colcha

In short, it's difficult. We have tried to keep him inside as much as possible and away from anything that might set him off.

We haven't been on speaking terms with them for months so I don't think that they are about to break their silence! At least we no longer live in anticipation that the next knock on the door will be the council ranger or a police officer

Thought that I would post a quick update. I ended up taking my Pomeranian to a vet near Campbelltown last Wednesday to get the debarking procedure done. As others have mentioned, I had to bring along a statutory declaration setting out the reasons for surgery. The vet understandably wanted to make sure that this really was a last resort and not simply the first port of call. The surgery itself was performed under general anaesthetic and I was able to take my Pomeranian home only 2 hours after I dropped him off. I was quite surprised at how active and alert he was after the surgery. He didn't appear to be in any obvious discomfort (though animals are pretty good at masking their pain!). He had a bit of a cough but this cleared up by the following day. Initially, I feared that I might have totally silenced him forever. However, he still barks but just at a volume which is not going to get him into trouble. The other benefit is that he no longer gets told off on a regular basis which is much less stressful for all concerned. If anyone finds themselves in a similar situation to myself and needs a vet recommendation, drop me a message and I will PM you a list of the vet names that I was kindly given. Also, if anyone has the contact details for the vet in Wollongong who also performs the procedure, let me know and I will add that vet to the list.

Thanks for the information and the support everyone. I have received several recommendations by PM and have now booked my dog in for surgery next week. Will let you know how it all goes!

My wife and I have been having an ongoing battle with one of our neighbours in relation to our Pomeranian's barking over many years. Both the police and the council rangers have been involved numerous times and we have also been threatened with a nuisance order. Despite using an animal trainer and a bark collar, the problem is ongoing and our relationship with our neighbor is at an all time low. We are looking for a vet who is willing to perform a debarking procedure through the dog's mouth and would really appreciate a recommendation. We live on the North Shore but would be prepared to travel to get it done by a reputable vet who has lots of experience in this area. I understand that this is a very sensitive topic but please understand that this is very much a last resort. If you don't feel comfortable making a recommendation in this forum, please feel free to send me a private message.