Depends on whether it's a true climber or a climbing hybrid tea or floribunda. Cl. HTs bloom on apical buds. In other words they grow on what they perceive as the top of the rose. You can 'tame' them by tying the canes out rather than up. You will still get bloom that way. It it's a climber it may only bloom on old wood so if you kept it pruned too hard - no flowers. It sounds as if yours is the climber type that will likely only bloom when it has formed sufficient foliage to support the bloom. I say remove the thing entirely and get something nice. Get a rose like Zephirine Drouhin that has no thorns and still makes lovely fragrant blooms. There are other thornless varieties. Get one!
