ear cropping

[Dizzy]

I live in the UK, so this is not something that is done over here.

Can I ask why is it done? Is it just for aesthetics? Is it just tradition? Is it a 'show standard'? Can this be ignored if it is, or will you be laughed out of the place?

I prefer dogs looking natural. I'm especially happy when I see a dog with a usually docked tail, un-docked! Much better for wagging!

What are other peoples thoughts?

[Doberluv]

I prefer dogs looking natural. I'm especially happy when I see a dog with a usually docked tail, un-docked! Much better for wagging!

What are other peoples thoughts?

Well, that's good. That's your opinion. This topic can be found in past threads. You can do a search to see what has been written and re-written and re-written. I think there's even more than one thread on this subject...not certain.

[Dizzy]

I thought it might have been

I was just wondering what other people thought... Chit chat and all that :P

[Irish]

Dizzy,
I also like seeing dogs looking natural. I don't have anything against people who do dock their dogs tails or have their ears done, I understand that when you love a certain breed you go with what has become the norm. But, when I see, lets say a dobe, with a natural tail and ears - I can't help but think that his owner must really love him.

[oc_spirit]

it is done for:

looks
medical reasons
safety
enhancement

Originally Posted by Irish

Dizzy,
I also like seeing dogs looking natural. I don't have anything against people who do dock their dogs tails or have their ears done, I understand that when you love a certain breed you go with what has become the norm. But, when I see, lets say a dobe, with a natural tail and ears - I can't help but think that his owner must really love him.

A responsible, ethical breeder docks the tails at 3 days of age, and has the ears cropped at 8 weeks of age, and does not let it go for an additional 2 weeks, so that the puppy has no stitches in the ear.

When you see a Doberman with ears and tail in the U.S., you see a dog from a back yard breeder who was only interested in making a few bucks, and passed the onus of the cropping/docking onto the buyer. Of course, after 3 days of age, docking a tail is major surgery. A Dobe with a tail is going to have problems most of its life. Just like Greyhounds do.

Oh, and since the BYB was not interested in doing the ears or tail, you can be assured the heart, hips, and blood were never tested. So you are looking at a dog that could very possibly drop dead to the ground some day. Or bleed to death if it cuts itself.

PLUS........when you look at a Dobe with ears and tail, YOU MIGHT JUST AS WELL BE LOOKING AT A BLACK AND TAN COONHOUND, lolololololol.

[nedim]

I'm neutral in this topic. I like both croped and uncropped ears and tails. I think that since some breeds have been made intentionally so that their tails or ears should be cropped, then it is befitting to do so. Either that or we need to make the ears naturally erect and the tail stumpy by selective breeding.lol


I get ALOT of people who accuse me of "cutting" Peanut's tail off. I then have to explain that its just how the breed is.lol

[Dreeza]

Originally Posted by Manchesters

A responsible, ethical breeder docks the tails at 3 days of age, and has the ears cropped at 8 weeks of age, and does not let it go for an additional 2 weeks, so that the puppy has no stitches in the ear.

When you see a Doberman with ears and tail in the U.S., you see a dog from a back yard breeder who was only interested in making a few bucks, and passed the onus of the cropping/docking onto the buyer. Of course, after 3 days of age, docking a tail is major surgery. A Dobe with a tail is going to have problems most of its life. Just like Greyhounds do.

Oh, and since the BYB was not interested in doing the ears or tail, you can be assured the heart, hips, and blood were never tested. So you are looking at a dog that could very possibly drop dead to the ground some day. Or bleed to death if it cuts itself.

PLUS........when you look at a Dobe with ears and tail, YOU MIGHT JUST AS WELL BE LOOKING AT A BLACK AND TAN COONHOUND, lolololololol.

what kind of problems do they have? I never knew that it was a health 'thing' to crop/dock ears/tail.

thanks for the info

[sparks19]

Can you ask the breeder not to crop the ears if you prefer it? Just wondering because I love great danes but I love the silly look they have when their ears aren't cropped. It wouldn't matter either way if they were cropped or not but I'm just curious

[Doberluv]

What is natural about floppy ears? What is natural about smooshed faces, long backs, short legs, Paul Bunion dogs, dogs with hip dysplasia, patella luxation, collapsing tracheas, VonWillebrands disease, dilated cardiomyopathy, degenerative myelopathy, degenerative retinopathy, hypothyroidism, epilepsy, cervical vertebral instability....need I go on? Or thin, whip like tails which fracture easily? What is natural about selective breeding done by humans? What is natural about all the diseases and spinal malformaties that humans have created by messing with genetics? That's not how natural dogs look. "Natural" dogs (wild) have upright ears. Natural dogs don't suffer all these hideous medical problems.

I don't mean to sound rude, but I see so much of this argument which is illogical to me...incongruous...and I want to emphasise my point I guess.

There are medical and practical reasons besides looks for cropping and docking some breeds. If you read up on the breeds and why this was done and why it is often still done, you'll see what those reasons are. To some, these reasons are not important and that's fine. To others, they are viable reasons.

The fact of the matter is that the tail is docked at 3 or 4 days of age when the central nervous system is not yet fully developed and there is no pain. I happen to love my Doberman's tail and it's wag. It's extraordinarily expressive and cute.

The ears can be somewhat painful for the first day or two, but quickly heal...within a week to 10 days, they are totally clean and healed. There are fewer nerve endings in cartilege than other soft tissue. This is a connective tissue and is very durable.

Cropping ears is really not that big of a medical deal. If you have never experienced first hand having a pup done correctly by a reputable vet, via your breeder, or if you haven't seen a litter of puppies playing roughly right after it's done, no crying, no caution, then you can't really make a very informed, first hand opinion. Taking a little information from odd sources, media and government propaganda without having any first hand knowlege and coming to a conclusion is really not very scientific or logical...not until you have ALL the information that is possible. I realize that some vets are anti cropping/docking, but more are not.

These bans and bans on certain breeds (Pitbulls) are a perfect example of ignorance and people gathering a tiny bit of information and running like a horse with the bit in it's teeth. Like they say, "A little bit of information in the wrong hands is dangerous." Is that how that saying goes?