To crop or not to crop. That was the question. Reputable breeders sell their pups with the ears already cropped, but Kolten was a rescue, so I had to decide what to do with those cute ears. While dobies are beautiful just the way God made them, I really like them with their ears cropped. It used to be the only standard for the breed.
Nowadays, you see more and more uncropped ears on breeds like dobies, boxers, and great danes and schnauzers. There are fewer and fewer vets who perform this surgery. It is very important to find a vet who has done lots of crops on your particular breed. Ear cropping and tail docking is outlawed in other countries and even is unlawful in the state of Pennsylvania.
The practice has been illegal in other countries since the 18th century. Today, we have humane ways to perform surgery with anesthesia, so I do not view ear cropping or tail docking as cruel at all. I have cropped two of my dobies' ears and they were not the least bit bothered by the procedure or after care.
If you want to crop your dogs ears, don't let other people guilt you about it. Do your own research and make up your own mind. Thankfully, we can still make these decisions about our pets.
Please share your ear-crop thoughts and stories with us!
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