped/docked dogs, even if the standard allows for uncropped/docked. at this point, it's mostly all done for show and is unnecessary, but breeders may feel compelled to do it, especially tail docking, which much be done w/in days w/o causing too much pain. a reputable breeder may just err on the side of caution and dock a pup in case it turns out to be ring worthy and the tail will be a detriment
as for debarking, I've heard debarked dogs make just as much noise. they aren't rendered mute and can still produce some noise which may still be annoying to some if it's continuous. better to tackle the cause of the barking instead of resorting to such a drastic measure. as for shelties, well, I once lived in an apartment building w/ one and I can agree about the ear splitting barks. that tenant was eventually evicted. a sheltie is probably not the best choice of breed if living in close quarters (of course, if you adopt an adult sheltie, you can tell if it has a shrill bark or if the dog is an excessive barker)
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