Why crop ears?
- Thread starter Fran27
- Start date
What breed??
My personal opinion is that I rather have a dog with cropped ears I just prefer the look on some breeds such as
Dobermans
Schnauzers (miniature, standard, and giant)
Great Danes
Bouvier
Boxer
Great Dane
Affenpinscher
Manchester Terrier
Miniature Pinscher
Schipperke
The breed's I don't like cropped ears on are
Am. Staff
Pittbull
or any of the other bully breeds
You know in some states it is illegal to crop and it is extremlly hard to find a vet to cropo ears here in MI the clinic I work at does not crop ears
My personal opinion is that I rather have a dog with cropped ears I just prefer the look on some breeds such as
Dobermans
Schnauzers (miniature, standard, and giant)
Great Danes
Bouvier
Boxer
Great Dane
Affenpinscher
Manchester Terrier
Miniature Pinscher
Schipperke
The breed's I don't like cropped ears on are
Am. Staff
Pittbull
or any of the other bully breeds
You know in some states it is illegal to crop and it is extremlly hard to find a vet to cropo ears here in MI the clinic I work at does not crop ears
here's what some breed standards say about cropping the ears: A dogs keenest sense, that of hearing, is enhanced by the cropped, erect ears and makes him an instinctive guard dog, always alert. (note this is for that type of "guard' or working dog) Some hunting breeds dogs' ears and tails were cropped to make them less available as targets for other animals that they might fight with. In dogs used for guarding property docked ears often makes the breed appear more ferocious; hanging ears are reminiscent of the naturally droopy ears of puppies, looking more cute than dangerous.
AKC (american kennel club) statement; that cropping and docking are "acceptable practices integral to defining and preserving breed character and/or enhancing good health"
Of course it's up to the owners to have the procedures done and it doesn't effect the other characteristics of a dog that you love. I guess here in America everyone just has to get used to seeing all those breeds that usually have tails docked and ears cropped without the procedure, before it becomes a less common practice. What breed were you referring to there in Europe Fran?
AKC (american kennel club) statement; that cropping and docking are "acceptable practices integral to defining and preserving breed character and/or enhancing good health"
Of course it's up to the owners to have the procedures done and it doesn't effect the other characteristics of a dog that you love. I guess here in America everyone just has to get used to seeing all those breeds that usually have tails docked and ears cropped without the procedure, before it becomes a less common practice. What breed were you referring to there in Europe Fran?
http://bakaridobes.westhost.com/publiceducation/PECEars.html
Please take a look at this very educational site which should also ease your mind if you have worries.
Please take a look at this very educational site which should also ease your mind if you have worries.
S
the original reason for cropping ears and docking tails was for working and hunting breeds. for instance a dog bred for hunting wild boar is more likely to be injured in a fight if it has its tail and ears...something else for the pig or wolf or whatever to grab onto, hurt the dog and give the wolf an advantage in the fight...while the dog is yelping and recovering from the shock and pain the wolf is grabbing its throat. for a doberman going door to door with a tax collector the ears and tail were something for angry tax payers and/or theaves to grab onto in same way as above.
today it is purely asthetics...looks. no breed standard requires cropped ears or docked tails. in german and other european contries it is now illegal to crop a dogs ears because it serves no purpose but the vanity of the owner. in america not cropping and/or docking is a growing trend, and controversy. it improves air flow but according to veterinarians it isnt a problem at all to have floppy ears. if it was a serious problem labs, goldens, and every other flop eared dog in the world would have cropped ears. you just have to clean the ears more frequently, you have to clean the ears of a dog with erect ears too, just not as often.
my personal opinion...they look better with natural ears and tails. if you dont like the looks of a natural eared/tailed dobie or other breed...get something else.
today it is purely asthetics...looks. no breed standard requires cropped ears or docked tails. in german and other european contries it is now illegal to crop a dogs ears because it serves no purpose but the vanity of the owner. in america not cropping and/or docking is a growing trend, and controversy. it improves air flow but according to veterinarians it isnt a problem at all to have floppy ears. if it was a serious problem labs, goldens, and every other flop eared dog in the world would have cropped ears. you just have to clean the ears more frequently, you have to clean the ears of a dog with erect ears too, just not as often.
my personal opinion...they look better with natural ears and tails. if you dont like the looks of a natural eared/tailed dobie or other breed...get something else.
Ahmen, stirder! It's truly the owner's vanity. Just like the freaks that get their intact male neutered only to inject "Nuticles" into the sacs. I had to witness a baby pig getting it's tail cut off when I was younger. It screamed bloody murder and was just a horrific scene. If people's reasoning is that "they just forget about it"... well, forget about that!! I would like to see all dobermans, for instance, in their natural state of floppy ears and a long tail. But that's just my opinion... buy anyone's welcome to it! 
Well I for one have been raised around Dobermans my whole life and know for a fact that getting their tails docked and ears cropped are not a mind altering experience for them sure it hurts when the procedure is done and over with but it does not bother them later in life and if you think that they lay around and say "Man I wish that my owner/ breeder wouldn't have cropped my ears or docked my tail" it has been going on for years sure it is for the "vanity" but it is also a preference and preference is that my Dobes have their ears cropped and their tails docked to me that is a "natural" Doberman not the long tailed floppy eard dogs
In my opinion the ones with the floppy ears and the undocked tails are poorly bred and obviously not cared about you would never see an irresponsible Doberman Pinscher breeder that does not dock or crop their dogs unless it was against the law and I know that any true Doberman enthusiast would agree with me
In my opinion the ones with the floppy ears and the undocked tails are poorly bred and obviously not cared about you would never see an irresponsible Doberman Pinscher breeder that does not dock or crop their dogs unless it was against the law and I know that any true Doberman enthusiast would agree with me
ElinHunter-Yes sometimes it is neccessary in livestock to have docked tails, and also some ear notching also as a means of identification. Commercially raised animals are kept in close quarters, so tail docking is performed to prevent injury or to prevent animals from chewing or biting each others' tails. In sheep tails may be docked for sanitary reasons. If the tail is not docked, this can lead to flystrike, an infestation of maggots. Gross!!
I've not heard of these "nuticles" before. Is that like fake testicles? That does seem strange!
umm...I wouldn't go as far as saying that b/c an owner chose not to have their dogs ears cropped or tail docked that they were irresponsible or didn't care about their dog, that's a little extreme.
I've not heard of these "nuticles" before. Is that like fake testicles? That does seem strange!
umm...I wouldn't go as far as saying that b/c an owner chose not to have their dogs ears cropped or tail docked that they were irresponsible or didn't care about their dog, that's a little extreme.
I for one love the natural look on all breeds that are cropped/docked but I also have to take into account that some breeds should have their tails docked to prevent them from breaking and splitting. My cousin has a pit and anyone who has met one knows that they have whip like tails. Anyways this past winter her dog cracked her tail on something and it continuously bled. It would scab for awhile and then as soon as she whacked it on something it would break open again. She did not dock her dogs tail but it was a really big pain in the butt, blood splattered all over the place in the house. So in a case like that I can see why you would dock a tail.
M
Cropping Does NOT Hurt
The procedure is done under anesthesia. Ear cartilage has no nerve endings. The ONLY after effect that I ever noticed (Dobes were my first breed 30 years ago--I worked my way down in size over the years, rofl) was the reaction to the dogs being able to feel air in their ears for the first time--a kind of been tickled in the ears reaction.
The edges of the ears are kept slathered down with antibiotic ointment so that they do not get crusted or puckered. And they are healed within 10 days.
One other thing that does have to be watched for is when the puppy tries to run under an object that it used to be able to duck its head and fit under. Now the pup can rip the rack off its head doing that. THAT can hurt the ears!
The procedure is done under anesthesia. Ear cartilage has no nerve endings. The ONLY after effect that I ever noticed (Dobes were my first breed 30 years ago--I worked my way down in size over the years, rofl) was the reaction to the dogs being able to feel air in their ears for the first time--a kind of been tickled in the ears reaction.
The edges of the ears are kept slathered down with antibiotic ointment so that they do not get crusted or puckered. And they are healed within 10 days.
One other thing that does have to be watched for is when the puppy tries to run under an object that it used to be able to duck its head and fit under. Now the pup can rip the rack off its head doing that. THAT can hurt the ears!
M
Tail Docking
MANY people are of the opinion that Greyhounds and Whippets should have their tails docked! Both have tails that are lethal weapons, and Greyhounds are notorious for breaking their tails, and the things never healing.
I also know many, many GSD people who would desperately love to dock their dogs tails!!!!!!! Rofl.
MANY people are of the opinion that Greyhounds and Whippets should have their tails docked! Both have tails that are lethal weapons, and Greyhounds are notorious for breaking their tails, and the things never healing.
I also know many, many GSD people who would desperately love to dock their dogs tails!!!!!!! Rofl.
Tailchaser- it is not the matter of the creulty it is a matter of integrity Dobermans have had their ears cropped and tails docked for many years to many Doberman people that is a "true" Dobe not the floppy ear'd long tailed dogs
Again it is a matter of preference but true responsible breeders are true to the dogs integrity rather than trying to be "morally" correct when it comes to the fact of to crop/dock or not
Manchesters- that was my point it don't really hurt it may be slightly painful for the first week or two after the procedure but after that it is not that big of a deal and my opinion is that it really makes the breed a Dobe is suppose to have a docked tail and cropped ears don't you agree??
Again it is a matter of preference but true responsible breeders are true to the dogs integrity rather than trying to be "morally" correct when it comes to the fact of to crop/dock or not
Manchesters- that was my point it don't really hurt it may be slightly painful for the first week or two after the procedure but after that it is not that big of a deal and my opinion is that it really makes the breed a Dobe is suppose to have a docked tail and cropped ears don't you agree??