[CFrance]

It is a very tough situation. I had never heard of it until my friend got a rescue from a couple who breeds corgis. She always had a kennel full of corgis, which she raised for show, and she debarked all of them. I was appalled at the time.

However... who's to judge if you have the difficult choice between that and surrendering your dogs to an uncertain future? Some dogs bark and cannot be stopped. I wanted to say, Just keep your dogs inside (which I wish my neighbors over the wall from us would do with their incessant little yappers), but perhaps your situation was different. Hard to keep two labs inside all the time, but were they outside dogs only? Or could you have brought them in when they started barking? Were you in the country where they had the run of the yard and were used to staying outside a lot?

I don't remember retrievers being incessant barkers. A tendency toward barking was one of the things we researched the heck out of before deciding on a breed. Both of ours were/are "single barkers." One bark when they want to come inside, maybe a double "intruder" bark. I'm sorry you have that situation and had to make that choice. I probably would consider debarking before giving up my dogs.

I'm on the fence, Santa, but I understand your dilemma. I also know I'll probably now get slammed!