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GunnersMum · 06-11-2008, 02:47 PM

Examples of why I prefer the cropped ear:
1. There was a study done on dobes with cropped vs. those left natural. The test took place on an open field to find out what reaction each would give to sounds coming from a distance (in a bush - rustling) The dobes with cropped ears weren't just faster at hearing the sound, they also looked directly AT the sound where as the dobes left natural took longer and only looked in the general direction of the sound.

2. It has been documented that natural ears if shaken hard enough or if they hit an object hard enough can cause blood vessels in the ear to break.

3. Natural ears develop infections more often and goup builds up faster in them than on a cropped dog.

Why I prefer a docked tail: It has been proven that if a thin skinned/short haired dog knocks it's tail against a hard object it could not only break the skin but actually break the tail itself - perhaps even having to have it amputated if they do it repeatedly - my friends pit had his removed for exactly that reason. The next few may be vain or not but there is no chance of catching it in a door and no chance of losing everything on the coffee table when he walks by.

All the above are things I found out about prior to getting my dobe and what motivated me into having his ears done.

As to the making them conform to our visual ideal... While it may seem that way, I myself made a decision based on the information available to me and did not look at it as being selfish but in my dogs best interests as he ages.

06-11-2008, 02:47 PM	#2 (permalink)
GunnersMum Alpha Posts: 1,526 Location: Hamilton, ON Dogs Name: Gun Runner aka Gunner Titles: PIA, BSE - Pain in @$$, Blanket shredder extrordinare, Dogs Age: Feb. 23, 2007 Gallery Pics: 9 Visit GunnersMum's Gallery Thanks: 517 Thanked 430 Times in 318 Posts Images: 9	Examples of why I prefer the cropped ear: 1. There was a study done on dobes with cropped vs. those left natural. The test took place on an open field to find out what reaction each would give to sounds coming from a distance (in a bush - rustling) The dobes with cropped ears weren't just faster at hearing the sound, they also looked directly AT the sound where as the dobes left natural took longer and only looked in the general direction of the sound. 2. It has been documented that natural ears if shaken hard enough or if they hit an object hard enough can cause blood vessels in the ear to break. 3. Natural ears develop infections more often and goup builds up faster in them than on a cropped dog. Why I prefer a docked tail: It has been proven that if a thin skinned/short haired dog knocks it's tail against a hard object it could not only break the skin but actually break the tail itself - perhaps even having to have it amputated if they do it repeatedly - my friends pit had his removed for exactly that reason. The next few may be vain or not but there is no chance of catching it in a door and no chance of losing everything on the coffee table when he walks by. All the above are things I found out about prior to getting my dobe and what motivated me into having his ears done. As to the making them conform to our visual ideal... While it may seem that way, I myself made a decision based on the information available to me and did not look at it as being selfish but in my dogs best interests as he ages. __________________ If you want to make a small fortune breeding dogs, start with a large fortune.
	Join Date: Dec 2007