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The Missing Bark

Denise G.

Denise G.

Well-known member
Hi! I'm new to this forum--though I've been lurking and learning for a couple of weeks. I just brought my new little girl home on Thursday and she' a delight! She's a Blenheim and is seven months old. I don't have a picture yet, but will post one shortly.

I had my vet check her out--no heart murmers and very healthy. I'm so thankful, as I've already fallen in love! Oh, by the way her name is Mia Bella and she's very prissy--ha!

Here's my problem/question...she doesn't seem to have a voice/bark. When she barks which hasn't been much, it sounds like she has laryngitis. Unfortunately, yesterday she got her foot caught and started barking/yelping but there was no sound. Her foot is fine by the way, she was just scared. I put a call in to my vet and the breeder--but the vet was already gone for the weekend and I haven't heard back from the breeder. As long as there are no health impllications, it's fine with me if she can't bark, though it's a little strange.

I just wondered if anyone else has heard of this before? She's just a sweetheart and is very playful and responsive and brilliant, of course! :)

Thanks for all I've learned so far--and I'm so glad to have found this wonderful loving Cavalier community! :jump:
 
Barking

HI,

Molly didn't bark for about a month after we got her. The only time she barks now if is she gets startled, or if she sees a cat in our garden. So perhaps this will pass.
 
Some almost never bark. I don't think you have anything to worry about.

Count your blessings :lol:
 
Merlin is eighteen months and only barks at other dogs that go past the front window ( our window sills are low so he spends the day watching the world go by!)

He will bark when he is excited when he want you to throw something or play football with him but its more of a yap than a bark
 
Firstly congrats on your new arrival. My friend has a Blenehim and it was about three months before it barked and even then it was just a little bark. And still almost a year on it hadly makes much of a sound, a very happy chappie by all accounts.
I'm sure your little one will find it's voice soon enough.

On the other hand my Max has a very loud bark and uses any excuse to use it!!
 
My brother swears that all cavaliers are "Nice, but Dumb". :D
 
Thanks for your assurances. I'm still a little concerned though because she tries to bark but only a raspy sound comes out. I hope to hear back from my vet this week. I doubt its anything too serious, it just seems that her voice box isn't hooked up or something.

Bruce, I know what you mean about counting my blessings. My Golden shakes the rafters when he barks--which isn't too often, thank God.

Thanks again for your replies!

Denise
 
I know this may be way out in left field, but when you mentioned a raspy sound to her bark in your last post it occurred to me. Do you suppose she has been debarked? That's kind of how a dog can sound that has had that done. Unlikely at that age, but who knows. At any rate, couldn't hurt to have a vet look at the bark thing specifically.
 
Bruce-

I wondered about that possibility. I got her from a breeder that intended to show her, but since she's a little smaller than standard, he decided to place her in home. What exactly is "de-barking" and do they do that to show dogs? Are there any health implications at all--I'm guessing and hoping not...

You'd think the breeder might have mentioned that. I don't miss the barking, but it sort of worried me--and kind of seems cruel.

Thanks, Bruce!
 
The debarking thing was the first thought that entered my mind. Hopefully, it might just be a change of environment bark! I've noticed that when we take Maxx in the car travelling for a couple of hours, his voice gets very dry and raspy. He's not naturally a barky dog anyway though.

Charlie however IS a barker and unfortunately, the change of environment never affects him :lol:

Cockerspaniel, your brother's not one of these who thinks only big 'hard' dogs are intelligent is he???? :roll: :lol:
 
The more I think about it, the more I'm sure she's been debarked. I "Googled" debarking dogs and am troubled that this was done to this little girl and even more troubled that the breeder didn't mention it. I specifically asked him if she barked much and he didn't mention it. That makes me suspicious... I read that there can be complications from a "laryngectomy" involving scar tissue, etc., depending on how it was done. One of the side effects I read about is gagging. She's gagged a couple of times in the three days I've had her--she didn't have anything in her mouth and wasn't eating. The gags are very short and don't seem to bother her, but I noticed it.

The breeder seemed reputable and has been showing dogs for many years...maybe he's so used to the procedure, it didn't occur to him to mention it...

I'm already attached to little Mia and couldn't imagine giving her back.

Any advice/suggestions? Has anyone else come across this and should I be worried about complications?

Thanks in advance for your input.

Denise
 
I think I'd ring the breeder and ask him straight out if she's been debarked or not - then you can decide what to do from there.

Isn't debarking illegal? It's certainly darned cruel :(

We have a dog at the back of us that barks incessantly. I wouldn't want it debarked but i wish it's owner would take notice of it and take it for training!
 
Thanks, I've put a call into the breeder. I'll see what he says and what my vet says and go from there...

Thanks again-
 
I just had a thought; could she have something caught in her throat? I would ask the vet to take a look. I wouldn't try looking - just let the vet take a look.
 
Well, I talked to the breeder and he confirmed that she has been "de-barked". He intended to keep and show her and this is a procedure he has done on all his show dogs. I'm relieved in one way that the mystery is solved and she's otherwise o.k., but somewhat troubled that this has been done to her. He assured me that a specialist performed the procedure and he's never had any of his dogs experience any side effects.

I also talked with my vet and he didn't think it was anything to worry about, though he was surprised that the procedure had been done on such a young puppy. Mia is 7 months old.

I do wish he had told me before now--though it probably wouldn't have made any difference. She's a happy girl with a very sweet nature, so I guess I'll keep her. ;)

Thanks for all your input and suggestions.

I love this forum!! :luv:
 
Well...mystery solved. I think it's unfortunate that she was de-barked. I just don't feel it's a humane thing to do. And I'm surprised you wouldn't have been informed of this...it's definitely not standard procedure. But at least you now know why she sounds like this.
 
Poor baby, why would they do that? You can train a dog not to bark but it seems damn cruel to do that to them. I don't get people sometimes, and worse a dog person (I normally understand dog people).
 
Poor little love. Darned cruel breeder though :( People like that give breeders a bad name.

I wonder how he'd like it if he was to be de-voiced? GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR Makes me soooooooooooo angry :x

Give your little one an extra big hug nad kiss from me xxxxx
 
Poor little girl, I am really really sure that I read that this doesn't always last..... I will try and find it.
 
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