Why do people hate ear cropping?

[BIgdog]

Like I read on the the web how much people hate ear cropping and how it should be banned . Also how people think cropping means your dogs viscous and it's CRUEL . People say "How would you like it if i cut your ear off". It just enrages me how some people act . I was planning on getting my future dog's ears cropped by an experienced vet but I don't know if I want to any more . Yes I know its a matter of opinion . But me personally I think it looks good on certain dogs . I was just wondering how some of you feel about ear cropping ?

 

[Geisthexe]

I personally crop my Presa pups ears when I have a litter unless the new owner says they want them natural. I prefer a nice ear crop.
They cercumsize babies .. Not difference in my opinion

 

[Smart_Family]

I believe that breeds that have traditionally been cropped should be cropped by a vet who knows what they are doing.

 

[BIgdog]

I'm glad I'm not the only one . I love a good crop . especially on a doberman

 

[AKBull]

I can understand how people wouldn't like them, or would consider them cruel. You have to be able to think outside of yourself for a minute. You're chopping perfectly good skin for (the most part) aesthetics. (like getting a breast or nose job) Now if the dog "works", where there is a chance damage might occur, then that would be a reason to crop them.

Now on my personal belief. I'm okay with it. I think a good cropping looks good.

 

[CeeCee]

I've been reading Stanley Coren's book How to Speak Dog and in it he discusses how dogs use various parts of their bodies to communicate with other dogs. One of these is their ears. He says that there is no hard evidence on whether or not dogs with cropped (or missing) ears or tails are misunderstood or misread by other dogs, but he raises a very good question.

My personal opinion is that possibility that is worth considering especially for large powerful breeds who are, I believe, at a greater risk for being misunderstood or judged unfarily because of their size and overall looks.

Just my two cents.

 

[kbuchanan66]

This may be slightly off topic. Do any of you notice that a cropped dogs ears get dirty faster than a non-cropped?

 

[mx5055]

This may be slightly off topic. Do any of you notice that a cropped dogs ears get dirty faster than a non-cropped?

Speaking from all the years I had boxers, and having both, cropped vs uncropped...I always found the cropped ears much easier to keep clean.

 

[mx5055]

This may be slightly off topic. Do any of you notice that a cropped dogs ears get dirty faster than a non-cropped?

Which really didn't answer your question...lol I guess what I meant to say was that I was always more prone to notice if there was an issue with the cropped ears...sometimes with uncropped if yeast or something is more down inside the ear I wouldn't notice it as quickly. Plus, I never had yeast problems with cropped ears

 

[Marrowshard]

Touchy subject ... I guess it comes down to personal choice but for preference I'd rather see natural ears/tails/etc. in a pet. Horse analogy: no problem with docked tails in horses that actually pull (since a long tail, even braided, could get caught in a trace) but I hate seeing the nicked and set tails of show Saddlebreds. I won't look down on people who choose to crop or dock, it's just probably not something I'd do myself. Then again, I don't declaw my cats and will argue all day about how much I hate circumcision so ... take it all with a grain of salt

~Marrow

 

[Cody]

I've been reading Stanley Coren's book How to Speak Dog and in it he discusses how dogs use various parts of their bodies to communicate with other dogs. One of these is their ears. He says that there is no hard evidence on whether or not dogs with cropped (or missing) ears or tails are misunderstood or misread by other dogs, but he raises a very good question.

My personal opinion is that possibility that is worth considering especially for large powerful breeds who are, I believe, at a greater risk for being misunderstood or judged unfarily because of their size and overall looks.

Just my two cents.

Having cropped and docked dogs I have never found them to be unable to communicate with others. The ears are cropped, not removed and VERY expressive, if I as a human can read my dog via it's ears then I am sure another canine can as well . People saying that they are unable to express themselves are people with little to no knowledge of cropped dogs and are using it as an excuse to push their own agenda. Saying that other animals misread them is absurd, can other animals read border collies or GSD's, dogs with upright ears? Floppy ears are man made, they are a by product of domestication. There is NO animal in the wild with them. In my breed, although I will admit I do it for aesthetic purposes and historical accuracy, it also lowers the risk of infection. As for tails, again ours are docked never had an issue reading my dogs... Plus I can keep things on my coffee table

 

[CeeCee]

This may be slightly off topic. Do any of you notice that a cropped dogs ears get dirty faster than a non-cropped?

So very true! We had an incident this past summer where police shot and killed a dog who approached them as they came onto his property. (I know the trainer who trained him and she said he was a very mellow dog who was never aggressive.) The dog was a pitbull with cropped ears. To this day I wonder if his look wasn't a part of the officer's reaction.

 

[Jadotha]

We always cropped our Great Danes' ears, and would do so with any dog we owned that traditionally was cropped. For me, it IS about aesthetics, but also about the heritage of the breeds. Additionally, as such dogs are cropped, breeders have spent little, if any, attention on the shape or proportion of the ear. Consequently, in the GD world, I see some dogs who look quite attractive with 'natural' ears, but many others who have 'Dumbo' ears that actually get in the way when the dog is active.

Whilst I agree that cropped dogs' ears seem to get dirty faster, the only dogs we've owned who developed ear infections (fungal) were our natural eared Irish Wolfhounds.

CeeCee, my view on this is the same as Cody's: cropping may interfere with communication, but only when the crop is extreme -- literally to the nub -- rendering the ear immobile. Our GDs had a full range of motion in theirs -- they could lay them back, turn them, prick them alertly, etc. In terms of the crop, itself, giving the wrong signals, as Cody said, there is an abundance of breeds with naturally standing ears. Hence I really don't think this is a problem for other dogs.

 

[Rugers-Kris]

Yeah, the coffee table. I don't have one anymore. LOL If I were to own a breed that is normally docked/cropped, I would have it done as well. I love the look of a job well done. BUT I have an EM with a big giant table clearing, smacking babies in the face, tall enough to clear the counter tail! LOL

 

[Robtouw]

Personally, I hate ear cropping, I don't believe it is necessary to make that alteration and don't see a health benefit to it. But I don't think it should be banned, it is a personal choice. I've seen dogs that look better and more attentive after cropping and others that I think look horrible or visually look more aggressive after. I'm happy that with oem's I don't have to make that choice!

 

[BIgdog]

Ya I was a little one sided and I see how people could hate it . I hate it when people give dogs bad crops. I totally respect not cropping ears.

 

[DennasMom]

Just a thought... but do these people who think ear cropping is painful and just for looks have pierced ears themselves?? Sure, it's a human making the decision for the dog... but I've never heard of a dog getting all mad at their human over cropped ears. The dogs sure look proud of their fancy ears to me! That said... I've never had ears or tail done on my dogs... I like the natural look - and their ears are soooo soft, I'd miss being able to pet them.

 

[kbuchanan66]

Just a thought... but do these people who think ear cropping is painful and just for looks have pierced ears themselves?? Sure, it's a human making the decision for the dog... but I've never heard of a dog getting all mad at their human over cropped ears. The dogs sure look proud of their fancy ears to me! That said... I've never had ears or tail done on my dogs... I like the natural look - and their ears are soooo soft, I'd miss being able to pet them.

It is the equivalent of a mother making the decision to pierce her daughters ears when she is only 6 months old. Not the daughters choice but the parents.

 

[jersey girl]

I feel it's a personal choice and the owner has the right to make that choice. Just like a parent that decides to have their son circumcised or have their daughters ears pierced at a young age.

I had a lab and I loved his soft floppy ears, however, I cannot tell you how many ear infections he had...and at times they were painful for him. I love my corsos ears as well...they are still soft, just shorter and there has been zero ear infections. They are a breeze to clean and none of her expressions are lost due to the cropping.

 

[dpenning]

I love the look on certain breeds but I'm too much of a softie to put a dog through it. I got squishy when I dropped daisy off to be spayed which isn't just cosmetic. If I ever got a corso I would have to not pick it up till someone else was the meanie.