Off Subject... Dog Will NOT Stop Barking!!!
So I know this has nothing to do with what we usually talk about on here but I am about to go bananas! In December for my DH's birthday I adopted him a 6 month old puppy. We named him Taz and he is a mutt; think he is half lab, half boxer. He is now around 11 months old. He gets walked an hour in the morning, then 30 mins of training and 2 hours in the evening, plus plays ALL day in our big back yard with my 4 year old pitbull; which keeps him very tuckered out. So I know this is not a bordom issue. And besides his barking, he is a very respectable dog who passed all his training classes with flying colors. However, since we adopted him, he is the most vocal dog I have ever been around!! He barks at noises, cars, people, cats, other dogs, the wind and his own shadow (not even kidding).
Loves water so spray bottles don't work. Yelling just makes him bark more lol. We tried the spray collars that spray out a nasty scent, but he licks the air, so obviously he likes it. And last but not least we tried a pet safe static bark collar. It works, however, you can not leave it on him for more than 8 hours a day so once its off, he knows it and will start barking. He also knows when you put it on, hates it and will nip at yours hands when you put it on him.
So now I am stumped at what to do! I have joked with my DH about getting his voice box removed; but its only a joke and I think that is cruel but a possible solution non the less haha! My DH suggested we get the shock collar that you can keep on him and has a remote to it but I'm skeptical if that will even do the trick!
I used a shock collar for a
I used a shock collar for a dog in training a few years ago. We have 3 dogs, all rescues, all big breeds (and very loud). I resorted to a collar with one dog who was particularly difficult to train and had a wealth of bad habits to break (including barking).
The collars can be very effective, mostly because they're safe to leave on and you control the shock. So simply wearing the collar won't hurt them or cue them into what's going on (ie, telling them when to behave and not to).
Have you tried a muzzle? I'm not sure how effective it will be for you, but I found it did help a little with my trouble-mutt. The collar definitely worked for me, but you have to be consistent, quick, and fair with it (sometimes dogs bark for legitimate reasons and it's not fair to try and train your dog to NEVER bark).
Good luck!
Nuisance barking is anxiety
Nuisance barking is anxiety driven -- which is why when you yell at him it just makes him worse, he knows you're irritated.
I'd say find a dog behavioralist or check out Cesar Milan's stuff. The vocal cord cutting won't alleviate the anxiety and he could very well develop other anxiety driven behaviors as he gets older. They don't become completely mute anyway, so he'll just be barking with laryngitis.
Shock collars are great &
Shock collars are great & like SMof2Girls suggested & that you control the shock. After your dog is properly trained with it, than you can put a dummy collar on your pet. Sounds like your dog is so happy he is more less singing nonstop. Possibly a dog whistle (the kind we can't hear) may work but I never tried one to know either way. When I had my "singing dog" lab mix, I used a clicker which is only a buck or two. I would click it then say "come" after he came, I told him to "sit". He listened to my both commands & I rewarded him with verbal praise for coming & sitting. "singing dogs" are people pleasers & when you talk to them, that's what rewards their action or actions. Long story short, I only talked to my dog on the actions I liked. Just have to redirect his attention as many times as it takes. He probably will never fully stop but he could mellow with enough given time & patience.
I also wanted to allow my dog a time & place to sing his little heart out. So from time to time in the evening, I would shut off all of the lights & plug the strobe light in. Than grabbed his favorite squeaky toy & got on my kitchen counter. I would say "speak" in a deep tone as I squeaked his toy repeatedly. After a few minutes he got so worked up & I kept teasing him as he barked n barked n barked. We both had a blast & when all was done, I gave him his toy & told him how much of a good boy he is. Than he played hard with his toy & ended up falling asleep by my feet. I swear it helped him get it out of his system quite a bit & he was a very happy dog.
My family chose vinegar and
My family chose vinegar and hot peppers for all three dogs as corrections for their behavior. We preceded the bark with one stern NO. Worked like a charm. The trick is to be CONSISTENT.
Hmm no idea what to suggest
Hmm no idea what to suggest to you. In my experience, there is usually a reason why they bark like that. My own lab X did that when she was a puppy, she kept barking ALL NIGHT LONG!!! It was getting to the point where I just wasnt sleeping and seriously thought about finding a new home for her!!
Then one night I went down when she was barking to try to shut her up, and I saw a hedgehog just waltzing accross the lawn past the patio doors!
THAT is what she had been barking at all the time! I just put her in a room at the front of the house to sleep. No more hedgehog, no more barking!! Now (9 1/2 years later) She only barks at night when the foxes are barking outside.
Prob not much help to you, but I would say if you can find the cause, then thats a starting point for some training, or to find a way to distract the dog from the issue?
I also think the de-bark is
I also think the de-bark is cruel although I honestly wonder what the experts think. Anyway in your case there is alternatives - if you do use a shock collar make sure you get expert instruction on how to use it as it can easily turn into torture for the dog.
A muzzle of course but you don't want to leave it on all day long.
That leaves standard training techniques - maybe hire a professional.
Are you aware of "Yahoo answers". They have a pet section where you can go for stuff like this:
http://answers.yahoo.com/