Dog's Ears: Crop VS Natural?

[Fabulous_Nole]

I have a boxer puppy and I'm struggling with this decision. I absolutely LOVE the look of a good cropped ear, but I love him already and I am always concerned about surgical risks.

I'm not so worried about pain issues as I had my previous Doberman cropped with little to no signs of pain at all. Just concerned about the risks that come with these procedures.

What say ye ole Locker Room board folks?

 

[FSUTribe76]

If you don't really care then go natural. I don't care myself one way or another about bobbed ears or tails for those breeds where it's traditional, but I remember when I was trying to help out a friend of my wife who was trying to get rid of puppies and my assistant at the time wanted one. Everything went smooth until the friend found out my assistant was going to get its ears bobbed and then all heck broke lose. I was accused of being uncaring (which I really am in this matter) and she refused to give my assistant the puppy which then made my assistant ticked at me.

So 1) no good deed goes unpunished, I would have been happier without the unneeded drama and 2) SOME people will throw big hissy fits and look down on you as "cruel" to animals. So I'd say if you really don't care, just leave it Au naturale.

 

[NDallasRuss]

My own $0.02 is that surgically modifying an animal for your own happiness, when it provides no benefit to the animal, is kind of a selfish thing to do. Me? I leave the tail and ears as they are.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

 

[Fabulous_Nole]

My own $0.02 is that surgically modifying an animal for your own happiness, when it provides no benefit to the animal, is kind of a selfish thing to do. Me? I leave the tail and ears as they are.

Then I'm assuming you are against circumcisions?

 

[BelemNole]

Jesus, now you're going to circumcision the poor little son of a bitch too? You're a mean mother aren't you?

 

[Fijimn]

Our Jack has natural. Just not important to me, so why do it.

 

[NDallasRuss]

Then I'm assuming you are against circumcisions?

I don't have an opinion on it. I had no choice in my own, and I didn't have a son, so I never had to really opine on it. I hear there's an element of hygiene to it, but I think that's probably more rationalization than legitimate. Seems like it's at least a religious reason, rather than just aesthetic - maybe there's a differentiator there? I don't think cropping a dog's ears is part of any religion.

 

[MR . B]

I got a kitten for my kids at one of those rescue organizations and asked how old he needed to be to get declawed. I thought the lady was going pass out.

 

[Spearhead04]

We have a doberman. Did the cropping. It was a pain but it's almost a must for the breed if you don't want them looking like a hound.

 

[fsu1jreed]

My own $0.02 is that surgically modifying an animal for your own happiness, when it provides no benefit to the animal, is kind of a selfish thing to do. Me? I leave the tail and ears as they are.

This.........I have a doberman (with a little mutt in there) and wouldn't think about cropping the ears et al.

 

[Fijimn]

Preemie and the Jack

 

[nynole1]

My own $0.02 is that surgically modifying an animal for your own happiness, when it provides no benefit to the animal, is kind of a selfish thing to do. Me? I leave the tail and ears as they are.

I agree with this 100%. I wont even get my dogs neutered unless medically necessary. If you dont like the way the dog looks naturally, why not get a different breed?

 

[More Kirk Less Spock]

Then I'm assuming you are against circumcisions?

circumcision has real value. Many girls don't like ant eaters

 

[Fabulous_Nole]

circumcision has real value. Many girls don't like ant eaters

LoL. Many people don't like floppy ears.

 

[FSUdawg]

Natural.

I have a pure bread Great Dane and we kept her ears natural. When she shakes her head her ears slap very loudly, but otherwise it's no big deal. A lot of people don't think she is a Dane because of her ears, but I don't care. When she stands on her hind legs and looks me in the eye, everyone can tell she is a Dane.

Unless you plan to make the dog a "show dog" I don't see the point in cropping the ears for most dogs these days.

 

[AUCE Nole]

If you love the look you should do it. Wouldn't bother me either way.

 

[FSU CPA]

I thought for Dobies it was done to help their hearing/ability to locate people/intruders/threats via sound

 

[NY_22_Nole]

Our Boxer did not have cropped ears and I am happy for that. I do like the look of the cropped ear though.

We just had to put her down.

Enjoy every day with your new friend.

 

[fsu1jreed]

Our Boxer did not have cropped ears and I am happy for that. I do like the look of the cropped ear though.

We just had to put her down.

Enjoy every day with your new friend.

That's rough, sorry dude..........I've gone through it twice, doesn't get any easier.

 

[cmanole]

Just cut them completely off...

 

[nynole1]

That's rough, sorry dude..........I've gone through it twice, doesn't get any easier.

Yeah man, me too. Took me over a year to get a new pup but that helped tremendously.
If yours is running with my boy up there, they are having a blast!

 

[fsu1jreed]

Yeah man, me too. Took me over a year to get a new pup but that helped tremendously.
If yours is running with my boy up there, they are having a blast!

I'm sure they are.......the first was my first dog and she lived over 15 years, it took me about 8 month to get another one and then she died suddenly this past January at around 7 to 8 years, and then I found the one I posted in this thread off craigslist and she's turning into a great dog.

 

[WPBMIKEY]

I thought for Dobies it was done to help their hearing/ability to locate people/intruders/threats via sound

That's not why. They were bred to be gaurd/security dogs. The original purpose of cropping the ears and tail was to make them very sleek, i.e., no tail or ears for a human to grab onto to thwart an attack.

 

[nynole1]

I'm sure they are.......the first was my first dog and she lived over 15 years, it took me about 8 month to get another one and then she died suddenly this past January at around 7 to 8 years, and then I found the one I posted in this thread off craigslist and she's turning into a great dog.

My father always told me that its the people who make the dog great. Thats held true in my experience, so says a lot about you as an owner.

 

[EveryoneBleedsGarnet]

Ear cropping is douchey, I'm all for tail docking though, my golden retriever had a tail like a baseball bat. She put me on my knees a few times with an unlucky wag. Obviously nobody docks golden retrievers, but on a traditional breed like boxer or rottie I would definitely dock it.

 

[YogiNole]

Every time we get a stray cat in the neighborhood, we get it TNRed. They clip the edge off one ear to tag it as a TNR. That's about the only time I'm in favor of doing that

 

[cmanole]

Ear cropping is douchey, I'm all for tail docking though, my golden retriever had a tail like a baseball bat. She put me on my knees a few times with an unlucky wag. Obviously nobody docks golden retrievers, but on a traditional breed like boxer or rottie I would definitely dock it.

So cutting through nerves is ok but cutting through ear cartilage is not?

 

[nynole1]

So cutting through nerves is ok but cutting through ear cartilage is not?

I was going to say the same thing, makes no sense.

 

[fsu1jreed]

So cutting through nerves is ok but cutting through ear cartilage is not?

So there isn't nerves in the Ear?

 

[EveryoneBleedsGarnet]

So cutting through nerves is ok but cutting through ear cartilage is not?

I still do a lot of marketing in the veterinary field, I work with about 20 vets currently and I can tell you that almost all of them are okay with tail docking and almost all of them are not okay with ear cropping, so what does that tell you?

 

[cmanole]

I still do a lot of marketing in the veterinary field, I work with about 20 vets currently and I can tell you that almost all of them are okay with tail docking and almost all of them are not okay with ear cropping, so what does that tell you?

Dog lives don't matter? Seriously though I don't care. My dog has a cropped tail, looks bauce. Somebody was giving away a cat the other day and I asked if it was declawed. Man the PETA crowd went crazy about that one. If I had a Dobe or a Boxer I'd crop their ears for sure. Those dogs look goofy with floppy ears.

 

[cmanole]

So there isn't nerves in the Ear?

Yeah but not like the tail. That's basically the spine. Has to hurt like hell. I'm not saying don't do it but am questioning why the tail and not the ears...

 

[funksouljon]

I don't modify my dogs at all unless there is some associated health concern. Or am required per adoption to spay/neuter (as my puppy goes in on Wednesday). I don't see the need for unnecessary surgery.