Is it typical to debark a dog? I'm not a dog owner and I have never heard of this.
I do not know how typical it is. It is a cruel surgical procedure that eliminates the dog's ability to bark. Some people say they do it to keep the dog from annoying any neighbors.
Excessive barking is a sign of loneliness, isolation and too little stimulation with the dog. Rather than correcting the causes and providing training, they chose the surgical route. The dog may still be isolated, lonely and understimulated...but it will not annoy anyone with it's barking.
While not typical, it is not unheard of. My wife keeps threatening to have it done to our dog...