I think its very very cruel. In almost any situation. . its so painful and confusing for the dogs, I'm sure. I totally agree with Julie. . its an easy way out for lazy people. Most people whose dogs bark leave them outside for most of their lives, and barking just becomes a habit to get attention/relieve boredom. In probably 99% of the cases, barking problems can be resolved with training.

And, Lute, I think thats really sad. I hope you dont debark Gracie, especially just because! Huskies are very vocal dogs, they bark and whine and yap when they play and when they're excited because thats in their ancestry. To me, I think its dumb that people expect their dogs to be 100% quiet all of the time. . . its like cutting the vocal cords of a loud and rambunctious child. Yes, it is in their nature to bark, they bark out of excitement, play, warning, and happiness. All of my nieghbors have dogs, most of them are tiny but they can all bark! None of us really care, because we all know each other and have good relationships between us and our dogs. . as long as some one's dog isn't barking for long periods constantly (which, none do because we dont leave them outside all day/night). They're dogs, the bark and always have barked. If they bark incessently, 99.9% of the time that is the owners fault, and its SO not fair to make the dog suffer for that just to have an "easy out".