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Originally Posted by blefkie  My question is, is this someone I should definitely cross off my list, or do any of you feel that there are reputable breeders out there that operate this way? |
I think it *does* raise a red flag when a breeder doesn't crop their puppies. That might not mean I'd remove them from any further consideration on that basis alone, but I would investigate more closely.
I think it can be said MOST reputable breeders routinely crop all puppies prior to placement. There are some exceptions, but I pretty much could count the breeders who'll place uncropped puppies that I can personally recommend on my fingers. The highest percentage of the breeders who leave puppies uncropped are marginal (or worse) breeders.
As someone said, you're more likely to find good breeders amenable to leaving natural ears on a puppy among those using working lines for breeding.