After my experience with my boxer always getting attacked by dogs and they go straight for the ears, i saw that cropped ears are a lot harder to get ahold of if heaven forbid he gets attacked again. He was bit on the face when he was 4 months old by a 5 yr old Vichla at the dog park btw. It also helps the ears to stay open and allow air flow which means less ear infections. It also helps him to be alert at all times instead of when he wants to perk up what would have been his huge ears. Of course i look the look of it also. When i fell in love with boxers, i was frisbee golfing with some friends and a lady was out for a walk with her newborn baby in a stroller and her male boxer. This boxer stared us down for 5 minutes from as they approached and left. He had cropped ears and looked like a champion. I promised my ex girlfriend that got me my boxer that i wouldnt crop hers because she was a female. So there is a few advantages to cropping the ears. I can also say that my Enzo was crying and whining all day long when he got the gps chip put in his leg, but when he got his ears done, he didnt cry, whine, or show that he needed any pain meds of any sort. I also plan on studding him out in the future and it will help that he looks like a Cane Corso should.